The Understudy

CHEERS QUEERS: A Pride Month Cabaret
2024-06-28 19:30 - 22:30 (America/Chicago) | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
CHEERS, QUEERS! is a toast, not to the end of pride month, because pride lives on honey, but a toast in celebration and recognition of who keeps Chicago running, the Queers. Join us for an intimate and extravagant night of music and spoken text!
Performed by a stellar cast of queer actors of color, and hosted by our own co Event-Coordinator John-Payne, Cheers Queers promises to give a gay old time, and a renewed pride to carry home.

Doors open at 7pm for a 7:30pm performance.
The Understudy Cafe will be open for refreshments.

SERVICE by Makeda Declet
2024-06-24 19:30 - 21:00 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
When a close circle of buds have to go to their recently-deceased friend’s apartment to retrieve a suit for his burial, they discover a woman tied up in his closet. Dark and farcical, this play explores the question, “How far would you go to preserve the memory of a friend?”

Cast and Creative Team
Playwright: Makeda Declet
Director: Regina Victor
Dramaturg: Madie Doppelt
Shelby: Shelby Marie Edwards
Veronica: Kandace Mack
Woman: Casey Whisler
Dale: Sam Boeck
Eric: Jeffrey David Thomas

Freshly Brewed Team:
Emma Durbin – Co-Artistic Producer
Joel Willison – Co-Artistic Producer
Magdalena Dalzell – Literary Committee Coordinator
Danny Fender – The Understudy Co-Owner
Adam Crawford – The Understudy Co-Owner
About Freshly Brewed
Freshly Brewed seeks to invest in Chicago’s emerging playwrights and theatre artists in keeping with The Understudy’s commitment to Community, Collaboration, and Discovery. The series features monthly readings of new plays in various stages of development. Each artist conrtibuting– playwrights, directors, and actors– will receive a stipend underwritten by the series’ anonymous donor.
Freshly Brewed also marks the inaugural collaboration between The Understudy and its neighbor, Edgewater’s Raven Theatre, who is thrilled to support The Understudy as their fiscal sponsor for this series. Click here to make a tax-deductible donation to Freshly Brewed.

PHARAOH TAROT
2024-06-24 13:00 - 17:00 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Pharaoh Tarot is back for a surprise solstice popup on Monday, June 24th!

The summer solstice is upon us and abundance and wealth are dancing in the sky as the sun is in cancer and the full moon heightens in Capricorn on June 21st. This is one of the most powerful spiritual holidays for manifesting in 2024! Create strategies for success with the revelations that come after summer solstice and the full moon in capricorn with Pharaoh & Tarot, offering intuitive spreads tailored to the individual. All readings are pay what you can, offerings of some type are encouraged for energetic exchange!
Feel free to reach out to Regina via instagram or email with any questions: @officialreginav, officialreginavictor@gmail.com

Advocacy Night for Theatre Writers
2024-06-18 19:00 - 21:00 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Join us on Tuesday, June 18, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm CDT, for a special advocacy event featuring playwright Samuel D. Hunter and Dramatists Guild Co-Executive Director Emmanuel Wilson.
Register Here
The Dramatists Guild is thrilled to continue their national advocacy tour, bringing empowering Advocacy Nights to theatre writers across the country. After successful events in Detroit, Pittsburgh, New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, we’re excited to visit the vibrant creative hub of Chicago.
As a playwright, composer, lyricist, or librettist, it’s crucial to understand your rights and the resources available to you. This evening promises to be enlightening, offering the chance to connect with fellow writers, build valuable community ties, and learn the tools needed to advocate for yourself effectively.
We recognize the dedication and effort you pour into your craft, whether it’s plays, musicals, songs, or operas. Let us help you negotiate equitable compensation and support for your invaluable work.
Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your advocacy skills and ensure your voice is heard in the theatre industry. For any inquiries, please contact questions@dramatistsguild.com.

Ari Gato Attempts to Share the Spotlight
2024-06-15 19:30 - 21:00 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
A (not so) Solo Show
Join Ari Gato for her intimate, one-woman-only cabaret… or is it? For once in her life, scene-stealer Ari might have the tables turn on her.
Featuring accompaniment by Alex Newell
and guest appearances by:
Annie Andrews
Jordan Tannous
Kynzie Jones
Neala Barron
and Rachel Slurrz-Stoole
Doors open at 7pm, Performance begins at 7:30pm

G. L. O. W. : A Queer Sober Open Mic Night
2024-06-14 19:30 - 22:00 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
The Understudy presents G.L.O.W.: a Queer Sober Open Mic Night

ABOUT THE EVENT
Join The Understudy for G.L.O.W., a queer sober open mic night hosted by K.J Whitehead and Sharon Pasia. Expect comedy, drama, and stunts galore.
Stay tuned for performer signups!
Doors open at 7. Performances begin at 7:30. The Understudy Cafe will be open for refreshments!

