The theater has long been a haven for LGBTQ+ artists to express themselves and share their stories. Some of the most beloved writers, composers, and performers of the stage have been members of the queer community. Their passion, dedication, and talent have long been the lifeblood of an industry that gave them space to thrive when so little existed.
Historically, bigotry, social stigma, and censorship forced these creatives to hide their queerness, both in their day-to-day lives and in their work. The mid-20th century, however, saw queer performers empowered to tell their stories openly, giving rise to some of theater’s most memorable plays and musicals. With so many iconic shows out there highlighting LGBTQ+ experiences, curating this list was no easy feat! Nonetheless, we’ve selected ten incredible productions that each present a different perspective from this diverse community.
Trigger warning: The productions discussed in this article contain depictions of homophobia, transphobia, antisemitism, AIDS, racism, religious trauma, grooming, bullying, mental illness, and suicide. Please exercise personal care while reading.
The Boys in the Band
One year before the first brick was thrown at Stonewall, Mart Crowley’s pioneering play presented one of the earliest theatrical depictions of openly gay characters. Its plot revolves around a group of gay men attending a birthday party in a New York City apartment. As the night wears on and the guests grow more drunk, harmless fun gives way to open cruelty and resentment. In recent years, The Boys in the Band has often been criticized for invoking stereotypes and being heavily pessimistic. Nonetheless, many critics see it as a watershed moment for queer representation on the stage.
La Cage aux Folles
Based on a French play, La Cage aux Folles (or The Birdcage) is considered the first LGBTQ+ Broadway hit. Its main characters, Georges and Albin, are a married gay couple who own a drag nightclub in Saint-Tropez. Their son, Jean-Michel, has recently become engaged to the daughter of a conservative politician who wants to shut down all the drag clubs. Eager for his in-laws’ approval, Jean-Michel pressures Georges and Albin to pose as straight men. This beloved classic celebrates queer love and taking unapologetic pride in who you are, regardless of what others think.
A Strange Loop
Michael R. Jackson’s Tony- and Pulitzer-winning debut musical brings a much-needed intersectional perspective to an overwhelmingly White theater scene. The show follows Usher, a fat Black queer NYU alum working as an usher for The Lion King on Broadway. He’s also writing a show of his own, about a Black queer usher who’s writing a show about…well, you get the idea. Usher’s joined onstage by a six-person chorus representing his inner thoughts and anxieties — and his parents. In the show’s own words, it’s “big, Black, and queer-ass American Broadway.”
Indecent
In 1906, Sholem Asch wrote the controversial Yiddish-language play God of Vengeance. The play was met with backlash and censorship for its depiction of a lesbian romance between a brothel worker’s daughter and one of his employees. At one point, its cast and producer were even arrested and charged with obscenity. Paula Vogel and Rebecca Taichman’s Indecent fictionalizes God of Vengeance’s fraught production history. As Asch and his cast fight to tell their story, they find themselves caught up in the rising tides of 20th-century antisemitism.
Fun Home
Adapted by Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori, the Tony-winning Fun Home brings artist Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir to the stage. Bechdel reflects on her uneasy relationship with her troubled father, Bruce, who died suddenly when she was in college. Growing up in her family’s funeral home, young Alison struggles to conform to a mold that doesn’t fit her. As she leaves for school and grows into her queerness, secrets about her father’s own sexual identity begin to emerge. Kron and Tesori elevate an intimate, bittersweet portrait of self-discovery and missed family connections into a remarkably moving production.
Trans Scripts, Part I: The Women
The late writer Paul Lucas interviewed over 70 trans women from six countries, encompassing a variety of races, ages, and stages of transition. From their responses came Trans Scripts: Part I, a play exploring the expansive breadth of trans women’s experiences. From beauty queens and activists to doctors and ex-mechanics, the seven women of Trans Scripts represent a vibrant, diverse community, united in their strength.
Southern Comfort
The 2001 documentary Southern Comfort chronicled the final days of Robert Eads, a trans man living with ovarian cancer. Dan Collins’s musical adaptation celebrates Eads and his chosen family of trans men and women living in rural Georgia. A folk band of storytellers helps frame the narrative through the show’s bluegrass-infused soundtrack. Together, they provide a heartwarming look at the power of community and love in the face of hardship.
Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes
Tony Kushner’s acclaimed play presents a devastating look at the impact of the AIDS epidemic on the LGBTQ+ community. Told in two parts, it follows an ensemble of characters — living and dead — as their stories intertwine in late-1980s New York. One narrative thread traces the deteriorating relationship between two lovers, Louis and Prior, following Prior’s AIDS diagnosis. Meanwhile, Louis’s coworker, Joe, sees his marriage collapse when he admits to his unstable wife that he is gay. Joe’s mentor, the real-life lawyer Roy Cohn, reckons with a potentially career-ending disaster as he himself succumbs to AIDS. As all these stories unfold on Earth, mysterious divine forces begin to reveal themselves to the dying Prior.
The Prom
In an effort to boost their failing reputations, four actors team up to help Emma, a lesbian teen in a conservative Indiana town. The homophobic PTA has crushed Emma’s dreams of going to prom with her girlfriend, Alyssa, by canceling the dance altogether. As the actors misguidedly attempt to rally around Emma’s cause, the media attention around the prom fiasco pushes her into the spotlight. The reluctant Emma and her unexpected allies soon become part of a larger movement with the potential to change the lives of queer teens throughout the state.
My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?)
Rob Madge began their acting career as a child performing for their family in the living room. Now, in their autobiographical one-person show, they reenact a disastrous Disney parade they attempted to put on for their grandma when they were 12. Incorporating home video footage, this musical riot is a joyous expression of queer identity and a love letter to their supportive parents. Madge’s effortless charm and infectious delight illustrate the beauty of self-expression and sheer love for the art that gave them a home.
What productions did we miss? Which LGBTQ+ plays or musicals struck a chord with you (pun intended)? Let us know on Instagram, Bluesky, or Facebook!
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