Upcoming Indie Theater – October 2
Each week, we share upcoming indie theater shows and productions in New York City. These are submitted by members of the IndieSpace community.
Do you have an upcoming show to share? Use the Show/Production Sharing Form to share the details of your show/production with IndieSpace so that we can share with the community.
For more coverge of indie theater in New York, please visit New York Theatre Review.
The preview image is from the Chain Theatre, which is available for rentals.
Samuel Beckett's "Happy Days"
Venue: Loading Dock Theatre
Dates: Now through October 3
Learn more and get tickets: https://tinyurl.com/happydaysbrooklyn
Brave New World Repertory Theatre presents a rare revival of Samuel Beckett's timeless classic "Happy Days," featuring real-life married couple Claire Beckman and John Edmond Morgan as Winnie and Willie. Buried waist-deep in a scorched mound of apocalyptic waste, a middle-aged woman clings to her daily rituals with relentless optimism as her world closes in around her. Written during the Cold War, when the image of a barren landscape evoked the shadow of nuclear annihilation, Beckett's play has evolved into a stark metaphor for the current climate crisis, political paralysis, and our seeming inability to break free of patterns that harm ourselves and the planet. The female-led production is directed by Jade King Carroll, artistic director of Chautauqua Theater Company, and runs September 17-October 3 at the intimate Loading Dock Theatre on Tillary Street in downtown Brooklyn.
Linda Vista
Venue: Theatre 154
Dates: Now through October 4
Learn more and get tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/linda-vista-by-tracy-letts-tickets-1997064376309
Linda Vista by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tracy Letts is a darkly hilarious, raw, and painfully human exploration of starting over. After a divorce, 50-year-old Wheeler attempts to reinvent himself, navigating new relationships, questionable decisions, and the uncomfortable realization that changing your life might require changing yourself. Funny, sexy, provocative, and at times infuriating, the play explores loneliness, self-destruction, second chances, and the messy reality of human connection. Presented by Nylon Fusion Theatre Company at the intimate 78-seat Theatre 154 in the West Village, Linda Vista runs through October 4.
The Recursion of a Moth
Venue: Teatro Circulo
Dates: Now through October 4
Learn more and get tickets: https://www.cellunova.org/
On the Moon, Icarus dreams of soup. Across the ocean, Mikey dreams of war. At Purdue, Chrys dreams of a yellow house. In a future where time travel has become as mundane as bureaucracy, three descendants of a diaspora try to find a corner in the universe to call home. When their efforts threaten to change the events of a predetermined timeline, they must find a way to break their destructive, cyclical realities; or face the violent, memory-destroying consequences of the Reset.
The Infinite Wrench
Venue: Asylum NYC (123.E 24th St)
Dates: October 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, & 31
Learn more and get tickets: nynf.org/tiw
The Infinite Wrench is a barrage of 30 short plays the cast attempts to perform within a single hour in a race against the clock. Each play offers something different, be it funny, profound, elegant, disgusting, topical, irrelevant, terrifying, or even a dance or a song. All are truthful and tackle the here-and-now, inspired by the lived experiences of the performers. With new plays every week, The Infinite Wrench is the Neo-Futurists’ ongoing and ever-changing attempt to shift the conventions of live performance and speak to audiences, including those unreached or unmoved by traditional theater.
Filmshow is a live show that combines award winning short films and live experimental theater to create an entirely new peice of art. A filmshow if you will.
Witches, Britches, Bitches: a mezzo-soprano cabaret
Venue: The Rat NYC
Date: October 3
Learn more and get tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/witches-britches-bitches-a-mezzo-soprano-cabaret-tickets-1998363228210
It's a tale as old as time: sopranos get to be in the spotlight, playing princesses, lovers, and ingenues, while mezzo-sopranos get stuck with the witches, the britches, and...well...the bitches. But hey, mezzos aren't bad, they're just written that way. Featuring iconic character songs from the musical theater canon and some lesser-known numbers you'll soon fall in love with, the Final Girls are celebrating the power and range of the mezzo-soprano voice. After all, not everyone has what it takes to play second fiddle.
