FRIGID New York Reveals Full Lineup For 12th Annual Queerly Festival At UNDER St. Marks
FRIGID New York's LGBTQIA2S+ festival will feature works including Chirp, Bury Your Gays, and L'Chaim 2 Dykes.
FRIGID New York will present the 12th annual Queerly Festival, their annual celebration of all things LGBTQIA2S+, at UNDER St. Marks, June 11-July 3. Tickets ($25 in-person; $20 streaming) are available for advance purchase now. Some performances will also be available to livestream from home.
Queerly provides a space for queer artists who've rarely or never seen their identities portrayed on stage to be able to represent themselves and tell their stories their way, as well as to provide a space for queer celebration, pride, and strength.
The theme for this year's festival is Then, Now, and Always. With this theme, we are creating a line-up of work that speaks to the ways queerness has thrived and will continue to thrive across time. Show offerings will include queering mythology, historical fiction, science fictional, biography-based work, storytelling, queer futurism, and more.
2026 Queerly Lineup
BURY YOUR GAYS (In Concert)
Written by Sam Melton
This hour-long concert of selected songs will provide a preview of Bury Your Gays, a new comedy musical written by Sam Melton, directed by Eliyana Abraham.
Thu June 11 at 7pm
60 minutes • Streaming
L'CHAIM 2 DYKES
Written by "Je'Jae cleo Mizrahi" & @mx.enigma
Over a messy seder. Got mommy problems? Come thru
Content Awareness: Divorce, custody battles, potential mention of DV.
Thu June 11 at 9pm & Sat June 20 at 5pm
40 minutes • Streaming
CHIRP
Written by NOVA CYPRESS BLACK
Set in a studio apartment in South L.A., CHIRP follows a Black American T4T couple simply trying to celebrate their three-year anniversary on a terrible, no good, very bad day. When Remi surprises Naseego with a life-altering anniversary gift, what should be romantic instead detonates years of accumulated ideological differences.
Loosely based on a true love, this intimate, humorous, and politically urgent two-hander explores what it means to sustain Black trans love when America won't stop sounding the alarm.
Fri June 12 at 7pm & Fri June 19 at 9pm
75 minutes • Streaming
The People's Joker - A Film Screening
Created & Directed by Vera Drew, Written by Bri LeRose & Vera Drew
This revolutionary DIY parody film and hilarious reimagining of the classic autobiographical coming-of-age story follows an unconfident, closeted trans girl as she moves to Gotham City to make it big as a comedian by joining the cast of UCB Live — a government-sanctioned late night sketch show in a world where comedy has been outlawed.
As mainstream success eludes our heroine, leading her to unite with a ragtag team of rejects, misfits, and a certain love interest named Mister J, "Joker the Harlequin" is born again as a confident (and psychotic) joker on a collision course with the city's fascist caped crusader.
Vats of feminizing chemicals, sexy cartoon interludes, scarecrow psychiatrists, CGI Lorne Michaels, and psychedelic gender dysphoria all play supporting roles. Helmed by writer/director/editor/star Vera Drew and using her own life experiences as a basis for the film, THE PEOPLE'S JOKER is a deeply personal journey that's as much documentary as it is parody.
Fri June 12 at 9:30pm
90 minutes
ACHILLES IN DRAG
Written by Jonno LaMont
Presented by BLAKSTAR CREATIONS
Achilles in Drag is a bold, comedic play remixing an ancient myth. To dodge the Trojan War, Achilles fakes his death and reinvents himself as a woman on a lush island — until his forlorn lover, Patroclus, uncovers the truth.
Inspired by bestselling book The Song of Achilles, this queer romp bursts with romance, chaos, and a deliciously messy royal love triangle.
Double Feature with No Follow Up Questions — Sat June 13 at 7pm
Double Feature with AN ENBY'S GUIDE TO CLOWNING AROUND! — Fri June 26 at 7pm
90 minutes
No Follow Up Questions
Written & Performed by Marla Alpert
Your parents probably taught you that it's "impolite to discuss politics in mixed company." That was never true for Marla Alpert. Her parents sat her in front of a TV for every second of Bush v. Gore, and 26 years onward, like a hanging chad, it's now everyone's problem.
