The Understudy

TGNC Theatre Maker's Meetup
2023-07-03 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
🏳️‍⚧️MEETUP🏳️‍⚧️
Trans and gender non-conforming theatre makers, Join us July 3rd for an evening of community and connection.
We’re hanging out 7pm to 9pm and keeping the cafe open for refreshments.
BYOB also welcomed.
Don’t miss this!
Click Here to Reserve a Free Spot

ABSENCE OF PROOF Launch Party
2023-07-08 19:00 - 22:00 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
Sober, sober curious, or just trying to be a more conscientious drinker? Join us for the Chicago launch of Absence of Proof, a boozeless take on a night out.
Included in your ticket are unlimited non-alcoholic drinks:
-We’ll shake up 4 Cocktails with non-alcoholic spirits from Spiritless
-Ready to Drink Options from Curious Elixirs & Mingle Mocktails
-Wine from Surely Wines
-Beer from Peroni
-Seltzer from Liquid Death

GRAB A TICKET

Please note (IMPORTANT):

This event is 21+.
All drinks offered will be below 0.5% ABV (non-alcoholic). Some drinks will utilize non-alcoholic spirits that mimic the taste and aroma of alcohol, without the intoxicating effects. If you are in recovery or are potentially triggered by the taste of alcohol, please do not consume these beverages. Our events also mimic the environment of a bar (music, socializing, and may be held in venues that otherwise serve alcohol). If this is triggering, please do not attend.
If you are pregnant or nursing, please consult with your healthcare provider before consuming any of our beverages. Your doctor can provide personalized advice based on your individual circumstances.
Our beverages are not guaranteed to be Halal or Vegan. Upon request, we are happy to provide full ingredient lists. We understand that everyone has unique preferences and dietary requirements and our number one priority is respecting your individual choices. We encourage you to reach out to us with any questions or concerns that may not have been addressed here.

I Can't... I Have TRIVIA
2023-07-10 19:30 - 21:30 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
📚 TRIVIA 📚
Theatre nerds, your time has come! Join us at 7:30 on July 10th 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 10th!

WITCH by Jen Silverman
2023-07-12 20:00 - 22:00 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
UPDATE: Sold Out! Stay tuned for an additional date!
ABOUT THE PLAY
A charming devil arrives in the quiet village of Edmonton to bargain for the souls of its residents in exchange for their darkest wishes. Elizabeth should be his easiest target, having been labeled a “witch” and cast out by the town, but her soul is not so readily bought. As the devil returns to convince her – and then returns again – unexpected passions flare, alliances are formed, and the village is forever changed. An inventive retelling of a Jacobean drama, this sharp, subversive fable debates how much our souls are worth when hope is hard to come by.
CAST
Matthew Lunt…..Sir Arthur Banks
Ben Murphy…..Frank Thorney
JJ Sheehan…..Cuddy Banks
Ander Shunneson…..Scratch
Preeti Thaker…..Elizabeth Sawyer
Izzy Valdés…..Winnifred
Casey Whisler…..Stage Directions

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Jen Silverman is a playwright, novelist, poet and screenwriter. Jen’s plays include Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties (Woolly Mammoth, MCC, Southwark Playhouse London); The Moors (Yale Rep, Playwrights Realm); The Roommate (Humana Festival, Williamstown, Steppenwolf, South Coast, Long Wharf) and Witch (Writer’s Theatre, Geffen, Huntington). Jen’s plays have been produced internationally in Australia, the UK, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Spain, and elsewhere. Jen is the author of the debut novel We Play Ourselves and the story collection The Island Dwellers (Random House) and the poetry chapbook Bath, selected by Traci Brimhall for Driftwood Press. Additional work has appeared in Vogue, The Paris Review, Literary Hub, Ploughshares, the Yale Review and elsewhere. Jen wrote The Miranda Obsession as a narrative podcast for Audible/ Vice, starring Rachel Brosnahan. Jen is a three-time MacDowell Fellow, a member of New Dramatists, and an Affiliated Artist with New Georges, Clubbed Thumb, Space on Ryder Farm, and the Playwrights Center. Honors: The Helen Merrill Award, the Yale Drama Series Award, the Lilly Award, Fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Jen is a 2022 National Endowment for the Arts Fellow (prose) and 2022 Guggenheim Fellow (theatre). Jen also writes for TV and film. Education: Brown, Iowa, Juilliard.