Play Reading Club: FLEX
2024-06-11 19:00 - 20:30 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Join our monthly play reading club! Each month, we gather to discuss a new, exciting or confounding play that has caught our attention. This month, we’re reading FLEX by Candrice Jones

ABOUT THE PLAY
The pressure is on for the 1998 Lady Train high school basketball team—on top of a battle to bring home the championship trophy, it is also college scouting season. But the team’s performance on the court is tested as it ruptures under the weight of its own infighting, and the once-tight players begin to focus on their individual futures. What does it mean to be a Black girl on the brink of freedom and womanhood in a small town in the South? Does honoring your own wants mean sacrificing your friends, family, and team? This funny and frank play about getting a full-court press from life will have audiences cheering.

CLICK HERE to buy a copy

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Steinberg playwright and educator. Plays include Crackbaby (Wasserstein Prize Nomination) and Flex (developed at the 2020 Humana Festival of New American Plays; co-world premiered by TheatreSquared and Theatrical Outfit). From 2014-2018, she produced Re-Imagining the Self, a ten-minute play showcase hosted by Little Rock Central High National Historic Site and the Weekend Theater. Fellow at Callaloo for poetry at Brown University and in London; VONA Playwriting Fellow; CalArts MFA Critical Studies recipient; resident fellow at Ground Floor (housed by the Berkeley Rep), the Bay Area Playwrights’ Festival, MacDowell’s Colony of the Arts; 2019-20 Many Voices Fellow; 2020-21 Jerome Fellow at the Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis; and she scheduled to be a resident playwright at Djerassi’s Colony of the Arts in the fall of 2024. Awards: 2023 Kesselring Prize for Playwrighting for Flex, 2022 Celebrate! Maya award.

Next Draft Series: Infinity Burns
2024-06-10 20:00 - 21:00, 2024-06-08 20:00 - 21:00 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Infinity Burns

By Felix Abidor
Giordano Bruno, a 16th-century monk, is sentenced to death for his radical beliefs in an infinite universe.

Cast:
Peter Ferneding
Stephanie Fongheiser
Madison Kiernan
Playwright:
Eleanor McCaughey
Director:
Maddy Brown
Dramaturg:
Zoe Sjogerman
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS
This reading is presented as part of Avalanche Theatre‘s Next Draft Series
The Next Draft Series is Avalanche Theatre’s ongoing new play incubator.

​Over the course of 3-4 months, Avalanche develops new work by emerging Chicago playwrights through readings, feedback sessions, and mentorship, culminating in a workshop production of the plays at the end of the process. Chicago theatre leaders such as artistic directors, literary managers, and creative producers are invited to the workshop productions in order to provide playwrights access to companies who may be interested in producing the plays. The purpose of the Next Draft Series is to fully develop the most exciting and challenging new plays being written in Chicago today, to foster a community that is supportive of writers, and to provide opportunities for these plays to go on to receive full productions.

Next Draft Series: How to Kill a Rodent
2024-06-03 20:00 - 21:00, 2024-06-01 20:00 - 21:00 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
How to Kill a Rodent

By Eleanor McCaughey

Canadians Guy and Carrie take a road trip to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania only days before Groundhog Day, in an effort to assassinate Punxsutawney Phil on live television.

Cast:
Peter Ferneding
Stephanie Fongheiser
Madison Kiernan
Playwright:
Eleanor McCaughey
Director:
Maddy Brown
Dramaturg:
Zoe Sjogerman
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS
This reading is presented as part of Avalanche Theatre‘s Next Draft Series
The Next Draft Series is Avalanche Theatre’s ongoing new play incubator.

​Over the course of 3-4 months, Avalanche develops new work by emerging Chicago playwrights through readings, feedback sessions, and mentorship, culminating in a workshop production of the plays at the end of the process. Chicago theatre leaders such as artistic directors, literary managers, and creative producers are invited to the workshop productions in order to provide playwrights access to companies who may be interested in producing the plays. The purpose of the Next Draft Series is to fully develop the most exciting and challenging new plays being written in Chicago today, to foster a community that is supportive of writers, and to provide opportunities for these plays to go on to receive full productions.

TGNC Theatre Maker's Meetup
2024-06-02 19:00 - 22:00 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
🏳️‍⚧️MEETUP🏳️‍⚧️
Trans and gender non-conforming theatre makers, Join us June 2nd for an evening of community and connection.
We’re hanging out 7pm to 10pm and keeping the cafe open for refreshments.
BYOB also welcomed.
Don’t miss this!

