Our Events
We’ve designed The Understudy from the ground up to support a variety of events. Join us after close for play readings, drag performances, concerts, meetups, and more! The calendar is always updating, so check back often.
The Understudy believes curiosity is a powerful, generative force for transformation. We seek to feed our collective creative lives by nourishing deep curiosity– whether toward your own vision, or through engaging generously with the work of another. We see curiosity, empathy, and justice as interdependent ideals. Our work seeks to foster deeper connections to our passions, our neighbors, and to contemporary life.
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!
recurring series
Leftovers Night with Band Practice
July 17 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
An open stage for clowns, goofs, and funny people who'd like to test out first drafts. Hosted by the iconic clown duo, Band Practice Leftovers Night is a strange and […]
Leftovers Night with Band Practice
July 17 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
RED BELL by Katherine Swan
July 20 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
When ex-dancer Rina shows up at Hank’s gym wanting to learn how to box, she embarks on a journey that will forever transform her. When ex-dancer Rina shows up at […]
RED BELL by Katherine Swan
July 20 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
FEM/THEM Comedy Open Mic at The Understudy
July 22 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
If you identify as funny and not-a-dude-onstage, this is your night diva! Hosted by Preeti Thaker and Jordan Levene Preeti & Jordan present: A Comedy Open Mic for Women + […]
FEM/THEM Comedy Open Mic at The Understudy
July 22 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Love Detectives
July 24 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Band Practice combines a real live dating show with a real live clown detective show to find out the true nature of this so-called "love". Drat! LOVE has been ripping […]
Love Detectives
July 24 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
IN THE NEXT ROOM by Sarah Ruhl
July 27 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
A play reading of In the Next Room (or, The Vibrator Play) by Sarah Ruhl produced by Exit, Pursued by a Play Reading. In the Next Room or the vibrator […]
IN THE NEXT ROOM by Sarah Ruhl
July 27 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
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[post_content] => An open stage for clowns, goofs, and funny people who'd like to test out first drafts. Hosted by the iconic clown duo, Band PracticeLeftovers Night is a strange and delicious feast of alternative comedy acts that are in the making, need experimenting, or somehow didn't quite make it to the main event just yet. Berlin based idiot duo Band Practice is teaming up with Chicago's Pocket Theatre to host this celebration of comedy anarchy. This evening originated back in Berlin and has been running since 2021 as a space for nourishing the genre-less comedy art scene in the fallout of COVID times. We are happy to get our first tour across the Atlantic started connecting with old friends, new artists, and a good old evening of hilarity. This is a mutual aid show, proceeds will go to assisting local charities (tba).
Want up to 5 minutes of stage time? Reach out to bandpracticeduo.com or on socials @bandpracticeduo to snag a slot.
Tickets are $10 or $15.
Meet Band Practice
A theatre making duo made of Ash Willison and Lisa Ullrich. We create shows, characters, and theatrical happenings exploring and stretching the live experience of performance.
Strange, cheeky, and wonderfully modern, we use elements of clown, physical theatre, improv, and music to interact with the audience through all the ways you love: tech conferences, bardic serenades, exorcisms, musical theatre showcases - to name a few.
quest to the Midwest tour
leftovers 17.07.26 the understudy // Chicago
love detectives 24.07.2026 the understudy // Chicago
don't be scared 26+29 the Newport theatre // Chicago
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[post_content] => When ex-dancer Rina shows up at Hank’s gym wanting to learn how to box, she embarks on a journey that will forever transform her.When ex-dancer Rina shows up at Hank’s gym wanting to learn how to box, she embarks on a journey that will forever transform who she is and who she will become.
But when a past trauma surfaces, Rina must confront a painful history that she’s struggled to leave behind. As she hurtles towards her first fight, Rina will be forced to reckon with what she fears the most.
Playwright: Katherine Swan
Director: Faith Hart
Dramaturg: Madie Doppelt
Stage Directions: Karina Patel
Rina: Noelle Oh
Hank: Scott Westerman
Alex: Harsh Gagoomal
Annie/Jessie/Wanda: Laila Rodriques
Jason/Rina's Father: Huy Nguyễn
Larissa: Marissa Stephens
Freshly Brewed Team:
Nadya Naumaan – Co-Artistic Producer
Joel Willison – Co-Artistic Producer
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 is a collaboration between The Understudy Coffee and Books and Pocket Theatrics
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[post_content] => If you identify as funny and not-a-dude-onstage, this is your night diva! Hosted by Preeti Thaker and Jordan LevenePreeti & Jordan present: A Comedy Open Mic for Women + Non-Binary Comics!
If you identify as funny and not-a-dude-onstage, this is your night diva!
WHAT’S THE PLAN?
• 7:30 PM — arrive responsibly early, wonder what the vibe is gonna be like. Support the space by buying a drink!
