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.
This year’s MASQUERADE will be a whirling disco ball of costumed time travel with masked mavens of every epoch. Whether your midnight reverie is the golden visage of Versailles twilight OR the Medico della Peste staring back at you from the obsidian surface of a Venetian canal—it matters not. Perhaps you fancy fangs and fore-claws to capes and cowls, or maybe it is some vision of a distant future fantasy that throbs your chambered heart. All beguiling disguises are welcome at The Poetry Brothel's 15th Annual Masquerade!
Doors to this event open at 7pm. The show begins promptly at 8pm with public performances taking place between 8pm and 11pm, with an after party until 2am.
The Poetry Brothel is brought to you by The Poetry Society of New York, and this particular event is funded in part thanks to the generous support of Radio Drama Network. 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 after party. A limited number of after party tickets will be sold at the door for $20 each as space becomes available.
Please message tova@poetrysocietyny.org with any questions.