Our Events
We’re always on the lookout for new ways to share our space and bring creative people together. If you have an idea for a new one-off event or series at The Understudy, please fill out the form below. Please note that we give priority to theatre related events, and, though we really want to, we can’t accommodate every request. Let’s chat!


The Thing in the Bathroom by Cal Walker
September 28 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
A Comedy Horror Play about Capitalism Click Here to RSVP

The Thing in the Bathroom by Cal Walker
September 28 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Cafe Royalty – Drag @ The Understudy
September 29 @ 8:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Join hosts Lezbian Minelli and Oversharon, alongside guests Betty Theft, Georgia Rising, Kerosene, Stephanie, and Tiki Vonté. The Understudy is proud to launch our new drag series, CAFE ROYALTY, a […]

Cafe Royalty – Drag @ The Understudy
September 29 @ 8:30 pm – 10:30 pm

Live Portrait Illustration with Joe Kraft
September 30 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
In honor of Andersonville Arts Weekend, Our mural artist, Joe Kraft is returning to sell art and merch, and also draw charming custom portraits live for guests! No need to […]

Live Portrait Illustration with Joe Kraft
September 30 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

GASZCHEBET by Skyler Tarnas
October 9 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Click Here to reserve tickets We’re hosting our neighbors Bramble Theatre for their Fall Reading Series. Join us October 9th for Gazschebet by Skyler Tarnas. Gemma was on the way […]

GASZCHEBET by Skyler Tarnas
October 9 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Shadow Carriers: Sit-down Andersonville Ghost Tour
October 12 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Excited about our signature ghost tour (the Andersonville Walking Tour) but are unable or do not wish to walk the distance? Not a problem! This year, we’re offering a sit-down […]

Shadow Carriers: Sit-down Andersonville Ghost Tour
October 12 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm

The Whole Seamus Thing by Ben Auxier and L.C. Bernadine
October 16 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Click Here to reserve tickets We’re hosting our neighbors Bramble Theatre for their Fall Reading Series. Join us on October 16th for The Whole Seamus Thing by Ben Auxier and L.C Bernadine […]

The Whole Seamus Thing by Ben Auxier and L.C. Bernadine
October 16 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Homunculus by Andrew Piechota
October 19 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
CLICK HERE for Tickets Homunculus by Andrew Piechota Two debt-laden young workers, Ash and Sage, toil in the depths of a decrepit mansion-turned-crypto-mine deep in the woods near the Columbia […]

Homunculus by Andrew Piechota
October 19 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

body, no organs by Dizzy Turek
October 20 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
CLICK HERE for Tickets Hallelujah has died. As she descends from the earth, she finds herself after life, waist deep in floodwaters, no sun, seemingly no land, and no other […]

body, no organs by Dizzy Turek
October 20 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Homunculus by Andrew Piechota
October 21 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
CLICK HERE for Tickets Homunculus by Andrew Piechota Two debt-laden young workers, Ash and Sage, toil in the depths of a decrepit mansion-turned-crypto-mine deep in the woods near the Columbia […]

Homunculus by Andrew Piechota
October 21 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

body, no organs by Dizzy Turek
October 22 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
CLICK HERE for Tickets Hallelujah has died. As she descends from the earth, she finds herself after life, waist deep in floodwaters, no sun, seemingly no land, and no other […]

body, no organs by Dizzy Turek
October 22 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

The Red Fortune Cookie by Karissa Murrell Myers
October 23 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Click Here to reserve tickets We’re hosting our neighbors Bramble Theatre for their Fall Reading Series. Join us October 23rd for The Red Fortune Cookie by Karissa Murrell Myers When a hot […]

The Red Fortune Cookie by Karissa Murrell Myers
October 23 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Identity: An Actor’s Perspective with Delia Kropp
October 25 @ 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Identity politics, theft, wars. Identifying-As. Movies without real actors. Self-aware machines. Personhood. This provocative lecture-discussion event urges a 21st century re-boot of how we think and talk about human beings, […]