ReproEco: Tomorrow Is Now
Venue: Theatre at 14 St Y
Dates: October 3, & 4
Learn more and get tickets: https://ci.ovationtix.com/36649/production/1286595
New York City: 'ReproEco: Tomorrow Is Now.' Multidisciplinary, Multicultural Theatre & Dance on Reproductive Freedom & Environmental Justice! Through humor, mythology, Afro-futurism, dance and drama, we look at toxins, microplastics, and the effects on our bodies, our communities and our fugures. Works by writers Diane Breeser, Cindy Cooper, Alinca Hamilton, Mildred Inez Lewis, Cassandra Medley and Laura Shamas; Lorca Peress directs. Chroegraphy by Jennifer Chin. Coproduced by MultiStages Theatre and ReproFreedomArts.
Persephone: A Garden Between Worlds
Venue: Newtown Creek Nature Walk Phase 3
Dates: October 3, 4, 10, and 11
Learn more and get tickets: https://linktr.ee/persephoneimmersive
Journey into the underworld via our immersive reimagining of the Persephone myth. Pulling on the aesthetic traditions of "Viola’s Room" and "Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy", attendees will wander through a fantastical outdoor location in Greenpoint during this intimate adventure. As Homer narrates the tale of Persephone’s kidnapping by the Queen of the Underworld, dancers and large-scale installations bring the myth to life.
Show Up, Kids!
Venue: The Rat
Dates: October 3, 10, 17, 24 and November 7, 21, & 28
Learn more and get tickets: https://showup-theshow.com/
This interactive show for kids 3-10 years old puts a wildly comedic twist on the traditional kids’ show. When the main attraction is a no-show, hapless host Bebe gets the kids (and their grownups) to help create a comedy show on the spot by choosing plot, props, characters, costumes, and settings - resulting in a wildly unpredictable, one-of-a-kind, 45-minute laughfest. Now in its 8th year!
Premiere: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Venue: United Palace
Date: October 5
Learn more and get tickets: https://unitedpalace.boletosexpress.com/literature-to-life-presents-the-brief-wondrous-life-of-oscar-wao/89714/
Premiere Event! Literature to Life will be at United Palace on October 5th debuting "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" with new actor, Jean Perez. This Pulitzer-Prize winning novel presents audiences with an astonishing vision of Dominican-American history and explores the endless human capacity to persevere, and risk it all in the name of love. Join LTL for this solo-adaptation and watch the book come to life through performance in a powerful way.
sweet prince
Venue: The RAT NYC + Culture Lab LIC
Dates: October 5 (The RAT NYC) and October 9 (Culture Lab LIC)
Learn more and get tickets:
October 5: https://www.theratnyc.com/event-details/sweet-prince
October 9: https://events.humanitix.com/sweet-prince
The murderous uncle? The beguiled queen? A hired friend? Who will you choose? sweet prince is an interactive, one-woman Hamlet that invites the audience to step in as the missing characters. Ready to be?
Astoria New Play Festival: Short Play Reading Series
Venue: Our House Queens
Dates: October 8 & 10
Learn more and get tickets: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/astorianewplayfestival/2390211
In its second year, The Astoria New Play Festival presents its first ever short play reading series this October 8th and 10th at 8pm! The short plays will be read at Our House Queens, a community and co-working space located just off the Astoria Blvd. N/W train. All playwrights are current or former residents of Astoria, Queens.
Inter-grant Festival
Venue: Arts On Site
Dates: October 8-10
Learn more and get tickets: https://www.artsonsite.org/tickets
The Inter-grant Festival is a three-night celebration highlighting the vibrant work of Inter-grant artists through visual art, live performance, film, and dialogue. Every evening offers a fully dynamic experience; starting with a pre-show art sale, continuing into live performances and docuseries film screenings, and closing with an artist-led post-show discussion.