THE DRAG by Mae West presented by Gerber Hart Library
2024-05-25 19:30 - 21:30 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Join us for a community reading of “The Drag” presented by the Gerber/Hart Library and Archives. Written by the iconic Mae West, this 1927 drama about a closeted socialite and the morality of homosexuality was banned from theatres and torn to shreds in the press. No acting experience required! This is a reading with the goal of getting this text out into the world. By doing this as well as providing historical context and archival materials, we are recentering text over performance. There will be a raffle system to cast each role, ensuring everyone has a chance to participate. Come explore the intertwined narratives of theatre, LGBTQ history, and American history, and their significance for our community today. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of this special community building event. See you there!
About Gerber/Hart:
Gerber/Hart is a LGBTQ+ library and archives located in the Rogers Park neighborhood in Chicago. Founded in 1981, Gerber/Hart is one of the largest repositories of LGBTQ+ content in the world. Gerber/Hart focuses on collecting, preserving, and making accessible the LGBTQ history and culture of Chicago and the Midwest. Learn more at gerberhart.org or by following @gerberhart on Instagram and Facebook. And for a deep dive into some of the amazing collections at Gerber/Hart, listen in to their 2022 podcast Unboxing Queer History!

CROOKED hosted by Betty Theft
2024-05-24 20:00 - 22:00 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Join host Betty Theft alongside a sordid cast of drag things. CROOKED is a show for villains, freaks, and petty thieves. A show that celebrates all things strange, dark, bizarre, fringe, and alternative!
CROOKED is a theatrical platform for dark and alternative drag- ominous, expressive, and dramatic.
Featuring performances by:
Betty Theft
Fallon
Finn
Kerosene
Monsieur Bombastic
Tiki Vonte
Doors open at 7:30 PM for an 8 PM show. The Understudy cafe will be open for refreshments.

ISLAND OF LOVE by Felicia Oduh
2024-05-20 19:30 - 21:00 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
A batch of romantic hopefuls compete for a chance to win love and a large cash prize on the UK’s hottest summer reality dating series. Though everyone has come on the show for the same reasons, one contestant soon learns that not everyone will have the same experience. Positioning the audience as the camera and including all of your favorite elements of reality TV — confessionals, drama, and surprise eliminations — Island of Love dives deep into the various forms of othering that are faced by reality TV’s Black female contestants, on screen and off.
Cast and Creative Team TBA
Freshly Brewed Team:
Emma Durbin – Co-Artistic Producer
Joel Willison – Co-Artistic Producer
Magdalena Dalzell – Literary Committee Coordinator
Danny Fender – The Understudy Co-Owner
Adam Crawford – The Understudy Co-Owner
About Freshly Brewed
Freshly Brewed seeks to invest in Chicago’s emerging playwrights and theatre artists in keeping with The Understudy’s commitment to Community, Collaboration, and Discovery. The series features monthly readings of new plays in various stages of development. Each artist conrtibuting– playwrights, directors, and actors– will receive a stipend underwritten by the series’ anonymous donor.
Freshly Brewed also marks the inaugural collaboration between The Understudy and its neighbor, Edgewater’s Raven Theatre, who is thrilled to support The Understudy as their fiscal sponsor for this series. Click here to make a tax-deductible donation to Freshly Brewed.

A Taste of RED with A Red Orchid Theatre
2024-05-14 19:30 - 21:00 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
Hang out with our friends from A Red Orchid Theatre on May 14th for the latest installment of their series A Taste of Red.
A Red Orchid Theatre invites you to take a peek behind the curtain and see how their team goes about exploring a play. What gets their ensemble excited about a script? How do actors, directors, playwrights, and designers all approach the same text differently? What defines a quintessential A Red Orchid production?
THE CAVE by Ensemble Member Sadieh Rifai

Dema’s life is upended when her Palestinian-American family moves from Las Vegas to Ohio. While Dema rapidly approaches puberty and the first Gulf War intensifies, her father Jamil’s mental health deteriorates. The world around her gets physically and emotionally darker as truths are revealed and everything around her shatters.

Doors open at 7pm and the reading begins at 7:30pm.
As part of this reading, we will be collecting donations for the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund.
CLICK HERE TO RESERVE

BOTH by Paloma Nozicka
2024-05-13 19:30 - 21:00 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Join us for a peek into the process of a new play by Paloma Nozicka. Presented as the first collaboration between Teatro Vista Productions and The Understudy.
BOTH
A woman’s life is thrown into chaos when her missing twin suddenly reappears.
This play currently in development as part of the Geffen Playhouse 2023/2024 Writers Room residency.

Doors open at 7pm. Performance Begins at 7:30pm. The cafe will be open for refreshments.

