New York, NY
The Poetry Brothel: Leather and Lace
An immersive literary cabaret that fuses poetry, vaudeville, burlesque & magick
NEW YORK CITY, NYC – The Poetry Brothel continues its 2023 season with our Leather and Lace Spring Soiree. The event will take place on Sunday May 21st with doors at 7, and the show will run from 8-11pm at the Back Room NYC, 102 Norfolk St. Themed, formal, or semi-formal wear is encouraged but not required. The event is 21+. We certainly can’t wait to seduce you once again, darlings, with delicious metaphor, consonance, couplet - our star-studded cast of poetry whores have been cooped up since our Valentine’s Day extravaganza, and they are hungry to invite you back into our silken hallways to entice your senses and whisk you into a literary fever dream! Are you ready to play? Prepare yourself for an evening of illustrious words, variety performance, music and burlesque. Rediscover all of the ways poetry can enliven you at The Poetry Brothel’s Leather and Lace. Enter our intimate bordello once again and be greeted by our gorgeous cast of characters - tarot readers, sketch artists, clowns, and poetry whores - each with their own story as to how they found their way to these Brothel walls, and indulge yourself in the intimacies of the tongue; that’s right… poetry! Madame Minerva will present a rotating cast who will impart their original works as public performances, and throughout the evening, you, darling, can pursue private poetry readings with your favorite poets within the intimate chambers of our secret back room. On the bar floor, we offer you tarot readers, live typewriter poetry, clowning, sketch artistry, and the occasional musical performance. On our stage, atop the bar & throughout the space, a nearly three hour Vaudeville variety show with the touchstone being words, words words! If this will be your first time joining us, we cannot wait to invite you into our fold! The Poetry Brothel is in its fifteenth year in New York City, and it has grown to be an unforgettable addition to NYC’s downtown performance scene. We are an immersive literary experience set up as a back alley speakeasy brothel playhouse. The main space serves to fuse poetry, burlesque, commedia, music and magic, while one on one readings occur by whisper and candlelight in our back rooms. The Poetry Brothel was created in New York City in 2007 by Stephanie Berger and Nicholas Adamski. Now, the company has a chapter in Boston, LA, tours nationally, and has sister chapters in cities all over the world.
Audience Role
As visitors of our illustrious bordello, you will be able to request private poetry readings with the poetry whores of your choice throughout the evening!
Ages: 21 +
This event is 21+. Costumes, cocktail attire, and/or thematic evening wear are encouraged but not required. The venue has a strict "no fur" policy, so please make sure to leave your furry friends and coats at home. Your ticket to The Poetry Brothel gets you admission to the afterparty. A limited number of afterparty tickets will be sold at the door for $20 each as space becomes available. Please message lars@poetrysocietyny.org with any questions.
Content Advisories
Interaction Advisories
Mobility Advisories
3
Events
4
Years on EI
About The Poetry Brothel
Welcome to a unique and interactive poetry event that takes poetry outside classrooms and lecture halls and places it in the lush interiors of a bordello. The Madame presents a rotating cast of poets, each operating within a carefully crafted character, who impart their work in public readings, spontaneous eruptions of poetry, and most distinctly, as purveyors of private poetry readings on beds, chaise lounges and in private rooms. Of course, any true bordello needs a good cover; ours is an literary cabaret featuring burlesque, live music, vaudeville, aerials, visual art, magic, mysticism, with newly integrated themes, performances and installations at each event. Doors to this event open at 7pm. The show begins promptly at 8pm with public performances taking place between 8pm and 11pm. The Poetry Brothel is brought to you by The Poetry Society of New York Please also consider making a donation to GLITS, our partner in this event, an organization that fights for the health, rights, and safety of transgender sex workers. ADVISORIES This event is 21+. Costumes, cocktail attire, and/or thematic evening wear are encouraged but not required. The venue has a strict "no fur" policy, so please make sure to leave your furry friends and coats at home. Your ticket to The Poetry Brothel gets you admission to the afterparty. A limited number of afterparty tickets will be sold at the door for $20 each as space becomes available. Please message lars@poetrysocietyny.org with any questions.