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, send us a message at events@theunderstudy.com. 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!
Andersonville Midsommarfest
June 9 @ 5:00 pm – June 11 @ 10:00 pm
We’re so excited to celebrate our first Midsommarfest after opening in March! The Understudy is right outside the northern gates of the fest on the corner of Clark and Gregory, […]
Andersonville Midsommarfest
June 9 @ 5:00 pm – June 11 @ 10:00 pm
The Stage Actor’s Handbook with Michael Kostroff
June 14 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Author Michael Kostroff, best known for his five seasons as Maury Levy on HBO’s legendary hit series The Wire, is joining us on June 14th to talk about his new […]
The Stage Actor’s Handbook with Michael Kostroff
June 14 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
The Birth of Second City and the Renaissance of Chicago Theater
June 18 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
EVENT DETAILS: Join us for a fascinating discussion of Chicago theatre history, as we celebrate the launch of the second edition of Something Wonderful Right Away: The Birth of Second […]
The Birth of Second City and the Renaissance of Chicago Theater
June 18 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
G. L. O. W. Pride Edition
June 18 @ 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Join us for our queer open mic night, hosted by Understudy cast member Sharon Pasia and KJ Whitehead. Doors open at 7:30PM, the event begins at 8PM. Stay tuned for […]
G. L. O. W. Pride Edition
June 18 @ 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm
The Model Play by Madie Doppelt
June 26 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
ABOUT THE PLAY In the world of modeling, to “fit in” is to contort: socially, physically, mentally. In 1987, six young professionals seem to have fitting in down to a […]
The Model Play by Madie Doppelt
June 26 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
CAFE QUEENS: A Drag Show / Latte Art Throwdown
June 28 @ 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm
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[post_content] => Author Michael Kostroff, best known for his five seasons as Maury Levy on HBO’s legendary hit series The Wire, is joining us on June 14th to talk about his new book, The Stage Actor's Handbook.
The book is an invaluable guide to the traditions and best practices of the professional stage actor, from first rehearsal to final curtain.
Professional stage actors are expected to have ready knowledge of a multitude of unwritten yet well-established protocols. Traditionally, this knowledge was passed along from one generation of stage actors to the next via word of mouth, or were learned by having one’s missteps corrected—until now.
In The Stage Actor’s Handbook, these protocols have finally been assembled into one volume, allowing theatre artists to know in advance what is expected of them. A definitive guide for professionals and aspiring professionals alike, this book details best practices on everything from rehearsal demeanor to backstage etiquette. It also shares the theatre’s unique vernacular and revered superstitions, as well as field-tested guidelines on touring, interactions with the public, and more.
The Stage Actor’s Handbook features bits of wisdom contributed by legendary stage actors, including Bebe Neuwirth, John Lithgow, Chita Rivera, Alfred Molina, Billy Porter, Betty Buckley, Harvey Fierstein, Sam Waterston, Jason Alexander, Cynthia Nixon, and Sir Patrick Stewart.
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Join us for a fascinating discussion of Chicago theatre history, as we celebrate the launch of the second edition of Something Wonderful Right Away: The Birth of Second City—America's Greatest Comedy Theater by Jeffrey Sweet.
Doors open right at 7:00p for a 7:30p start to the talk. Please have your ticket ready to show The Understudy staff. A limited cafe drink menu will be available to all who attend.
The evening will begin with an introduction and discission followed by a Q&A session with the authors. The evening will end with a book signing with copies of the book available for purchase along with merch from The Understudy Coffee and Books.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Chris Jones is the longtime chief theater critic and Sunday culture columnist of the Chicago Tribune, where he has been on staff since 2002. Throughout the 1990s, he covered Broadway and its tours for Variety. He is author of Bigger, Brighter, Louder: 150 Years of Chicago Theater (2013) and his work has appeared often in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and many other publications. Jones read Drama at the University of Hull, UK, and has a PhD from The Ohio State University. In 2011, Jones was named by American Theater magazine as one of the most influential theater critics in America. In 2014, he became the director of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Critics Institute in Waterford, Connecticut. Jones is a winner of the George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism, the most prestigious honor for drama critics in the United States.