WITCH by Jen Silverman
2023-07-13 20:00 - 22:00 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
ABOUT THE PLAY
A charming devil arrives in the quiet village of Edmonton to bargain for the souls of its residents in exchange for their darkest wishes. Elizabeth should be his easiest target, having been labeled a “witch” and cast out by the town, but her soul is not so readily bought. As the devil returns to convince her – and then returns again – unexpected passions flare, alliances are formed, and the village is forever changed. An inventive retelling of a Jacobean drama, this sharp, subversive fable debates how much our souls are worth when hope is hard to come by.
CLICK HERE to Reserve Tickets
CAST
Matthew Lunt…..Sir Arthur Banks
Ben Murphy…..Frank Thorney
JJ Sheehan…..Cuddy Banks
Ander Shunneson…..Scratch
Preeti Thaker…..Elizabeth Sawyer
Izzy Valdés…..Winnifred
Casey Whisler…..Stage Directions

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Jen Silverman is a playwright, novelist, poet and screenwriter. Jen’s plays include Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties (Woolly Mammoth, MCC, Southwark Playhouse London); The Moors (Yale Rep, Playwrights Realm); The Roommate (Humana Festival, Williamstown, Steppenwolf, South Coast, Long Wharf) and Witch (Writer’s Theatre, Geffen, Huntington). Jen’s plays have been produced internationally in Australia, the UK, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Spain, and elsewhere. Jen is the author of the debut novel We Play Ourselves and the story collection The Island Dwellers (Random House) and the poetry chapbook Bath, selected by Traci Brimhall for Driftwood Press. Additional work has appeared in Vogue, The Paris Review, Literary Hub, Ploughshares, the Yale Review and elsewhere. Jen wrote The Miranda Obsession as a narrative podcast for Audible/ Vice, starring Rachel Brosnahan. Jen is a three-time MacDowell Fellow, a member of New Dramatists, and an Affiliated Artist with New Georges, Clubbed Thumb, Space on Ryder Farm, and the Playwrights Center. Honors: The Helen Merrill Award, the Yale Drama Series Award, the Lilly Award, Fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Jen is a 2022 National Endowment for the Arts Fellow (prose) and 2022 Guggenheim Fellow (theatre). Jen also writes for TV and film. Education: Brown, Iowa, Juilliard.

SM-GO: SMA Collaborator Party
2023-07-17 19:00 - 21:00 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
EVENT DETAILS
Stage managers are having a party, and you’re invited! Bring your favorite stage manager friend, or, if you’re a stage manager, bring your favorite theater person. Join us for a casual hangout featuring theater trivia, a scavenger hunt and impromptu conversations.

Our wonderful hosts at The Understudy will have the cafe open for us, but you are also welcome to BYOB.

SAVE YOUR SEAT

Summer & Smoke: A Community Cabaret
2023-07-18 20:00 - 22:00 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
Join the Understudy and our friends from Kokandy Productions for our first-ever cabaret. BOOK CLUB brings together theatre artists from our community to show off favorite pieces from their audition book.

The inaugural edition of BOOK CLUB, SUMMER & SMOKE features performances by Grace Bobber, Maddison Denault, Zöe DePreta, Tiffany T. Taylor and more…

Tickets available soon!