A Part Of The Noise
Venue: THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY/ Johnson Theatre
Dates: October 8-25
Learn more and get tickets: https://theaterforthenewcity.net/shows/a-part-of-the-noise/
The year is 1959, and Franz’ art dealer, Sidney Janis, refuses to include Franz’ new color abstractions in an upcoming one-man show. Sidney wants Franz to ride out the popularity of his black and white paintings that are selling for record prices. Franz insists on including his two newest color abstractions, and Sidney threatens that if he does, this will be his last show at the prestigious Janis Gallery.
LBJ: The Play
Venue: Paradise Factory
Dates: October 9-30
Learn more and get tickets: www.lbjtheplay.com
A 5th grade teacher hires local performer Sunny Zimmerman to give a simple historical presentation as LBJ. The only problem? Sunny’s gone method. They’ve been living and breathing as LBJ, and LBJ has decided that this is his one chance to salvage his legacy – with an ambitious theatrical production. As his vision doesn't go according to plan, the boundaries between actor and role become increasingly blurred.
The Oldest Profession
Venue: The Hidden Jewel Box Theater
Dates: October 9 & 17, November 6 & 7, December 18
Learn more and get tickets: theoldestprofession.eventbrite.com
The Oldest Profession is a mad dash through 10,000 years of history from a sex worker’s perspective. Kaytlin Bailey is reframing the story of western civilization from a mesmerizing new angle. Weaving history, stand-up comedy, and lived experience in a fast-paced and profoundly moving hour-long solo show. The performance is punctuated by a projected art history slideshow.
Tap Dance Central: Faculty Choreography Spotlight
Venue: Arts On Site
Date: October 11
Learn more and get tickets:
4:30 showing: https://www.artsonsite.org/events-1/tap-dance-central-faculty-choreography-spotlight-2
6:30 showing: https://www.artsonsite.org/events-1/tap-dance-central-faculty-choreography-spotlight
Tap Dance Central spotlights the artistry, individuality, and creativity of its faculty featuring choreography by Maria Clara Laet, Kaleena Miller, Johannah Rickman, Tamii Sakurai, Lisa LaTouche, Susan Hebach, Jessee Leigh Robinson and Lucas Santos. The program brings together a diverse range of voices and approaches to tap dance, and invite audiences into their creative process, highlighting the musicality, storytelling, and creativity at the heart of their work. Joining them on stage are TDC faculty Emma Butensky and guests Michael J. Love, Isabella Serricella, along with the TDC Ensemble Dancers Ellis Greenberg, Poppy Lee Slovin, Jacob Schwartzfeld, and Sebastian Sinclair
The Wayfaring Strangers
Venue: The Pit
Dates: October 11, November 15, and December 13
Learn more and get tickets: https://tinyurl.com/waystrangeape
Join The Wayfaring Strangers at The PIT on October 11 at 7pm for an improvised bluegrass musical, featuring brand spankin’ new lyrics to old-timey standards, played on traditional instruments like banjo, guitar, stand up bass, washboard, triangle and jug.
THE LOVE SHOW
Venue: The Hidden Jewel Box Theater
Date: October 16
Learn more and get tickets: loveshow.eventbrite.com
The Hidden Jewel Box's cheeky in-house theater dance show returns for a heartfelt and tittilating night of dance, burlesque, song & theater! Laugh, cry, and experience an unforgettable evening of intimate whimsy unlike any other in the "Paris" Authority. The Love Show NYC, a globe trotting theater dance company of 20+ years invites you into our little home.
She Kills Monsters
Venue: The Secret Theatre
Dates: October 16-25
Learn more and get tickets: www.citygateproductions.org
She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes Evans as she leaves her childhood home in Ohio following the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. When Agnes finds Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook, however, she finds herself catapulted into a journey of discovery and action-packed adventure in the imaginary world that was her sister’s refuge. In this high-octane dramatic comedy laden with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and 90s pop culture, acclaimed playwright Qui Nguyen offers a heart-pounding homage to the geek and warrior within us all.