• 8:00 PM — the mic starts, the chaos begins
• Sign-ups close at 9 PM because of boundaries
SET DETAILS
• 4 minutes of pure lightning
• 5 minutes if you buy a drink — please support and tip our bartenders ♥️
CAN MEN ATTEND?
Of course!
Men can sit, watch, hydrate, clap, and support women (a skill we’d love to see more of)
We kindly ask that you practice not-mansplaining
If you feel a mansplanation rising in your throat, please swallow it
ANYTHING ELSE?
Bring the vibes baby! This is our first time doing a comedy open mic and we’d love to make it a tradition. Come through!
xx
Preeti & Jordan
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[post_content] => Band Practice combines a real live dating show with a real live clown detective show to find out the true nature of this so-called "love".Drat! LOVE has been ripping up the streets leaving people wounded, broken, confused, and perhaps with a bad haircut and useless evidence of its nefarious behavior. You are invited to join the investigation to find love and catch it once and for all. Band Practice combines a real live dating show with a real live clown detective show to find out the true nature of this mysterious mastermind. Highly interactive and slightly chaotic, leave the apps at home and expect to meet new eligibles as we collect clues, hear eyewitness accounts, go undercover, and hopefully set some traps to catch the damn thing. With a villain this cunning at large, no one should search for it alone! This show is welcome to anyone looking for love, OR anyone interested in questioning its true nature. This is a two hour show with an intermission included.
Meet Band Practice
A theatre making duo made of Ash Willison and Lisa Ullrich. We create shows, characters, and theatrical happenings exploring and stretching the live experience of performance.
Strange, cheeky, and wonderfully modern, we use elements of clown, physical theatre, improv, and music to interact with the audience through all the ways you love: tech conferences, bardic serenades, exorcisms, musical theatre showcases – to name a few.
quest to the Midwest tour
leftovers 17.07.26 the understudy // Chicago
love detectives 24.07.2026 the understudy // Chicago
DON'T BE SCARED 26+29 the Newport theatre // Chicago
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[post_content] => A play reading of In the Next Room (or, The Vibrator Play) by Sarah Ruhl produced by Exit, Pursued by a Play Reading. In the Next Room or the vibrator play is a comedy about marriage, intimacy and electricity.
Set in the 1880s at the dawn of the age of electricity and based on the bizarre historical fact that doctors used vibrators to treat “hysterical” women (and some men), the play centers on a doctor and his wife and how his new therapy affects their entire household.
In a seemingly perfect, well-to-do Victorian home, proper gentleman and scientist Dr. Givings has innocently invented an extraordinary new device for treating “hysteria” in women (and occasionally men): the vibrator. Adjacent to the doctor’s laboratory, his young and energetic wife tries to tend to their newborn daughter – and wonders exactly what is going on in the next room. When a new “hysterical” patient and her husband bring a wet nurse and their own complicated relationship into the doctor’s home, Dr. and Mrs. Givings must examine the nature of their own marriage, and what it truly means to love someone.
** CAST TO BE ANNOUNCED **
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Kokandy Book Club presents: A Streetcar Named Desire
July 13 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
A musical cabaret inspired by A Streetcar Named Desire produced by your friends at Kokandy Productions! Join The Understudy and Kokandy Productions for the latest installment of our BOOK CLUB […]
Kokandy Book Club presents: A Streetcar Named Desire
July 13 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
There Was A Time
July 10 @ 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm
A staged reading of the new work before it's Edinburgh Fringe Festival run later this summer! There Was A Time Dot is depressed. What happens, though, when the weight of […]
There Was A Time
July 10 @ 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm
TGNC Theatre Makers Meet-Up
July 9 @ 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Calling all TGNC theatre artists in the Chicagoland area! Come hang out with us~ Calling all TGNC theatre makers/performer qts in the chicagoland area – you looking to make some […]
TGNC Theatre Makers Meet-Up
July 9 @ 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Abuela’s Party
July 3 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Come join us for an evening full of dancing, hot ppl, and coquito as we fundraise for Abuela’s Follies — new work written by Kidany Camilo✨ Abuela cordially invites you […]
Abuela’s Party
July 3 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
my mother is a mixed metaphor: a cozy poetry concert
June 30 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
A poetry concert in celebration of Shivani Gupta's debut chapbook: my mother is a mixed metaphor feat. Ikaros Ensemble and 4 featured poets. Come celebrate and immerse in a poetry […]
my mother is a mixed metaphor: a cozy poetry concert
June 30 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Ari Gato Attempts to Share the Spotlight: A Murderously Funny Cabaret
June 27 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Chicago drag superstar, Ari Gato, is BACK with a BANG this summer for a night of fun, music, and MURDER! Join Ari as her “solo” cabaret falls apart once again […]
Ari Gato Attempts to Share the Spotlight: A Murderously Funny Cabaret
June 27 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
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[post_content] => A musical cabaret inspired by A Streetcar Named Desire produced by your friends at Kokandy Productions!Join The Understudy and Kokandy Productions for the latest installment of our BOOK CLUB series!