Her father always called her a "wise guy." He was half-right. Come watch a woman, as Jewish as she is transgender, take on the most insidious and uncomfortable topics in our current political landscape in unapologetic and surprising ways. The government may be trying to kill her, but what's new?
Double Feature with ACHILLES IN DRAG — Sat June 13 at 7pm
90 minutes • Streaming
It's Getting Tired Mildred
Welcome to Mildred Springs! A quaint city in the vague Northeastern United States. A city not unlike other cities.
Join us while the bold and the beautiful citizens of Mildred Springs live the days of their lives. Some might be young and restless. Some might be doctors working at Sacred Corpuscle Memorial, a general hospital. But they've all got one life to live.
Join us as their world turns. Join us as their guiding light leads them on their constant search for tomorrow. Join us as they hang on to the edge of night and you will be transported to another world — the world of It's Getting Tired Mildred. But make sure you join us for their continuing stories.
Sat June 13 at 10:30pm
90 minutes
The Sun Also Rises
Written by Sophie Simons
Presented by The House
This sapphic reinterpretation of the Hemingway classic imagines Jake and Brett as queer exes tangled among histories of friendship, debauchery, love, and heartbreak.
On a group trip to Spain, Jake must grapple with her relationships to sex, gender, and Brett's new fiancé in the midst of social catastrophe. The Sun Also Rises dissects the innately queer longing for what could have been, and what might still be.
Sun June 14 at 7pm
90 minutes • Streaming
A Spanglish Affair Open Mic
Presented by Something From Abroad
We are excited to provide a safe space for artists to explore and share their art in front of a live audience. If there's something you've always wanted to do, this is a space for you to do it.
While our company focuses on Spanish and Spanglish content, this is not a requirement for your piece — if you're someone with art to share, this space is for you.
Here are some ideas for types of performers we're looking for: singers, dancers, comedians, performance art, burlesque, actors, visual artists, clowning, spoken word, poetry.
THE SKY IS THE LIMIT!
Mon June 15 at 7pm
120 minutes
Pixie's Pride Puppet Slam
Created by Maura Pelczynski (aka Pixie Pierrot)
Enjoy a night of unabashedly gay, audaciously trans, and wantonly queer puppet artistry at Pixie's Pride Puppet Slam!
Suspend your disbelief, leave all chagrin at the door, and watch as trinkets and fabric and whozits and howzits come to life before your eyes.
Wed June 17 at 9:15pm & Tue June 23 at 7pm
70 minutes • Streaming
It's a Travesti!
Presented by Killer Queen Opera
Witches, Britches, and You Better WORK Bitches! A rollicking, irreverent cabaret about the queer, cross-dressing legacy of opera.
Full of new twists on old classics, we're holding a mirror up to over 400 years of gender-bending and drag divas then and now.
Thu June 18 at 7pm
60 minutes • Streaming
Bertha Vanayshun and Frida Cox versus America
Bertha Vanayshun and Frida Cox take on America in a sketch comedy, improv, and drag Juneteenth Special!
Fri June 19 at 7pm
60 minutes • Streaming
LOLO FIMA
Presented by BLAKSTAR CREATIONS
LOLO FIMA is an electrifying NYC-based avant-garde band blending funk, punk, new wave, and jazz, fronted by vocalist Blakstar.
Drawing from church, theatre, and drag, they craft a spiritually charged, politically bold sound they call "gay jazz." Known for igniting stages across New York City, their surreal, high-energy shows feature dance breaks, costume changes, and psychedelic visuals, with a national tour and EP on the horizon.
Fri June 19 at 9pm & Thu July 2 at 9:30pm
30 minutes • Streaming
Undrunk Chai
Written by Āsim Ali Naqvi
Presented by Sad Magic Productions
Anchored by a wandering pocket watch, Undrunk Chai is a surreal drama with dark humor that ruptures across three centuries.