HEROES: A Reading to Benefit Freshly Brewed
2024-05-12 19:30 - 21:00 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
An exclusive, one-night-only reading featuring Jason Alexander (Seinfeld), Daniel Breaker (Billions), and Michael Kostroff (The Wire).

It’s August 1959, and three aging French veterans of the first world war, Philippe, Gustave, and Henri spend their days on the terrace of their home for retired military men. The three friends reminisce, banter, and plot a daring escape. Translated from the original French by the inimitable Tom Stoppard, the play is suffused with his signature wit and intellect.
An intimate and hilarious evening with three extraordinarily accomplished stage and screen performers at the height of their game, currently sharing the stage in Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s world premiere Judgment Day. All proceeds from one-night-only performance support The Understudy’s new play reading series, Freshly Brewed.
JASON ALEXANDER CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Judgment Day. BROADWAY: Fish in the Dark, Accomplice, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, Broadway Bound, The Rink, Merrily We Roll Along. OFF BROADWAY: The Portuguese Kid, Light Up the Sky, Personals, Forbidden Broadway. REGIONAL: The Producers, They’re Playing Our Song, Promises Promises, I Love My Wife, Defiled, Give ‘Em Hell, Harry. FILM: Pretty Woman, Shallow Hal, Dunston Checks In, Love! Valor! Compassion!, Hachi. TELEVISION: Seinfeld, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Orville, Young Sheldon, Duckman, Criminal Minds, Monk, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Bye Bye Birdie, Cinderella. THEATER DIRECTING: The Cottage (Broadway); God of Hell, Broadway Bound, The Last Five Years, Sunday in the Park with George, Damn Yankees, Native Gardens, The Fantasticks, If I Forget, Windfall. FILM DIRECTING: For Better or Worse, Just Looking. TELEVISION DIRECTING: Seinfeld, Everybody Hates Chris, Criminal Minds, Mike and Molly, Young Sheldon. AWARDS: 1989 Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Critics Circle Award, 4 Screen Actors Guild Awards, Country Music Video Award, Emmy Award, Julie Harris Award, 2 American Comedy Awards.
DANIEL BREAKER CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Judgment Day. BROADWAY: Hamilton, Book of Mormon, The Performers, Shrek the Musical (Drama Desk Award Nomination); Passing Strange (Tony Award Nomination, Drama Desk Award Nomination, Theatre World Award, Audelco Award); Cymbeline, Well. OFF BROADWAY: Love’s Labour’s Lost (Shakespeare in the Park); By The Way, Meet Vera Stark (Second Stage Theater); Passing Strange (The Public Theater); Fabulation (Playwrights Horizons); Pericles (Red Bull Theater, The Culture Project). LONDON: How to Act Around Cops (SoHo Theatre). REGIONAL: A Doctor in Spite of Himself (Intiman Theatre); Life is a Dream (South Coast Repertory); The Comedy of Errors (Helen Hayes Award Nomination), The Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Tempest (Helen Hayes Award Nomination), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Rivals, The Silent Woman (Shakespeare Theatre Company); H.M.S. Pinafore (Berkshire Theater Festival); Black Sheep (Barrington Stage Company); Sundance Theater Lab, 2005. FILM: Sisters with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, Limitless with Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro, He’s Way More Famous Than You, Redhook Summer, Passing Strange directed by Spike Lee. TELEVISION: Billions, Girls 5Eva, The Good Fight, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Mozart in the Jungle, Unforgettable, Law & Order: Criminal Intent. EDUCATION: The Juilliard School.
MICHAEL KOSTROFF CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Judgment Day. CHICAGO: The Whistleblower (Theater Wit). BROADWAY: The Nance. OFF BROADWAY: Enter Laughing (The York Theatre Company); Babes in Toyland (Carnegie Hall). NATIONAL TOURS: The Producers, Les Misérables. REGIONAL: Clue, The Producers, Lend Me a Tenor, A Comedy of Tenors (Paper Mill Playhouse); Inherit the Wind (Pasadena Playhouse); Native Gardens (Pioneer Theatre Company); Carnival (Goodspeed Opera House); Hairspray (Maltz Jupiter Theatre); Little Shop of Horrors (Sacramento Music Circus). FILM: Molly’s Game, The Man Who Saved Pinball, Maybe I Do, Chupa. TELEVISION: The Wire, The Deuce, Wizard of Lies, The Plot Against America, Law & Order: SVU, The Blacklist, NCIS, The Rookie, Billions, Banshee, Platonic, 9-1-1: Lone Star. Kostroff is an adjunct professor at UCLA and the author of Letters from Backstage, Audition Psych 101, and The Stage Actor’s Handbook: Traditions, Protocols and Etiquette for the Working and Aspiring Professional.

