Drag Clown Carla Rossi Retires After 15 Years of Cultural Commentary

Portland performer Anthony Hudson is stepping away from his iconic character to focus on other creative projects.

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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After more than 15 years of razor-sharp cultural commentary as the drag clown character Carla Rossi, Portland performer Anthony Hudson has decided to retire the iconic persona. Hudson cites burnout from the intensive performance schedule, as well as the loss of two close friends, as reasons for stepping away from the character. While Carla Rossi will never truly die, Hudson is ready to explore new creative avenues, including a forthcoming book, a new play, and a touring art exhibition.

Why it matters

Carla Rossi has been a beloved and influential figure in Portland's arts and LGBTQ+ communities for over a decade, using drag performance as a platform for incisive social and political commentary. Hudson's decision to retire the character marks the end of an era and raises questions about the sustainability of such intensive artistic practices, as well as the importance of representation and new voices in the regional theater scene.

The details

Hudson realized during the pandemic how deeply he was burnt out on the time-intensive process of preparing and executing Rossi's performances, which could take up to two months of work. The character has appeared in a range of formats, from short bar gigs and movie night introductions to full theatrical productions. Hudson says the character's retirement was partly inspired by a pivotal moment at the 2024 Venice Biennale, where he accidentally fell off one of artist Jeffrey Gibson's sculptures while performing as Rossi. The loss of two close friends last year, including a collaborator and a fellow artist from the 2010s Portland drag scene, also factored into Hudson's decision.

  • In 2024, Hudson was part of the first all-Native American delegation representing the United States at the Venice Biennale.
  • Last spring, Rossi took "The Clusstinance," a Rossi-branded spoof of the titular product from "The Goop," married internet folk hero Luigi Mangione, murdered billionaires, and "created a more just future" while spewing blood on a man.
  • Rossi's last performance was likely last spring, according to Hudson.

The players

Carla Rossi

The drag clown character created and performed by Anthony Hudson, known for her razor-sharp cultural commentary.

Anthony Hudson

The Portland performer who created and portrayed the Carla Rossi character for over 15 years, now retiring the iconic persona to focus on other creative projects.

Jeffrey Gibson

The artist whose sculpture Hudson accidentally fell off of while performing as Rossi at the 2024 Venice Biennale, which Hudson says marked an endpoint for the character.

David Eckard

A visual artist and Pacific Northwest College of the Arts professor who collaborated with Hudson on the "Clown Down" series, and passed away last year due to cancer complications.

Norah Horwitz

A fellow PNCA alumna and Hudson's nightlife contemporary in the 2010s drag scene, who died in a Virginia prison while on trial for the murder of her father.

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What they’re saying

“Carla will never die. Carla is like [ Child's Play 's] Chucky. She always comes back, she's always going to keep coming back,”

— Anthony Hudson (Willamette Week)

“As I watched that in the theater, I just started crying because it felt like permission as an artist to try different forms like Delia is.”

— Anthony Hudson (Willamette Week)

“This is a time of massive change. With the pandemic, we had a chance to really shift things, and we went right back to the way things were, only made a hundred times worse, and this could be the time to change. I'm putting down my clown cap and putting on my general cap,”

— Anthony Hudson (Willamette Week)

What’s next

Hudson's first book "Lamp Back: Plays and Other Grievances" is set to publish this fall with Northwestern University Press. He also has a new play called "Jan Has Empathy" premiering this fall alongside fellow Siletz playwright Amber Kay Ball's "Finding BigFoot". Additionally, a touring art exhibition Hudson co-curated called "Transgressors", focused on transgender, nonbinary and Two-Spirit identity, will be on view at Lewis & Clark College through March 13 before moving to other locations.

The takeaway

Carla Rossi's retirement marks the end of an era for Portland's arts and LGBTQ+ communities, but also signals Hudson's desire to explore new creative avenues beyond the intensive demands of the iconic drag clown character. This transition reflects broader questions about the sustainability of such intensive artistic practices, as well as the need for more diverse representation and new voices in the regional theater scene.