Piano bars, new plays and a festival built around queer work.
Updated October 2026
New York has a long habit of putting queer stories on small stages, and a lot of it still happens in rooms where you can sit close enough to hear the performers breathe. For more ways to fill a week, see our guide to queer events in NYC.
Below: cabaret rooms, companies that develop new plays, a festival worth marking on the calendar, and how to turn a show into an easy night out. Programming changes quickly, so treat each venue's own calendar as the final word.
A show is even better with people who love it as much as you do. 10th Muses, a social club for queer and lesbian women, trans and nonbinary folks, 30+, has an Art & Theater Lovers group on WhatsApp for talking about theater, galleries, film and cultural outings.
Club Cumming is a queer bar and performance space at 505 E 6th St in the East Village, co-owned by the actor Alan Cumming, which opened in 2017. Its calendar has included cabaret, drag, comedy and an afternoon tea dance, so it works for a first night out or a regular one.
The Duplex opened in 1951 on Grove Street and moved to its current home at 61 Christopher St in 1989. It calls itself a piano bar and cabaret theatre, and also has a drag room; check its calendar for what is on.
Rattlestick Theater has been an artistic home for daring theater artists since 1994. Its building at 224 Waverly Place in the West Village is being renamed the Terrence McNally Theater, so check its site for renovation updates and current productions.
New Georges is a New York theater company that develops new work. In 2025 it co-produced "Two Sisters Find a Box of Lesbian Erotica in the Woods" with Rattlestick, which gives you a sense of the tone: funny, specific and unafraid.
Pride Plays, launched in 2019 by Michael Urie, Doug Nevin and Nick Mayo, presents readings of LGBTQ+ plays, and Rattlestick has been its New York home. Follow its announcements for upcoming dates.
Dixon Place, at 161A Chrystie St on the Lower East Side, hosts HOT!, a summer festival of LGBTQ+ performance that has run since 1992. Check Dixon Place's site for the next festival's dates and lineup.
Q.E.D. Astoria, at 27-16 23rd Ave, describes itself as a woman-owned and operated independent arts space, and hosts comedy with performers from beginners to the well known. Check its calendar for current shows.
Small rooms sell out, so reserve ahead when a venue lets you. Go with one friend, or alone: a seated show gives you a built-in topic for the conversation afterwards, and the people next to you are usually there for the same reason you are.
Pair a show with an early dinner nearby, and check the venue's calendar the week you plan to go, since cabaret and festival lineups shift often.
Or go with company: explore the current 10th Muses events calendar for upcoming socials, and join for free so the invitations reach you.
Each card links to the venue's page in our community directory. Check the venue for current shows.
Start with Rattlestick Theater and New Georges for new plays, Dixon Place for its annual HOT! festival of LGBTQ+ performance, and cabaret rooms such as Club Cumming and The Duplex. Check each site for current productions.
New Georges and Rattlestick co-produced "Two Sisters Find a Box of Lesbian Erotica in the Woods" in 2025, and Dixon Place's HOT! festival programs LGBTQ+ performance each summer. Check their sites for what is coming up.
The Duplex on Christopher St is a piano bar and cabaret theatre with a drag room. Club Cumming on East 6th St has programmed cabaret, drag and comedy.
For small venues and festivals, usually yes, or at least reserve. Check each venue's own calendar and ticketing page, since lineups and pricing change.
Queer & Lesbian Events in NYC · All 10th Muses guides · Join 10th Muses
10th Muses — Social Club for Queer Women and Nonbinary Folks in NYC. Founded in September 2025 by Andrea Himmel.