About The Understudy
The Understudy Coffee and Books is a one-of-a-kind hybrid theatre bookstore and specialty coffee shop in Andersonville. The Understudy is dedicated to celebrating, fostering, and uplifting artistry in our community in all its forms. The bookshop features over 3,500 plays, technique books, and other titles to get your creative juices flowing. The cafe offers high quality specialty coffee with a focus on direct trade sourcing and supporting local artisans.

About Freshly Brewed
Freshly Brewed seeks to invest in Chicago’s emerging playwrights and theatre artists in keeping with The Understudy’s commitment to Community, Collaboration, and Discovery. The series features monthly readings of new plays in various stages of development. Freshly Brewed offers a space for Chicago area artists to explore, experiment, and develp their craft.
Freshly Brewed also marks the inaugural collaboration between The Understudy and its neighbor, Edgewater’s Raven Theatre, who is thrilled to support The Understudy as their fiscal sponsor for this series. Click here to make a tax-deductible donation to Freshly Brewed.

Special Thanks to Chicago Shakespeare and JUDGMENT DAY for assistance in coordinating this event.

About JUDGMENT DAY:
Be first to see Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s hilarious world premiere comedy Judgment Day featuring a powerhouse cast of comedic talents! Emmy & Tony Award winner Jason Alexander plays a morally bankrupt lawyer threatened with eternal damnation by a terrifying angel. Desperate for redemption, he forms an unlikely bond with Michael, a Catholic priest in the midst of his own crisis of faith. Written by award-winning TV screenwriter Rob Ulin and staged by celebrated Broadway director Moritz von Stuelpnagel, this deliciously devious comedy rollicks through timeless questions on faith, morality, law & dis-order with razor-sharp wit. Now playing through May 26. Tickets: www.chicagoshakes.com/judgmentday

American Theatre Presents: Grown in Chicago
2024-05-06 19:30 - 21:00 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
This panel will feature local Chicago theatre leaders as they chat about adapting and planning for longevity, establishing a distinct company identity, staying true to your mission, and serving your community on stage and beyond.

The conversation will be moderated by Carla Stillwell, faculty at The Theatre School at DePaul University.
Panelists will include:

Xavier Custodio, co-founding artistic director, Vision Latino Theatre Company
Myesha-Tiara, founding artistic director, Perceptions Theatre
Shepsu Aakhu, founding member, Ma’at Production Association of Afrikan Centered Theatre (MPAACT)

This event is sponsored by the Walder Foundation.
Click here to Register

PHARAOH TAROT
2024-05-01 13:00 - 17:00 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Pharaoh Tarot is BACK on Wednesday, May 1st!

BELTANE, or May Day, is the May 1st sabbat that marks the beginning of Summer and is the worldwide day to celebrate freedom and breakthroughs and births!
Welcome in the new season with this spread:
RAPID EXPANSION
What untapped potential can be acted on in your life?
Where can you stand to rebel?
What will accelerate your growth?
Bookings are 25 minutes. Individual readings are $55, but pay what you can readings are available, lowest donation $11.
Feel free to reach out to Regina via instagram or email with any questions: @officialreginav, officialreginavictor@gmail.com

CLICK HERE to reserve your spot in advance!

Play Reading Club: RED REX
2024-04-29 19:00 - 20:30 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
After a holiday hiatus, Play Reading Club is BACK!
No need to RSVP, just show up ready to discuss the play! Our book club begins at 7 PM on the last Monday of every month.
This month, we’re reading Red Rex by Ike Holter.

About the play:

The sixth play in Ike Holter’s Rightlynd saga. Red Rex is a scrappy theater company that is on the brink—will they have the hit that puts their name on the map, or the wake-up call that it’s time to throw in the towel? A prodigal son actor and amateur neighborhood talent join the stage to perform a play that may or may not be based on a true story. Internal drama threatens to complicate the production further, causing fireworks both on and offstage. What else could go wrong? Complex and thought-provoking, RED REX asks us: What are we willing to sacrifice to share stories that must be heard, and where do we draw the line?

Red Rex
$13.00
Buy now

About the playwright:
Ike Holter is a Chicago writer and the author of plays including Exit Strategy , Hit the Wall and Put Your House in Order. He wrote The Rightlynd Saga , a series of 7 interconnected plays set in a fictional Chicago neighborhood that the Chicago Tribune called One of the most significant literary achievements in modern-day Chicago. For Television, he’s received the WGA award for Best Adaptation for his work on the Emmy-award winning FX series Fosse/Verdon , and his miniseries Harold was recently picked up by Wayfarer studios. He is currently developing film and TV projects with Netflix and TriBeCa Productions, and has taught at University of Chicago, DePaul, and is a lecturer at Yale University. Winner of the 2017 Windham-Campbell prize for drama, one of the highest literary awards in the world, and the 2021 Steinberg Playwright award. Repped by WME and M88.