Identity: An Actor’s Perspective with Delia Kropp
October 25 @ 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
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No need to RSVP, just come visit us on Saturday the 30th! [post_title] => Live Portrait Illustration with Joe Kraft [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => live-portrait-illustration-with-joe-kraft [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-09-01 14:32:09 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-09-01 19:32:09 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.theunderstudy.com/?post_type=tribe_events&p=1370 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => tribe_events [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [event_date] => 2023-09-30 11:00:00 ) [3] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1378 [post_author] => 6 [post_date] => 2023-09-05 10:20:29 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-09-05 15:20:29 [post_content] => Click Here to reserve tickets We're hosting our neighbors Bramble Theatre for their Fall Reading Series. Join us October 9th for Gazschebet by Skyler Tarnas. Gemma was on the way back from breaking up with her girlfriend when she crashed into Faith Callahan's car. Now she's stranded at the Callahans' modest Midwestern home in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but corn and farm animals as far as the eye can see. But Gemma is quick to discover that it's a very special evening for the Callahans, and that they expect her to take part in their festivities, in a way she never would have expected. Skyler Tarnas is a Michigan-born-and-raised writer, director, and teacher with passions for Shakespeare, true crime, and fake crime. After attending the University of Michigan and directing a handful of independent productions in Ann Arbor, he came to Chicago to obtain his MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage from Northwestern University, Class of 2021. Skyler’s plays seek to explore the young confused queer experience and the people we hurt on the way to finding ourselves. 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Through the use of slides, we will bring the Andersonville ghost stories directly to your seat! ----- Join veteran paranormal tour guides, Orion Couling & Zack Meyer, on a night that explores the shadows of history with the lantern of mystery. This tour will take you to the door of hidden haunts and the path of legends. Find out the eerie stories about some of Andersonville's most beloved spots! Orion & Zack are nationally renowned storytellers who have recently brought their unique style of storytelling to the "Shadow Carriers" podcast. Now, you have the opportunity to join them as you learn more about the dark history of Andersonville. ------- Due to the graphic nature of the content being presented, we recommend this tour for ages 12+. Your reservation is transferable but non-refundable. [post_title] => Shadow Carriers: Sit-down Andersonville Ghost Tour [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => shadow-carriers-sit-down-andersonville-ghost-tour-at-the-understudy [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-09-22 12:58:44 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-09-22 17:58:44 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.theunderstudy.com/event/shadow-carriers-sit-down-andersonville-ghost-tour-at-the-understudy/ [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => tribe_events [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [event_date] => 2023-10-12 19:30:00 ) [5] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1393 [post_author] => 6 [post_date] => 2023-09-05 11:28:08 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-09-05 16:28:08 [post_content] => Click Here to reserve tickets We’re hosting our neighbors Bramble Theatre for their Fall Reading Series. Join us on October 16th for The Whole Seamus Thing by Ben Auxier and L.C Bernadine Mel, a once-dedicated staff member at a nonprofit organization increasingly, obsessively hates the man she hoped was her former boss. Now she's facing off against the mostly-beloved and mythologized founder, following his surprise return from a scandalous company exit. A comedy that asks: how do you forgive, forget and survive the bullshit of leaders, when you’re stuck needing leadership?The Understudy is proud to launch our new drag series, CAFE ROYALTY, a rotating program of guest hosts and shows the last Friday of every month. Join us Friday, September 29th for our kickoff show, featuring cast members representing the lineup for our next few months of shows. HOSTS Lezbian Minelli Oversharon PERFORMERS Betty Theft Georgia Rising Kerosene Stephanie Tiki Vonté Doors open at 8PM, Show begins promptly at 8:30PM. The Understudy Cafe will be open for refreshments.Ben Auxier is an actor, writer, and comedian from Kansas City, MO, now working in Chicago with the improv ensemble RIFF! at iO and as a performer on numerous other stages. The former Artistic Director of The KC Improv Company, he is co-author of the award-winning musical comedy THE BALLAD OF LEFTY & CRABBE, co-creator of the comedy channel Friend Dog Studios, and writer/performer of sketch comedy and one-man shows including BEN AUXIER'S CAVALCADE OF FEARS, recently performed in KC and coming soon to Chicago.
L.C. Bernadine is a Chicago playwright whose work has been produced at City Lit Theatre, Underscore Theatre, and other companies. In addition to THE WHOLE SHEAMUS THING, she is currently at work on TRANSPORT, a new play about two drivers in the so-called troubled teen industry; IS YOU IS, a new musical she’s developing with Nik Whitcomb and Erik Olsen, set in Chicago Public Schools in the 1930s and revolving around The Field Museum’s exhibit “The Races of Mankind”; and a screenplay called THE LINOLEUM CLUB, with actor Paul Raci.