Two gender-expansive performers inhabit a kaleidoscope of characters caught between queer desire, ancestral wounds, and the fight to keep joy alive in the shadow of empire.
In present-day New York, an estranged pair of friends test their capacity for repair over pie. In colonial India, a Muslim sepoy and a British lieutenant risk secret love on the brink of uprising. In Victorian London, a mother and daughter plot survival through yet another migration.
Each era is warmed by a cup of chai asking to be drunk.
Sat June 20 at 7pm
60 minutes • Streaming
Lumina Viventia
Written by Joshua Taylor Piper
It's the death of Bohemia in Paris. Antoine believes we can glow, Georges is leaving Paris, and Rosalie is getting married and hasn't told her Best Friend.
Antoine, hopelessly in love with Georges, can't find it in himself to tell Georges before he leaves Paris, so he decides he'll paint all the love he has for Georges into one last painting. Georges promises he'll stay if he loves the painting, but after Rosalie breaks the news about her getting married, everything starts to fall apart and fall into place.
Antoine wonders if he'll ever be able to paint the art of marrying Georges. Maybe in another life.
Sun June 21 at 4:30pm & Sat June 27 at 4pm
80 minutes
Judy Garland is Fat at Carnegie Hall
Written by Adin Lenahan
Presented by Undiscovered Countries
On April 23, 1961, Judy Garland took the stage at Carnegie Hall for what would be called "the biggest night in show business history."
Sixty-five years later, NYC-based drag artists Xenia Fauxbia & Soda Pressed resurrect that legendary concert in a bold, experimental drag comedy that asks: what did it cost her?
Sun June 21 at 7pm
45 minutes • Streaming
The Leopard and the Lynx
Written by Michelle Maccarone
What constitutes a successful marriage? How do we balance the person we think we should be with the one that we are?
The Leopard and the Lynx explores the marriage of bi-sexual writer Pat Tanner III (the writer of Auntie Mame and dozens of other mid-century comic novels) and his wife, Louise.
In an attempt to come to terms with his sexuality, Pat decides to leave his marriage for his paramour, Guy. When Pat is given some devastating information, he returns to the woman he loves, exploring themes of sexuality and feminism along the way.
Mon June 22 at 7pm
90 minutes • Streaming
Paper Kraine
Presented by Paper Kraine Productions
The Paper Kraine is dedicated to showing the work of emerging artists in various stages of development to both gather feedback about the work and further connections within our artistic community in a conscious, intentional way.
Wed June 24 at 7:30pm
90 minutes
Trauma Mia: A Transgender Parody of the hit Musical
Written by Natasha Dumas
Trauma Mia follows a closeted trans girl, Sophie, who travels to Greece for her sister Allison's lesbian wedding.
Not wanting to steal the spotlight from Allison, Sophie tries to keep her transition a secret. But after the siblings meet their grandmother's caregiver — who's also trans and turns out to be Allison's fiancée's ex — a zany series of miscommunications and misunderstandings leads to drama, song, and dance numbers.
Also in tow is June, Sophie's kooky transfemme roommate who dispenses questionable advice via FaceTime; Donna, their narcissistic alcoholic mother, who's hosting the wedding as a tax avoidance strategy; and Tom, their Gen Z younger brother.
Thu June 25 at 7pm & Wed July 1 at 9:15pm
60 minutes • Streaming
The Body Is Made of Strings
Written & Performed by Magdi Hazaa
The Body — our nameless narrator — is a hypochondriac, or at least that's what the world tells him when he confesses his symptoms.
His hair seems to be suddenly falling, strange cysts appear on his testicles, and he can't remember basic details like the name of his roommate's dog or how he got to New York.
As he navigates the city — threesomes, protests, nightclubs, cemeteries — time begins to unravel around him. With each trauma, he is hurled through past and future where personal memories and historical vignettes blend in the surreal, politico-somatic world of this one-person play.