Independent Bookstore Day
2024-04-27 08:00 - 18:00 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
​Yet again, Chicagoland proves itself to be the dream destination for book lovers and readers of all ages! More than 40 independent bookstores in the greater Chicago area—from Lake Forest to Beverly, and Naperville to the Loop—are collaborating on our annual Chicagoland Bookstore Crawl, which encourages book lovers to indulge in bookstore tourism by visiting 10 or more stores in a single day. The Understudy is proud to be one of them.
The annual challenge is being held again on Independent Bookstore Day (IBD), which is a one-day national party celebrating indie book stores on the last Saturday in April. Each store creates its own unique events—including guest authors, special kids’ story times, readings, contests, giveaways, and special sales.

How to Participate…
Select your first bookstore and receive a passport and your first stamp.
Now check out the map—which lists all the participating stores—and start planning your route!
Additional bookstores you visit throughout the day will provide you with a stamp with no purchase required!
• Visit TEN stores in one day and get 10% off at all participating bookstores for an ENTIRE YEAR!
• Visit FIFTEEN stores in one day and get 15% off at all participating bookstores for an ENTIRE YEAR!
After visiting 10 or 15 participating bookstores, on your last bookstore visit show your passport and receive a limited edition pin!
Readers are encouraged to post a snapshot of themselves and their Independent Bookstore Day haul on social media with the hashtag #TEAMINDIE and #ChiLoveBooks.
This year we are adding three bus routes so readers can explore bookstores they’ve never seen before. One is going as north as Lake Forest. One will go as west as St. Charles/Geneva, and one will go south to the Beverly neighborhood. Tickets can be found HERE.

Kokandy Book Club Presents: SPRING AWAKENING
2024-04-23 19:30 - 21:00 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Join The Understudy and our friends from Kokandy Productions for the latest installment of our series Book Club. Kokandy Book Club is an intimate salon series celebrating theatre, music and community. Each meeting will focus on a well known play or musical—investigating the plot, themes and relevant tangents through musical performance. Have a sit, have a sip and honor the ritual of talking about good shows and having a good ole fashion jam session.
The seasons are changing, so our April Book Club could be nothing but SPRING AWAKENING! Celebrating both the original 1891 Frank Wedekind play as well as the smash-hit 2006 musical adaptation, this sesh will honor the sensual and the scary, using popular music to harmonize those hormones and explore the b*tch of forbidden knowledge. Note: This event is not a reading of the play or a concert of the musical. Something new is blossoming, and we just have to let it out!
Curated by Kokandy Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham, with musical accompaniment by Nick Sula, our book club performers will be announced soon!
Doors open at 7 PM for a 7:30 PM performance.
The Understudy Cafe will be open for refreshments.

ECHO'S INFERNO by Juliet Kang Huneke
2024-04-22 19:30 - 21:00 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
It’s 1884, and Echo really doesn’t get along with her brothers. Or anyone. Then, the devil offers her a chance to skip forward and start over. Will she take it? Will it matter? With biting humor and irreverent logic, ECHO’S INFERNO explores girlhood, rage, ambition, and connection.
Production Team:
Juliet Kang Huneke – Playwright
Daira Rodriguez – Director
Emma Durbin – Dramaturg
Cast:
Kandace Mack – Echo
Sharon Pasia – Satan
Andie Muriel – Lola
Bennett Petersen – Wilbur and John Lennon
Rick Hilscher – Orvile and Lill Davie
Sunnie Eraso – Stage Directions
Freshly Brewed Team:
Emma Durbin – Co-Artistic Producer
Joel Willison – Co-Artistic Producer
Magdalena Dalzell – Literary Committee Coordinator
Danny Fender – The Understudy Co-Owner
Adam Crawford – The Understudy Co-Owner
About Freshly Brewed
Freshly Brewed seeks to invest in Chicago’s emerging playwrights and theatre artists in keeping with The Understudy’s commitment to Community, Collaboration, and Discovery. The series features monthly readings of new plays in various stages of development. Each artist conrtibuting– playwrights, directors, and actors– will receive a stipend underwritten by the series’ anonymous donor.
Freshly Brewed also marks the inaugural collaboration between The Understudy and its neighbor, Edgewater’s Raven Theatre, who is thrilled to support The Understudy as their fiscal sponsor for this series. Click here to make a tax-deductible donation to Freshly Brewed.