[post_title] => The Whole Seamus Thing by Ben Auxier and L.C. Bernadine [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => the-whole-seamus-thing-by-ben-auxier-and-l-c-bernadine [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-09-21 20:49:41 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-09-22 01:49:41 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.theunderstudy.com/?post_type=tribe_events&p=1393 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => tribe_events [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [event_date] => 2023-10-16 19:30:00 ) [6] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1381 [post_author] => 6 [post_date] => 2023-09-05 10:39:20 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-09-05 15:39:20 [post_content] => CLICK HERE for TicketsHomunculus by Andrew PiechotaTwo debt-laden young workers, Ash and Sage, toil in the depths of a decrepit mansion-turned-crypto-mine deep in the woods near the Columbia River Basin, looking after a massive rig of computer servers. They receive food via airdrop, rest in sleeping bags, and are forbidden from contact with the outside world. As they struggle to adapt to the demands of a distant authority, they spiral, each in their own way, toward mysticism and obsession.
There is someone watching them; there is something in the walls; there is something within themselves, aching to be free- here at the intersection of technology, nature, and the occult.
Cast: Owen Hickle-Edwards as Ash Stephanie Fongheiser as Sage Peter Ferneding as Felix Martina Logan as Avery Dramaturg: Felix Abidor[post_title] => Homunculus by Andrew Piechota [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => homunculus-by-andrew-piechota [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-09-05 10:40:32 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-09-05 15:40:32 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.theunderstudy.com/?post_type=tribe_events&p=1381 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => tribe_events [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [event_date] => 2023-10-19 20:00:00 ) [7] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1388 [post_author] => 6 [post_date] => 2023-09-05 11:05:19 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-09-05 16:05:19 [post_content] => CLICK HERE for Tickets Hallelujah has died. As she descends from the earth, she finds herself after life, waist deep in floodwaters, no sun, seemingly no land, and no other souls in sight. All she has are the clothes on her back and a giant gash down the middle of her chest. Inside this gash, she finds her organs which she can take out and hold in her hand. Oh, look, there’s a man sitting on a porch; wonder what he thinks of all this. Cast: Diana Slickman as Hallelujah Jenn Geiger as Herself Guy Wicke as Man on Porch Faiz Siddique as Bird Man & Imp/Goblin/Demon Alice Wu as Fish Lady & Farmer Martina Logan as Hoi Polloi Grant Brown as Hoi Polloi Dramaturg: Alexander UtzThe 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.
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.
[post_title] => body, no organs by Dizzy Turek [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => body-no-organs-by-dizzy-turek [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-09-05 11:05:19 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-09-05 16:05:19 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.theunderstudy.com/?post_type=tribe_events&p=1388 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => tribe_events [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [event_date] => 2023-10-20 20:00:00 ) [8] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1386 [post_author] => 6 [post_date] => 2023-09-05 10:59:25 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-09-05 15:59:25 [post_content] => CLICK HERE for TicketsHomunculus by Andrew PiechotaTwo debt-laden young workers, Ash and Sage, toil in the depths of a decrepit mansion-turned-crypto-mine deep in the woods near the Columbia River Basin, looking after a massive rig of computer servers. They receive food via airdrop, rest in sleeping bags, and are forbidden from contact with the outside world. As they struggle to adapt to the demands of a distant authority, they spiral, each in their own way, toward mysticism and obsession.
There is someone watching them; there is something in the walls; there is something within themselves, aching to be free- here at the intersection of technology, nature, and the occult.
Cast: Owen Hickle-Edwards as Ash Stephanie Fongheiser as Sage Peter Ferneding as Felix Martina Logan as Avery Dramaturg: Felix Abidor[post_title] => Homunculus by Andrew Piechota [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => homunculus-by-andrew-piechota-2 [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-09-05 10:59:25 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-09-05 15:59:25 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.theunderstudy.com/?post_type=tribe_events&p=1386 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => tribe_events [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [event_date] => 2023-10-21 20:00:00 ) [9] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1391 [post_author] => 6 [post_date] => 2023-09-05 11:11:15 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-09-05 16:11:15 [post_content] => CLICK HERE for Tickets Hallelujah has died. As she descends from the earth, she finds herself after life, waist deep in floodwaters, no sun, seemingly no land, and no other souls in sight. All she has are the clothes on her back and a giant gash down the middle of her chest. Inside this gash, she finds her organs which she can take out and hold in her hand. Oh, look, there’s a man sitting on a porch; wonder what he thinks of all this. Cast: Diana Slickman as Hallelujah Jenn Geiger as Herself Guy Wicke as Man on Porch Faiz Siddique as Bird Man & Imp/Goblin/Demon Alice Wu as Fish Lady & Farmer Martina Logan as Hoi Polloi Grant Brown as Hoi Polloi Dramaturg: Alexander UtzThe 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.