LET ME BE BRIEF: An Evening With The Neo-Fututists
2023-07-19 19:30 - 21:30 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
At last, an experimental theater company has adapted a grammar handbook! Elements of Style is the Neo-Futurists’ visually-accessible response to the little book. Please join us for a selection of film and performance works from across our developmental process. Meet the team and find out more about the show, now playing at the Neo-Futurist Theater.
Doors open at 7 PM, our program begins at 7:30 PM. Enjoy refreshments from the cafe; BYOB is also welcomed.
CLICK HERE to Reserve

G. L. O. W. : A Queer Sober Open Mic Night
2023-07-21 20:00 - 22:00 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
Join The Understudy for our next iteration of G.L.O.W., a queer sober open mic night hosted by K.J Whitehead and Sharon Pasia. Stay tuned for performer signups! Expect comedy, drama, and stunts galore.

Click Here to Save Your Seat

NUEVO ABESEDARIO with Artist Juan Pizzani
2023-07-25 19:30 - 21:30 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
Join artist Juan Pizzani on Tuesday, July 25th to discover the personal and political roots of his explosive artist’s book Nuevo Abesedario.
CLICK HERE to Reserve
Juan Pizzani’s Nuevo Abesedario is a bizarro primer to help you study regime ABCs. Blending collage and illustrations—originally developed for digital publication in 2020—Nuevo Abesedario turns the traditional alphabet book on its grotesque head and creates a freaky parody of the familiar genre to expose how dictators and political regimes can use “harmless” textbooks as instruments of propaganda and power. Pizzani should know; in the early 2000’s he worked as a book editor for the Venezuelan regime and witnessed firsthand how political propaganda and government logos were plaguing primary school textbooks. In this visually bold, limited-run print edition, Pizzani’s Nuevo Abesedario brings haunting images and sharp wit to the full-color page. More than a conversation piece, this book will upset your friends in the best way possible.
Juan Pizzani (Caracas, 1979) has an MA in Spanish Literature (University of Cincinnati, 2006), and a PhD in Anthropology (Universidad de Los Andes, Venezuela, 2017). He authored the art books Enciclopedia Ilustrada del Arte (2002), Crayon Picture Books (2003), and Nuevo Abesedario Digital Version (2020). He published the novella Visita guiada (El perro y la rana, 2007), some poems in the compilations Voces Nuevas (CELARG, Caracas, 2004), and Cartografías Resilientes (LP5, Chile, 2022), his bilingual poems Café (Petalurgia, Madrid, 2022), and the autoethnographic texts Autoetnografía en una agencia de marketing de Lima (Prodavinci, 2020), and Onaka Ga Peko Peko (Petalurgia, Madrid, 2021). He has been making digital art since 2020, and his video art has been featured in the collective art shows I Don’t Wanna Be Lonely (2021), and Digital Fluffy (2022) held at the Fluffy Crimes art gallery in Chicago.

Public Cupping with Metric Coffee
2023-07-27 11:00 - 12:00 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
The Understudy is proud to host our first public coffee cupping on Thursday, July 27th at 11 AM. Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at how Metric evaluates their beans, and learn how different origins inform coffee flavor profiles. It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned pro or first-time cupper. These casual public gatherings are an open forum where we look to educate and collaborate with our community on this essential coffee practice. Reserve quick! Only twelve slots available.