Summer is here—the air thick with music, perfume and sweltering heat. It's Tennessee Williams weather! Book Club is back, storming into town like a long lost sister you thought you'd never see. We're tickled to tackle A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, Williams' masterful, Pulitzer Prize-winning tale of Blanche, Stella, Stanley and all their New Orleans friends. Inspired by what is widely considered to be one of the best plays of the 20th century, we'll use music celebrate sisterhood, southern hospitality and standing in the middle of the street to scream your lover's name. It'll have you hollering "Book Club! Boooook Club!!!"
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[post_content] => A staged reading of the new work before it's Edinburgh Fringe Festival run later this summer!There Was A Time
Dot is depressed. What happens, though, when the weight of memory is too heavy a burden for one mind? An examination of mental health, love, loss, and the fight to keep going. Mentions of depression, mental health, and suicide.
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[post_content] => Calling all TGNC theatre artists in the Chicagoland area! Come hang out with us~Calling all TGNC theatre makers/performer qts in the chicagoland area - you looking to make some new friends?
The Understudy will be open after hours - we'll be hanging out from 7PM - 9:30PM. Catherine Miller will be hosting, Jett Parr will be making drinks behind bar.
Come through, say hi and make new connections before pride's over!
idk you may find some future collabs/buds/loves/alltheabove idk
This event is free99
See you there✨
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[post_content] => Come join us for an evening full of dancing, hot ppl, and coquito as we fundraise for Abuela’s Follies — new work written by Kidany Camilo✨Abuela cordially invites you to her party. Let’s just say… she didn’t spend all these years being alive just to not know how to throw down . Come down to The Understudy and come shake some a$$ with Chicago's very own DJ miamor as we raise money for Kidany Camilo’s play, Abuela’s Follies, which is a part of Red Orchid Theatre's Incubator Series running from August 10 - 23.
There will be music, there will be a raffle, hot ppl, and there will absolutely be coquito. This isn’t your normal Abuela: so you better dress up right.
She wants to see you wear your best Boricua Baddie or Bad Bunny Halftime inspired attire. Scroll down for some inspo.
Tickets are $15 in advance, $25 at the door - so get them ASAP! 100% of the proceeds will be going towards the production of Abuela's Follies.
This event is 21+
See you there~
About Abuela's Follies
"Abuela, a Puerto Rican matriarch, is summoned into purgatory, which looks like her own kitchen. Inhabiting a hot young body reminiscent of a classic cabaret star, she is guided by a mysterious entity to undergo a trial if she wants an escape. The only caveat is, the audience gets to vote at the end of the trial and decide where she is destined to go. Will she find a way out to heaven or…"
This piece was written in memory of América Rosado.
Abuela's Follies Creative Team and Cast
Playwright & Our Star - Kidany Camilo
Director - Raquel Torre
The Maestro - Ana Santos
The Seer - Octavio Montes De Oca
The Shapeshifters - Ramon Smith, Liam Bouza Díaz
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[post_content] => A poetry concert in celebration of Shivani Gupta's debut chapbook: my mother is a mixed metaphor feat. Ikaros Ensemble and 4 featured poets.Come celebrate and immerse in a poetry showcase with a concert style book launch for Chicago poet, Shivani Gupta’s debut collection, my mother is a mixed metaphor, published by Rockwood Press. Personalized signed copies of the chapbook will be available for purchase at the event!
Shivani’s poems will be accompanied by the incredibly talented chamber music ensemble: Ikaros Ensemble whose curated improv will echo the themes of the poems.
Line-Up
- Shivani Gupta feat. Ikaros Ensemble
- Helene Achanzar
- Jitesh Jaggi
- Jasmine Barnes
- Tara Humphrey
This evening celebrates poetry in the city with local writers & musicians in the coziest spot.
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[post_content] => Chicago drag superstar, Ari Gato, is BACK with a BANG this summer for a night of fun, music, and MURDER!Join Ari as her "solo" cabaret falls apart once again as she's forced to share the spotlight, but this time... there are CONSEQUENCES!
A night of amazing singing, stories, and laughter to close out your Pride Season that you WON'T want to miss. Featuring the talents of Jon Jackson, Laura Vidal, Bosston and Alex Newkirk on the keys, you know you're in for an unforgettable show. And somebody will DIE!
Come find out who on June 27th at The Understudy Coffee & Books!
Tickets are PWYC (pay for a ticket via the "Donation" section) or a suggested donation of $15. See you there✨
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