Thank You Five: LIVE with Strawdog Theatre
2024-04-17 19:00 - 20:30 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
From Strawdog Theatre, a weekly show bringing theatre artists from around the globe into a conversation about live theatre and digital storytelling with a spirit of gratitude and innovation.
Usually convened digitally, Thank You Five is recording LIVE at The Understudy for one night only.
In addition to viewing in-person, t he show will be streamed live online.
Doors open at 6:30pm, and the recording begins at 7:00pm.
Panelists:
dado
Brett Neveu
Ele Matelan
Carolyn Hoerdemann
With Strawdog Ensemble Host: Michael Reyes
Click here to catch up on previous episodes of Thank You Five.

A Conversation with Jen Silverman: THERE'S GOING TO BE TROUBLE
2024-04-16 19:30 - 21:00 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Author Jen Silverman joins Kirsten Fitzgerald for a a discussion of their new novel THERE’S GOING TO BE TROUBLE, out 4/9 from Random House.

Playwright, novelist, and screenwriter Jen Silverman joins actor and director Kirsten Fitzgerald to discuss their new novel There’s Going to Be Trouble.

Don’t miss these remarkable artists discussing how a life in the theatre informs writing sweeping and intimate stories in other media. Learn about the development of There’s Going to Be Trouble, and what draws Silverman to each format for which they write.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jen Silverman (they/them) is a playwright, novelist, and screenwriter.
Plays include: Spain; Highway Patrol; Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties; The Moors; The Roommate; and Witch. Their plays have been produced off-Broadway (Second Stage Theatre, MCC Theater, The Playwrights Realm), across the US (Steppenwolf, The Goodman, The Humana Festival, Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Huntington, South Coast Repertory Theatre, Writers Theatre etc), and internationally in Australia, the UK, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Brazil, Spain, and elsewhere.
Books include: the debut novel We Play Ourselves (named one of the best books of the year by Buzzfeed; a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award), story collection The Island Dwellers (finalist for a PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize), poetry chapbook Bath (selected by Traci Brimhall for Driftwood Press); and new novel There’s Going to be Trouble forthcoming from Random House on April 9th 2024.
Silverman is a three-time MacDowell Fellow, a member of New Dramatists, and a Scholar of Note at the American Library in Paris. They wrote The Miranda Obsession as a narrative podcast for Audible, starring Rachel Brosnahan. They also write for TV and film, including Tales of the City (Netflix) and Tokyo Vice (Max). Honors include fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim.

About the Book
Minnow has always tried to lead the life her single father modeled—private, quiet, hardworking, apolitical. So she is rocked when an instinctive decision to help a student makes her the notorious public face of a scandal in the small town where she teaches. As tensions rise, death threats follow, and an overwhelmed Minnow flees to a teaching position in Paris. There, she falls into an exhilarating and all-consuming relationship with Charles, a young Frenchman whose activism has placed him at odds with his powerful family. As Minnow is pulled in to the daring protest Charles and his friends are planning, she unknowingly almost repeats a secret tragedy from her family’s past. Her father wasn’t always the restrained, conservative man he appears today. There are things he has taken great pains to conceal from his family and from the world.
In 1968, Keen is avoiding the Vietnam draft by pursuing a PhD at Harvard. He lives his life in the basement chemistry lab, studiously ignoring the news. But when he unexpectedly falls in love with Olya, a fiery community organizer, he is consumed by her world and loses sight of his own. Learning that his deferment has ended and he’s been drafted, Keen agrees to participate in the latest action that Olya is leading—one with more dangerous and far-reaching consequences than he could have imagined.
Minnow’s and Keen’s intertwining stories take us through the turmoil of the late sixties student movements and into the chaos of the modern world. Exploding with suspense, heart, and intelligence, There’s Going to Be Trouble is a story about revolution, legacy, passionate love, and how we live with the consequences of our darkest secrets.

Kirsten Fitzgerald is a Chicago-based Actor and the Artistic Director at A Red Orchid Theatre. She has originated roles in the world premieres of Traitor, Pilgrim’s Progress, Weapon of Mass Impact, and 4 Murders by Brett Neveu and Grey House by Levi Holloway (at AROT), Swing State by Rebecca Gilman and I hate It Here by Ike Holter (Goodman Theatre), Lettie by Boo Kilebrew and Appropriate by Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins (Victory Gardens Theatre) as well as Tracy Letts’ Mary Page Marlow and Bruce Norris’ The Qualms (Steppenwolf Theatre) among others. Other recent Goodman Theatre credits include ROE and SWEAT. On television, Kirsten played Maria Walters in The Exorcist (FOX) and Mac in Sirens (USA), both for two seasons. In addition, she has made appearances on Shinning Girls (appleTV), The Big Leap (FOX), Proven Innocent (FOX), Chicago Med (NBC), Chicago Justice (NBC), Chicago Fire (NBC), Underemployed (FOX) and ER (NBC). Film credits include Widows (Steve McQueen), Killing Eleanor (Rich Newy & Annica Marks), and Working Man (Robert Jury).