CLICK HERE to Reserve

Book Signing: Contemporary Black Theatre and Performance
2023-07-31 19:30 - 21:30 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
CLICK HERE to Reserve
Join us for a Signing of Contemporary Black Theatre and Performance with editors DeRon S. Williams, Khalid Y. Long, and Martine Kei Green-Rogers.
Doors open at 7. The program begins at 7:30.
About the Book
How are Black artists, activists, and pedagogues wielding acts of rebellion, activism, and solidarity to precipitate change? How have contemporary performances impacted Black cultural, social, and political struggles? What are the ways in which these acts and artists engage varied Black identities and explore shared histories?
Contemporary Black Theatre and Performance investigates these questions to illuminate the relationship between performance, identity, intersectionality, and activism in North America and beyond. It features contributions from scholars, artists, and activists from across disciplines who explore the nuances and varied forms of Black performance in the 21st century while incorporating performance-based methodologies and queer and black feminist theories.
Among the many topics addressed by contributors are antiracist pedagogy, Black queer identity formation in Black playwriting, digital blackface, and Black women’s subversive practices within contemporary popular culture. It encompasses dramatic analysis of Lynn Nottage’s Sweat, Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Choir Boy, and acts of resistance during the Black Lives Matter summer 2020 highway protests. A series of conversations with artists and scholars are woven throughout the book’s three sections, including with playwrights Christina Anderson and Donja R. Love, and Willa Taylor, Director of Education and Community Engagement at the Goodman Theatre, Chicago.
About the Editors
DeRon S. Williams (he/him) is a scholar, a freelance dramaturg and director, and an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Loyola University Chicago, where he serves as the dramaturgy mentor at Loyola University Chicago. His dramaturgical credits include Annelies (Great Plains Theatre Conference), Without a Formal Declaration of War (Great Plains Theatre Conference), Organized Chaos (Great Plains Theatre Conference), Toni Stone (Goodman); Trouble in Mind, Boulevard of Bold Dreams (Timeline Theatre); and  Anon(ymous) (Middle Tennessee State). His directing and associate directing credits include The Lil’ Flo and Big Moe Show! (Hartford Stage); Trouble in Mind (Timeline Theatre); Jump, Aladdin Jr., Mulan Jr., Leftoevers (Kennedy Center). As a scholar of African American theatre, drama, performance, and directing techniques and pedagogies, Williams is co-editor of Contemporary Black Theatre & Performance: Acts of Rebellion, Activism, and Solidarity with Khalid Y. Long and Martine Kei Green-Rogers as a part of the Agitations: Politics, Text, Performance series that accentuates the expansiveness of Black theatre and performance and how the usage of conventional and nonconventional performance techniques persist to function as a vehicle of activism. He has published in The Journal of American Drama and Theatre and Continuum: The Journal of African Diaspora Drama. Williams is also working on an edited collection titled A Cultural Experience: The Role of Theatre at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and a monograph focusing on marginalized theatre directors and their theatrical approaches. He received a BA in Theatre from Albany State University (GA), an MA in Arts Administration from Eastern Michigan University, and a Ph.D. in Theatre at Texas Tech University.
Dr. Khalid Y. Long is an assistant professor in the Department of Theatre and Films Studies and the Institute for African American Studies at the University of Georgia. As of fall 2023, Khalid will be heading to Howard University as an associate professor of theatre. Khalid is a scholar, dramaturg, and director, specializing in African American/Black diasporic theatre, performance, and literature through the lenses of Black feminist/womanist thought, queer studies, and performance studies. Accordingly, his work addresses the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality within marginalized and oppressed communities. Khalid is working on his manuscript, An Architect of Black Feminist Theatre: Glenda Dickerson, Transnational Feminism, and The Kitchen Prayer Series. He is also co-editor of the forthcoming anthology, August Wilson in Context (Cambridge University Press).
Martine Kei Green-Rogers is the Dean of the Theatre School at DePaul University She obtained her PhD from the Department of Theatre and Drama at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to studying at UW-Madison, she received her B.A. in Theatre from Virginia Wesleyan College and her M.A. in Theatre History and Criticism from The Catholic University of America.
Her dramaturgical productions include: The Greatest with the Louisville Orchestra, Toni Stone and Sweat at the Goodman; Silent Dancer at Salt Lake Acting Company, productions of King Hedley II, Radio Golf, Five Guys Named Moe, Blues for an Alabama Sky, Gem of the Ocean, Waiting for Godot, Iphigenia in Aulis, Seven Guitars, The Mountaintop, Home and Porgy and Bess at the Court Theatre (Chicago, IL); productions of Fences and One Man, Two Guvnors for the Pioneer Memorial Theatre; It’s Christmas, Carol!, Hairspray, The Book of Will, Shakespeare in Love, Hannah and the Dread Gazebo (Research Dramaturg), UniSon (Asst. Dramaturg), The Comedy of Errors, To Kill A Mockingbird, The African Company Presents Richard III, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Fences and the Play on! project translations of Comedy of Errors and The Two Noble Kinsmen for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Ashland, OR); 10 Perfect and The Curious Walk of the Salamander as part of the Madison Repertory Theatre’s New Play Festival, and A Thousand Words as part of the WI Wrights New Play Festival. She was also the dramaturgical team for the remount of Jagged Little Pill on Broadway.
She has directed a staged reading of Adopting Aunt Tabitha for the Alley Theatre’s HYPE program and Venus and Adonis for the Classical Theatre Company, and productions of Much Ado About Nothing for Kenyon College, The Brothers Size for Ancram Opera House, and Sender for Denizen Theatre Company. She is the stage adaptor of Jason Reynolds’ book Long Way Down which premiered at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in October of 2018.
Her publications include the article Talkbacks for ‘Sensitive Subject Matter’
Productions: The Theory and Practice in the Routledge Companion to Dramaturgy, Co-Author on “A New Noble Kinsmen: The Play On! Project and Making New Plays Out of Old” in Theatre History Studies, Co-Author on “Visual Dramaturgy: Problem Solver or Problem Maker in Contemporary Performance Creation” in Theatre/Practice, and Co-author on “Continuing the Conversation: Responses to Gabriela Serena Sanchez and Quiara Alegría Hudes” in Theatre Topics. Her most recent publication is the book Contemporary Black Theatre and Performance: Acts of Rebellion, Activism, and Solidarity alongside co-editors Dr. DeRon S. Willams and Dr. Khalid Y. Long and published in May of 2023 by Bloomsbury.
She has previously taught at SUNY New Paltz, the University of Utah, Sam Houston State University, and Kenyon College. Her research interests include violence in African American Theatre, African diaspora theatre, gender and race in American theatre, dramaturgy, devising, and issues of sustainability in the theatre.
She is a proud member of the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA), Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE), and the American Society for Theatre Research (ASTR).