Mark Larson is the author of Ensemble: An Oral History of Chicago Theater, for which he conducted over 300 interviews with Chicago theater artists. His new book, Working in the 21st Century: An Oral History will be released in February 2024. He is currently working on Ed Asner: A Composite Portrait.
Jeffrey Sweet is a founding resident writer of Chicago’s Tony Award-winning Victory Gardens Theater, where many of his plays (including The Value of Names, Porch, Flyovers, The Action Against Sol Schumann, and Court-Martial at Fort Devens) have premiered before playing on stages around the world. His book, The Dramatist’s Toolkit, is a widely-used text on playwriting, and The O’Neill is a history of the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. Among the actors who have starred in his scripts are Ellen Burstyn, Alan Bates, Richard Kind, Nathan Lane, Jon Cryer, William Petersen, Amy Morton, Gary Cole, Jack Klugman, and Megan Mullally.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Discover the behind-the-scenes story of how The Second City theater created a generation of world class great actors, directors, and writers.
In the late Fifties and Sixties, iconoclastic young rebels in Chicago opened two tiny theaters—The Compass and The Second City—where they satirized politics, religion, and sex. Building scenes by improvising based on audience suggestions turned out to be a fine way to develop great actors, directors, and writers. Alumni went on to create such groundbreaking works as The Graduate, Groundhog Day, and Don’t Look Up. Many of them also became stars on Saturday Night Live. Something Wonderful Right Away features the pioneers of the empire that transformed American comedy.
This new edition tells even more of the story. Included for the first time is an interview with Viola Spolin, the genius who invented theater games that were the foundation of improvisational theater. Also included are dozens of follow-up stories about Mike Nichols, Barbara Harris, Del Close, Joan Rivers, Alan Arkin, and Gilda Radner, plus “You Only Shoot the Ones You Love,” the story of how this book’s author, playwright Jeffrey Sweet, became so involved in the community he covered that he was captured by it.
PARKING:
Paid parking is available on Clark St. with free parking available on the Ashland Avenue side of the Jewel-Osco, which is a short walk away from the store.
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[post_content] => Join us for our queer open mic night, hosted by Understudy cast member Sharon Pasia and KJ Whitehead. Doors open at 7:30PM, the event begins at 8PM. Stay tuned for info on signups!
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[post_content] => ABOUT THE PLAY
In the world of modeling, to "fit in" is to contort: socially, physically, mentally. In 1987, six young professionals seem to have fitting in down to a science…or so they think. Unsupervised and unfiltered, these models confront growing up while breaking down. What will they do to stay in vogue?
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Madie Doppelt (she/her) is a Chicago-based theater and circus artist. She is a recent graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University, where she earned a BFA in Playwriting and a BA English Literature. Madie is the Associate Artistic Director of the Actors Gymnasium, as well as a writer/reviewer for Rescripted.
Recent credits include: VILLETTE (Asst. Director, Lookingglass Theatre Company), SUB-CULTURE (Playwright, Interrobang Theatre Project), HONEY GIRLS (Dramaturg, DePaul University), and MATILDA THE MUSICAL (Asst. Circus Consultant, Northwestern University).
CAST
Zoe.........Casey Whisler
Iris..........Isabella Maria Valdés
Elena.....John Payne
Paola....Sharon Pasia
Jules...Magdalena Dalzell
Stage Directions....Sonya Madrigal
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[post_title] => CAFE QUEENS: A Drag Show / Latte Art Throwdown
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A Taste of RED with A Red Orchid Theatre
June 6 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
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 […]
A Taste of RED with A Red Orchid Theatre
June 6 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
“Give My Regards to Nowhere” Reading and Signing with Richard Engling
May 31 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Join us at The Understudy for a reading, signing, and Q&A of Chicago author Richard Engling’s newest novel “Give My Regards to Nowhere”
“Give My Regards to Nowhere” Reading and Signing with Richard Engling
May 31 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Goody Vault Popup
May 27 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
👖 POP UP ALERT 🧦 . We’re excited to host @thegoodyvault in our lounge this Saturday, May 27th! Join us to browse new (old) threads reworked by Emanuel alongside our usual books […]
Goody Vault Popup
May 27 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Independent Bookstore Day
April 29
Join us at The Understudy on Saturday, April 29th for the 10th Anniversary of Independent Bookstore Day! This is an excellent opportunity to support us and Chicago’s independent bookselling community!📚☕️ […]
Independent Bookstore Day
April 29
Bramble Theatre Presents: ROOTED by Ben Locke
March 26 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The Understudy Coffee and Books is proud to host its first collaborative event with their neighbors Bramble Theatre Company! This event takes place during The Understudy’s Grand Opening weekend. Please […]
Bramble Theatre Presents: ROOTED by Ben Locke
March 26 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
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[post_content] => 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?