Brownstone Steps Play Festival
Venue: South Oxford Space
Dates: October 17 & 18
Learn more and get tickets: https://www.ticketsignup.io/TicketEvent/BFest2026
BFest presents its first ever complete lineup of women playwrights, for 5 plays of timely stories by, for or about women and the families we hold dear. Join us
"User Agreement"
Venue: The Makers’ Space
Dates: October 22 - November 8
Learn more and get tickets: https://makersensemble.org/useragreement
The Makers’ Ensemble presents the NYC premiere of O’Neill Finalist Ben Holbrook's "User Agreement," directed by Dante Green. Set in the near future, potential soulmates Sy and Theo navigate their bond in a world enhanced by the wonders of technology, AI, and the occasional talking octopus. Building a relationship based on good music, deep conversation, and strong boundaries feels natural to them. But their beautiful bond finds itself struggling against a world turned upside-down by the demons of human nature and the need for capital - causing them to wonder if it’s possible for two simple souls to truly connect in a society designed to be more complex than ever.
Women Who Eat
Venue: Atelier @ Theaterlab
Dates: October 22 - November 8
Learn more and get tickets: https://theaterlabnyc.com/atelier-theaterlab-women-who-eat/
In this absurd dark comedy, six women recovering from eating disorders on a remote island are stranded when the electricity is cut to their residential facility during a hurricane. After running out of food, the inhabitants are forced to grapple with whether or not they want to survive, and if they can accept the women they become. It’s a dog-eat-dog world- and these are some hungry bitches.
HAUNTED at The Hidden Jewel Box
Venue: The Hidden Jewel Box Theater
Dates: October 23 & 24
Learn more and get tickets: jewelbox.eventbrite.com
This October, in the most unsuspected place, bring your charms, and your heart, and enter the doll house for a night you will never forget. In the heart of Midtown manhattan there is a home to all the dolls who have resided for the last hundreds of years. Come into our home and be part of our ceremony where we all become young again. A uniquely New York evening of live music, dance, story telling, and burlesque. Join the cult of The Love Show.
Lightkeeper: A New Play by Julia Labusch
Venue: The Rat NYC
Dates: October 28 & 29
Learn more and get tickets: https://www.theratnyc.com/event-list
Lighthouse keeper Deán Dreck has been all alone for four years. The war has just ended, and the world outside is finally quiet. Faced with the answer to a question he has refused to ask, Deán chooses instead to play a game of pretend. But soon his imagination gets the better of him as faces from his past attempt to guide him toward an impossible decision: To finally leave the lighthouse.
Lucie Pohl: Old as Mold
Venue: The Hidden Jewel Box Theater
Date: November 12
Learn more and get tickets: oldasmold.eventbrite.com
Comedian Lucie Pohl tapes her first comedy special presented by the New York Comedy Festival! Old As Mold is a new solo comedy hour diving into the chaos and wisdom of life as a woman over 40 but somehow still under 5”5.
A Night With Mr. Wonderful
Venue: The Hidden Jewel Box Theater
Date: November 13
Learn more and get tickets: mrwonderful.eventbrite.com
Experience the unforgettable journey of Sammy Davis Jr. in A Night With Mr. Wonderful, a dynamic variety show capturing the icon at the height of his global fame. Set against the vibrant 1960s and 1970s, this production fuses spectacular live performances of hits like Mr. Bojangles with the gripping story of Davis’s evolution from superstar to a fierce activist fighting racial inequality. Beyond the glamour, it reveals the intense personal and professional struggles he faced navigating a white-dominated industry. Driven by themes of resilience and the unifying power of music, this vibrant celebration is a must-see for anyone who loves history, legendary songs, and stellar live theater.
Pearl Necklace
Venue: The Hidden Jewel Box Theater
Date: November 14
Learn more and get tickets: pearlnecklace.eventbrite.com
Pearl Necklace is a dirty comedy dripping in burlesque glamour, vintage decadence, and a touch of film noir. Telling stories from her glamorous—and not-so-glamorous—life, Natalie Perlin brings a comedy that’s sharp and wicked, yet unexpectedly sweet and melancholy, finding humor in the timeless, titillating absurdity of being a woman in the modern world. Definitely not for pearl clutchers. After all, Pearl Necklace is more than just jewelry.