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.
[post_title] => body, no organs by Dizzy Turek [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => body-no-organs-by-dizzy-turek-2 [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-09-05 11:11:15 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-09-05 16:11:15 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.theunderstudy.com/?post_type=tribe_events&p=1391 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => tribe_events [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [event_date] => 2023-10-22 20:00:00 ) [10] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1397 [post_author] => 6 [post_date] => 2023-09-05 11:35:59 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-09-05 16:35:59 [post_content] => Click Here to reserve tickets We’re hosting our neighbors Bramble Theatre for their Fall Reading Series. Join us October 23rd for The Red Fortune Cookie by Karissa Murrell Myers When a hot air balloon with two dead strangers in it crashes on top of some prize tomatoes in Reese’s backyard, he teams up with his eccentric aunt and bad-tempered little sister to uncover the truth about the murder, his family, and himself. Karissa Murrell Myers is a Filipino American theatre artist based in Chicago, where she works as an actor, playwright, director, producer, and casting director. As a playwright, her work has been developed and/or produced at Strawdog Theatre, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, American Blues Theatre, A Red Orchid Theatre, The Gift Theatre, Silk Road Rising, Avalanche Theatre, Our Perspective: Asian American Plays, and Bramble Theatre Company, where she serves as Artistic Director. Karissa received an “Outstanding New Work” Jeff Awards nomination for the world premiere of her play, On the Greenbelt. She was featured in American Theatre Magazine’s “Theatre Workers You Should Know” and in Newcity Stage's "Players 2023: Who Really Performs in Chicago Right Now". MFA in Performance from University of Hawaii, BA in Directing and Acting from Boise State University, and graduate of The School at Steppenwolf 2019. Proud member of the Dramatist Guild and SAG-AFTRA. www.kmurrellmyers.com | @kmurrellmyers [post_title] => The Red Fortune Cookie by Karissa Murrell Myers [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => the-red-fortune-cookie-by-karissa-murrell-myers [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-09-21 20:45:45 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-09-22 01:45:45 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.theunderstudy.com/?post_type=tribe_events&p=1397 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => tribe_events [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [event_date] => 2023-10-23 19:30:00 ) [11] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1437 [post_author] => 6 [post_date] => 2023-09-23 10:21:55 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-09-23 15:21:55 [post_content] =>[post_title] => Identity: An Actor's Perspective with Delia Kropp [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => human-identity-an-actors-perspective-with-delia-kropp [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-09-23 15:24:01 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-09-23 20:24:01 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.theunderstudy.com/event/human-identity-an-actors-perspective-with-delia-kropp/ [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => tribe_events [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [event_date] => 2023-10-25 19:30:00 ) )Identity politics, theft, wars. Identifying-As. Movies without real actors. Self-aware machines. Personhood. This provocative lecture-discussion event urges a 21st century re-boot of how we think and talk about human beings, who we are, and the world we want to live in. Doors open at 7pm for a 7:30 start time. The Understudy cafe will be open for refreshments.Bio:
On stage and screen, Delia Kropp has worked as a professional actor for 47 years. She trained at The Drama Studio of London and performed with Chicago companies such as The Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, and A Red Orchid; and appeared on TV in the Showtime series Work in Progress. Along the way she's received a few awards including Best Supporting Actor in Equus, Boarshead Theatre, and Best Actress at Chicago's Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival, for her role in Landlocked. Since gender transitioning, Delia has lectured, written, and been interviewed in her real-life role as advocate for transgender workers across the entertainment industry. She is a 2018 winner of The Leppen Leadership Award for services to Chicago's LGBTQ community. In her presentation Identity: An Actor's Perspective, Delia draws from these worlds of art and activism to provoke new ways of thinking about who we flawed, fabulous humans truly are -- and where we're headed.