Thu June 25 at 9pm & Tue June 30 at 7pm
70 minutes
AN ENBY'S GUIDE TO CLOWNING AROUND!
Created by Kirby Denny & Clay Wild Munley
Come one, come all to see the adventures of Curbee the Clown!
AN ENBY'S GUIDE TO CLOWNING AROUND! is a campy clown cabaret about a child using imagination to navigate their expression, sexuality, and puberty while navigating the obstacles of living authentically queer.
Through their imagination, creativity, and cozy bedroom, audiences are invited to play, draw outside the lines, and connect to their inner childhood clown.
Caution: This piece contains wigs, paint, pink, boobs, buffoonery, binders, messes, and 2000s pop music.
Double Feature with ACHILLES IN DRAG — Fri June 26 at 7pm
90 minutes
FRIGID Nightcap: Arcadia Neon
Arcadia Neon invites you into a queer mythic future where ancient desire meets electric glow.
At this month's FRIGID Nightcap, pastoral fantasy collides with downtown nightlife in a world of gods, ghosts, glitter, prophecy, and performance. Think classical echoes under fluorescent light: ruins turned rave, legend turned afterparty, history rewritten in neon.
Fri June 26 at 10:30pm
60 minutes
SCOWL: QUEERAPALOOZA
Created by Ashley Lauren Rogers & Rachel Weekly
Presented by Paper Kraine Productions
SCOWL: a queer and trans-focused stage combat collective presents SCOWL: QUEERAPALOOZA.
Don't miss this evening of very silly, very queer, pro wrestling-style stage combat action! SCOWL Heavyweight champion April Rain has no intention of losing her title as she celebrates a decade of dominance as champ.
There are plenty of challengers ready to knock her down a peg and take her title as she offers her annual "Pride Open Challenge" to anyone on the SCOWL roster.
Could Rhonda McConners step up? Maybe the original party werewolf, London Jack, will answer the call for a rematch. Or perhaps a new challenger will rise. Who will come out on top and leave with the title?
Sat June 27 at 7pm & Mon June 29 at 7pm
90 minutes • Streaming
Brick House: A Thicc Queer Burlesque Show
Presented by Haus of Muse
Award-winning producer Nina Divina with Haus of Muse brings you Brick House: A Body Abundant Queer Burlesque Show!
No more hiding away — here, we celebrate ourselves loud and proud! Showgirls come in all sizes, styles, and genders, and this is your chance to be a part of real authentic NYC creation and art.
Celebrate Pride in style and wear your favorite fits to this entertainment extravaganza.
Tickets WILL sell out, so be sure to grab yours while you can!
Sat June 27 at 9:30pm & Fri July 3 at 9:30pm
75 minutes • Streaming
H@PPY F@GGOT (A Queer Love Letter From a Member of Generation-X)
Written by Scot Zeller
Presented by Embrace Your Cape Enterprises
Before queer/straight alliances, social media, and PrEP, how does a feral gay kid from the 80s figure himself out? Trial and error — mostly error.
Performed with a healthy dose of Gen-X humor, H@PPY F@GGOT travels back and forth in time to show how much the queer experience has changed, how much it hasn't, and how much stronger we are together than apart.
Thu July 2 at 7pm & Fri July 3 at 5pm
75 minutes • Streaming
On Your Way Out
Written by Leonidus Gonzalez
Isaac wants one good day: move his stuff from his mother's house into some nameless storage unit.
Reality confronts him when he is confronted by Kaitlyn, a stubborn teen on the quest to meet her future self. Isaac will need to embrace what he knows to make it out of this sane — even if that means confronting his past.
How do we make peace with the dreams we never reach and remain open to the new ones waiting around the corner? Who are we if not who we wish to become in the future?
On Your Way Out dives into past expectations confronting realistic futures, opening conversation for what's left of us.
Fri July 3 at 7:45pm
35 minutes • Streaming
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