As Artistic Director at A Red Orchid Kirsten has fostered world premiere productions by Brett Neveau (Traitor, Pilgrim’s Progress, The Opponent, Megacosm), Levi Holloway (Grey House, The Haven Place), Ike Holter (Sender), Grant Varjas (33 To Nothing), and Craig Wright (Mistakes Were Made, The Illiad) alongside numerous regional premieres and reimagining’s of rarely seen gems. In 2022, Kirsten directed A Red Orchid’s critically acclaimed production of The Moors by Jen Silverman. This production was honored with 5 Joseph Jefferson awards including one for Best Director of a play at a mid-size theatre as well as one for Best Production at a mid-size theatre.

Stories Beyond Bars: An Art Fundraiser & Panel for Prisoner's Rights
2024-04-10 19:30 - 21:00 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Join us for an unforgettable evening of advocacy and inspiration at the Stories Beyond Bars Fundraiser, hosted by Uptown People’s Law Center (UPLC). Set against the vibrant backdrop of The Understudy Coffee and Books, this event will feature creative offerings from storytellers impacted by the prison system, sharing their journeys and highlighting the vital role of legal aid in their lives. Immerse yourself in an art exhibition showcasing the creativity and resilience of our artistic contributors, while our panel discussion sheds light on the critical work of UPLC’s legal team.
Contributors to this event include passionate individuals dedicated to human rights and criminal justice reform, including UPLC’s esteemed Executive Director, Alan Mills, and several other UPLC team members, who will lead discussions and answer your questions. Attendees will have the opportunity to donate on the spot via Square and QR code, directly supporting their mission to provide critical legal aid to those in need. Join us as we strive to educate, advocate, and unite for positive change in our communities.
Content warning: Pieces may contain explicit language and triggering themes that may be distressing for some audience members.
Doors open at 7pm for a panel beginning at 7:30pm. The Understudy cafe will be open for refreshments.
Masks Strongly Encouraged

Bramble Arts Loft Open House
2024-04-06 10:00 - 16:00 | Bramble Arts Loft, 5545 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Join us in celebrating our neighbors at Bramble Theatre!
Their brand new, elegantly designed Arts Loft is opening to the public from 10AM to 4PM on Saturday, April 6th.
We’ll be there with books picked by the Bramble team, plus coffee!
Come hang out with us and other Andersonville neighbors as we honor this incredible new addition to our community.

Ball & Battle: A Drag Show and Latte Art Throwdown
2024-03-30 19:00 - 22:30 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Join The Understudy for an evening of fierce looks, fierce competition, and fabulous prizes.

PLEASE NOTE: This event is 21+. No underage attendees or contestants will be permitted.

It’s our birthday, and we’re celebrating in style.
In honor of our first anniversary, we’re bringing together the coffee and performance communities again for a hybrid drag show and latte ard throwdown.
First, join us in the bookstore for a set of fabulous performances from some of our favorite drag things. Then, head over to the cafe for a fierce competition, with cash prizes and incredible swag on the line.
Enjoy pastries from our friends at Brite alongside other local favorites. We can’t wait to see y’all here!
PERFORMERS, SPONSORS, AND PRIZE PACKAGES TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON.

BRAWL! by Connor Ermir Bradshaw
2024-03-18 19:30 - 21:00 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Masculinity, desire, and belonging form a heady mix at the center of the boxing ring in BRAWL! Will Lucky find a way out?

Dug into the backyard of Diesel Philips’ home is The Pit: the home and training ground for young boxers in the Mowbray Mountain valley.
Here, limbs lock until a bell dings or a body drops. Here, loving looks a lot like fighting. And here, boys don’t leave; they escape.

Playwright: Connor Ermir Bradshaw
Director: Danny Fender
Movement/Intimacy Director: Magdalena Dalzell
Dramaturg: Madie Doppelt
Lead Producer: Emma Durbin
About Freshly Brewed
Freshly Brewed seeks to invest in Chicago’s emerging playwrights and theatre artists in keeping with The Understudy’s commitment to Community, Collaboration, and Discovery. The series features monthly readings of new plays in various stages of development. Each artist conrtibuting– playwrights, directors, and actors– will receive a stipend underwritten by the series’ anonymous donor.
Freshly Brewed also marks the inaugural collaboration between The Understudy and its neighbor, Edgewater’s Raven Theatre, who is thrilled to support The Understudy as their fiscal sponsor for this series. Click here to make a tax-deductible donation to Freshly Brewed.