A Critical Moment: The UChicago Critics Table in Conversation
September 20 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Chicago critic and dramaturg Regina Victor is curating a conversation on the state of criticism across disciplines at The Understudy! Victor has invited Martine Kei Green Rogers, head of theatre at DePaul University, […]

A Critical Moment: The UChicago Critics Table in Conversation
September 20 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Demystifying the Actor / Agent Relationship with DDO Artists Agency
September 19 @ 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Click Here to Reserve Your Spot Demystifying The Actor / Agent Relationship: Illuminating Information about Chicago’s Talent Industry Join agents Bailey Hayman, KaCee Hudson, and Jillian Skale of DDO Artists Agency in […]

Demystifying the Actor / Agent Relationship with DDO Artists Agency
September 19 @ 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm

YOU DESERVE TO BE HERE by Alex Lubischer
September 18 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
CLICK HERE to Reserve Meet the “Tragedy Cohort”: Memo’s a veteran. Oona lost her sister. And Chase? Well, he must have tragedy somewhere. Only one can win their grad school’s […]

YOU DESERVE TO BE HERE by Alex Lubischer
September 18 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm

I Can’t… I Have Trivia
September 11 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
📚 TRIVIA 📚 Theatre nerds, your time has come! Join us at 7:30 on September 11th to flex your theatre knowledge. We recommend playing with a team of four. Hosted […]

I Can’t… I Have Trivia
September 11 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Crafting the TV Drama
September 8 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
We’re hosting an evening with Screenwriter, Former TV Exec, and Aspiring Showrunner Grant Stuart ahead of his course Crafting the TV Drama. RSVP With Grant Here

Crafting the TV Drama
September 8 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

THANK YOU FIVE: LIVE with Strawdog Theatre
September 6 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
CLICK HERE to Reserve 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 […]