To recreate the warm ambience of these casual, cozy conversations, AROT ventured outside of Wells Street and partnered with some new friends. Join us for a drink and let the words wash over you!
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[post_content] => EVENT DETAILS:
Doors open right at 7:00p for a 7:30p start to the reading. Please have your ticket ready to show The Understudy staff. A limited cafe drink menu will be available to all who attend.
The evening will begin with an introduction and reading followed by a Q&A session with Richard. The evening will end with a book signing with copies of the novel available for purchase along with merch from The Understudy Coffee and Books.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Richard Engling founded Polarity Ensemble Theatre in Chicago in 2004 and served as its artistic director for twelve long and confusing years, giving him ample expertise to write GIVE MY REGARDS TO NOWHERE. Richard's dystopian detective thriller, BODY MORTGAGE, was published by Penguin Books USA and Headline UK and has been rereleased in a revised version by Polarity Ensemble Books. His novel VISIONS OF ANNA (Polarity Ensemble Books) and play ANNA IN THE AFTERLIFE appeared in 2014 as part of the ambitious AFTERLIFE TRILOGY. His plays have been produced in the US and England, and he continues to work as an actor, playwright, and novelist.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Chicago director Dwayne Finnegan has a long shot at the big time and only two obstacles: himself and everyone he knows.
Dwayne's got an idea of how to direct Shakespeare's least-favorite play that could set him on the road to Broadway. We're talking Bob Fosse choreography, Jimi Hendrix guitars, and the hottest cast in the city of Chicago. But when the show's producer cuts out with the cash, Dwayne decides to produce the show himself, putting his marriage and his meager finances at risk. What could go wrong?
"Richard Engling knows Chicago's famously chaotic and glorious storefront theater scene like the back of his hand. It's the perfect setting for absurd comic hi-jinx." – Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, author of Rise Up! and Bigger, Brighter, Louder
PARKING:
Paid parking is available on Clark St. with free parking available on the Ashland Avenue side of the Jewel-Osco, which is a short walk away from the store.
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👖 POP UP ALERT 🧦
.
We're excited to host @thegoodyvault in our lounge this Saturday, May 27th! Join us to browse new (old) threads reworked by Emanuel alongside our usual books and brews. We're huge fans of Emanuel's eye for detail and his extraordinary craftsmanship, so come get some new summer pieces!
.
See you there ✨
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Join us at The Understudy on Saturday, April 29th for the 10th Anniversary of Independent Bookstore Day! This is an excellent opportunity to support us and Chicago’s independent bookselling community!📚☕️
•
The annual Indie Bookstore crawl is a one day national party celebrating indie bookstores.
•
Here’s how it works this year: Readers use the map at ChiLoveBooks.com to plan their itineraries. On Saturday, April 29th readers pick up their #ChiLoveBooks passport from the participating store of their choice. Only a small initial purchase is required to get the passport and your first stamp, and then you will get a stamp at each additional participating store you visit that day!
•
The payoff comes for visits at the following levels:
📖 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 bookstores listed below for an ENTIRE YEAR.
•
Readers are encouraged to post snapshots of their purchases and themselves at their favorite stores on #ChiLoveBooks. See you there✨
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[post_title] => Bramble Theatre Presents: ROOTED by Ben Locke
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