Can a city as big as Buenos Aires still have well-kept secrets? Luckily, yes. If you love theater and nothing appeals to you more than discovering excellent plays in unexpected places, we’ll tell you about two venues that are more than just hidden theaters—they’re homes, someone’s living spaces that are transformed so you can enjoy great theater.
A house with a garden turned into a theater: What it’s like inside Casa Zabala
Chacarita is a neighborhood where culture never sleeps, and alongside bars and concert venues, there’s a cultural center—a gathering place where you can see theater and experience truly intimate concerts. It’s called a cultural center because it’s literally a house—someone’s home—that’s been opened up to serve as a gathering place.
It’s called Casa Zabala—a private venue that’s been an open secret in the neighborhood for eight years now. This space is housed in a typical Chacarita townhouse , renovated by Laura, the venue’s host and programmer, who was also born in this very house many years ago.
Together with her husband, Juan—who also serves as the chef—they decided to transform this family home into a haven for the arts. The concept invites you to do exactly that: to step inside a house and discover within it a theater where, every weekend, there are different performances carefully curated by the couple themselves.
In the style of a café-concert, the venue breaks down any cold distance between the artist and you. Everything is designed so you can enjoytheater and music with all five sensesfrom the front row —through one-person shows, plays, and acoustic concerts—as well as the flea market and the food and drink bar in the house’s courtyard .
All experiences at this cultural space in Chacarita are intimate and personal. So get ready to be part of one of the neighborhood’s best-kept secrets. You can check their schedule of upcoming events and make reservations via their Instagram @casazabala or by email at casazabala.info@gmail.com. You’ll receive the exact address when you book your ticket for one of their shows.
A house with a terrace and plays in its living room: Casa Ceriva in Villa Crespo
Villa Crespo is an interesting neighborhood, and it becomes even more intriguing when you venture away from its main streets and start to wonder what might lie behind some of its old doors. If you walk down Castillo Street, you might find yourself asking that very question. Nothing on the door, nothing on the facade—and yet, behind the door at number 834, an apartment (or is it a house?) that opens only at the designated time for a theater performance.
Stepping into Casa Deriva is like entering one of those fascinating hidden treasures that keep Buenos Aires’ alternative theater scene alive. Far from the marquees of Corrientes Avenue, this venue recaptures the mystique of a secret cultural haven, where word of mouth is the main way to find it.
Inside, the space transforms into an experience of absolute intimacy, where there’s no distance between the stage and you. Casa Deriva not only hosts independent theater productions and dramatic comedies but also live music nights, readings, and performances. It’s the perfect embodiment of a hidden theater: a vibrant corner of Buenos Aires’ nightlife where you can share an intimate, personal, and perfect evening. In the age of AI, it seems like the perfect way to experience Buenos Aires.