THANK YOU FIVE: LIVE with Strawdog Theatre
September 6 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Array ( [0] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1374 [post_author] => 6 [post_date] => 2023-09-05 09:39:46 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-09-05 14:39:46 [post_content] => Chicago critic and dramaturg Regina Victor is curating a conversation on the state of criticism across disciplines at The Understudy! Victor has invited Martine Kei Green Rogers, head of theatre at DePaul University, to facilitate a a roundtable conversation with the UChicago Critics Table, a multidisciplinary critical cohort focusing on the arts on the Southside of Chicago. Victor wants to invite the theatre community into the robust conversation they've been having about criticism over the past six months. The Chicago Critic’s Table is a Mellon-funded initiative to create robust community for critics focusing on the arts on the South Side of Chicago. The cohort of critics works across various artistic disciplines. The cohort will discuss the role of criticism in a changing artistic landscape. What can practitioners of divergent media learn from each other? Who critics are for, and how can they serve their communities? Check out the cohorts's convening schedule, including readings and featured guests here. Read more about the critics and the work they do in the incubator here, and about their individual practices here: Meralis Álvarez-Morales Camille Bacon Rikki Byrd Zaria El-Fil Britt Julious Regina Victor [post_title] => A Critical Moment: The UChicago Critics Table in Conversation [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => a-critical-moment-the-uchicago-critics-table-in-conversation [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-09-05 09:39:46 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-09-05 14:39:46 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.theunderstudy.com/?post_type=tribe_events&p=1374 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => tribe_events [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [event_date] => 2023-09-20 19:30:00 ) [1] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1355 [post_author] => 6 [post_date] => 2023-08-29 08:16:17 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-08-29 13:16:17 [post_content] => Click Here to Reserve Your Spot Demystifying The Actor / Agent Relationship: Illuminating Information about Chicago's Talent Industry Join agents Bailey Hayman, KaCee Hudson, and Jillian Skale of DDO Artists Agency in a Q&A for anyone who wants to know more about the professional role of talent agents in Chicago's TV/Film and Theatre communities. No question is too small or too basic- these agents are ready to get you informed. The panel is free to attend, with a $10 suggested donation benefitting the Entertainment Community Fund. The panel will be followed up with an hour to network with agents and other attendees looking to deepen their involvement in the Chicago performance community. Doors open at 7 PM; the panel begins at 7:30 PM. The Understudy Cafe will be open for refreshments throughout the event. [post_title] => Demystifying the Actor / Agent Relationship with DDO Artists Agency [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => demystifying-the-actor-agent-relationship-with-ddo-artists-agency [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-08-29 08:16:17 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-08-29 13:16:17 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.theunderstudy.com/?post_type=tribe_events&p=1355 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => tribe_events [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [event_date] => 2023-09-19 19:30:00 ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1364 [post_author] => 6 [post_date] => 2023-09-01 14:07:39 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-09-01 19:07:39 [post_content] =>Meet the “Tragedy Cohort”: Memo’s a veteran. Oona lost her sister. And Chase? Well, he must have tragedy somewhere. Only one can win their grad school’s top prize: the Otto Frank Award for Bravery in Drama. But as Oona, the newbie, advances through the school year, she can’t shake the feeling that something is off. Her writing is better, so why is she worse? And did that mural of Anne Frank just move? A horror comedy about artistic tragedy.
Join us on September 18th for a staged reading of You Deserve to Be Here.
Doors open at 7pm. Performance begins at 7:30pm. The Understudy Cafe will be open for refreshments.
CAST
Brandon Rivera as MEMO
Stephanie Shum as OONA
Mike Tepeli as CHASE
Cassidy Slaughter-Mason as GUSSIE
Michael Turrentine as DANIEL
Alex Lubischer is a queer Midwestern playwright and screenwriter from rural Nebraska.
His plays include You Deserve to Be Here (Goodman Playwrights Unit commission; Roundabout Theatre Laura Pels commission; Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2022 Longlist), Do Wasps Have Desires? (Milwaukee Repertory Theater), Bobbie Clearly (Roundabout Theatre Company, Steep Theatre, Jeff Award Winner: Outstanding New Play), Pivot (Yale School of Drama), Weird Kids (Haven Chicago), The Quonsets (Yale Cabaret, co-written with Majkin Holmquist), and Survey No. 5 (House of International Theatre, Copenhagen).
Lubischer was the 2017/18 Tow Foundation Playwright-in-Residence at Roundabout Theatre Company. He has developed new work at Playwrights Horizons, Atlantic Theater Company, Page 73, The Orchard Project, SPACE on Ryder Farm, Victory Gardens Theater, First Floor Theater, and Actors Theatre of Louisville. He has been a semifinalist for the P73 Playwriting Fellowship and a three-time finalist for the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference.
Current writing projects include Big Dave, an hour-long TV pilot co-conceived with Danilo Gambini, and Libero! — a half-hour comedy pilot about a gay men’s volleyball league.
He teaches playwriting at DePaul University in Chicago. MFA: Yale
[post_title] => YOU DESERVE TO BE HERE by Alex Lubischer [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => you-deserve-to-be-here-by-alex-lubischer [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-09-01 14:07:39 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-09-01 19:07:39 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.theunderstudy.com/?post_type=tribe_events&p=1364 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => tribe_events [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [event_date] => 2023-09-18 19:30:00 ) [3] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1349 [post_author] => 6 [post_date] => 2023-08-27 09:37:23 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-08-27 14:37:23 [post_content] => 📚 TRIVIA 📚 Theatre nerds, your time has come! Join us at 7:30 on September 11th to flex your theatre knowledge. We recommend playing with a team of four. Hosted by our friend Patrick Zakem, each round will test your knowledge of a different facet of theatre history, current events, or culture. Think you've got what it takes to triumph? Don't miss it! No need to RSVP, just bring your team on the 11th! [post_title] => I Can't... I Have Trivia [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => i-cant-i-have-trivia-2 [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-08-27 09:38:49 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-08-27 14:38:49 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.theunderstudy.com/?post_type=tribe_events&p=1349 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => tribe_events [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [event_date] => 2023-09-11 19:30:00 ) [4] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1358 [post_author] => 6 [post_date] => 2023-09-01 13:07:15 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-09-01 18:07:15 [post_content] => We’re hosting an evening with Screenwriter, Former TV Exec, and Aspiring Showrunner Grant Stuart ahead of his course Crafting the TV Drama. RSVP With Grant Here [post_title] => Crafting the TV Drama [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => crafting-the-tv-drama [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-09-08 10:10:55 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-09-08 15:10:55 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.theunderstudy.com/?post_type=tribe_events&p=1358 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => tribe_events [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [event_date] => 2023-09-08 20:00:00 ) [5] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1345 [post_author] => 6 [post_date] => 2023-08-28 08:30:47 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-08-28 13:30:47 [post_content] =>[post_title] => THANK YOU FIVE: LIVE with Strawdog Theatre [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => thank-you-five-live-with-strawdog-theatre [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-09-01 13:59:30 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-09-01 18:59:30 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.theunderstudy.com/?post_type=tribe_events&p=1345 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => tribe_events [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [event_date] => 2023-09-06 19:00:00 ) )CLICK HERE to Reserve 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, the show will be streamed live online. Panelists Adam Crawford Terry Guest Wendy Mateo Dennis Watkins Hosted by Michael Reyes Click here to catch up on previous episodes of Thank You Five.