Black Theatre Vinyl Archive Listening Party
2023-08-07 19:00 - 22:00 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
CLICK HERE to Reserve
Join director Jerrell L. Henderson as he spins selections from his collection of black theatre on vinyl, past and present.
The bar will be open for refreshments; BYOB is also welcomed.
Jerrell L. Henderson is the League of Chicago Theatres recipient of the 2022 Samuel G. Roberson, Jr. Resident Fellowship. He will present an original shadow play titled, AmericanMYTH: Crossroads with Free Street Theatre in October 2023. Recent directing credits include Ragtime at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, Reverie by James Ijames (Pulitzer Prize recipient for Fat Ham) with Azuka Theatre and Mlima’s Tale with Griffin Theatre (Jeff Award nomination for Direction and Best Play). Other credits include The River with BoHo Theatre and Untitled with Inis Nua (Barrymore Award nomination for Outstanding Direction of a Play). Puppet short films include I Am The Bear with The Chicago International Puppet Theatre Festival, Hamlin: La Revue Sombre with Heather Henson’s Handmade Puppet Dreams, and Diamond’s Dream with Chicago Children’s Theatre. As an assistant director, Jerrell has worked with The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre and Lookingglass Theatre. He received his MFA in Theatre Directing from Northwestern University (2015), is a member of Lincoln Centers Directing Lab (2012) and proudly serves on the board of Directors Gathering. (DG) is a national organization based in Philadelphia, PA which offers theatre directors consistent community, resources, and elevation. He is represented by the Gurman Agency (susan@gurmanagency.com).

Bandana Crafting Workshop with Artist Kiera Pitts
2023-08-08 12:00 - 16:00 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
Join us for a short and delightful bandana crafting workshop with visiting artist Kiera Pitts! Attendees will have the opportunity to create their own bandana design utilizing 100% cotton Kiera has naturally dyed with a colorful array of willow leaves, onion skins, dandelion, and turmeric as the backdrop to a large array of her hand carved stamps! No prior experience is necessary to enjoy this hands-on experience at The Understudy. This workshop takes approximately 45 minutes. Each participant will go home with their own Understudy-inspired bandana.
Click here to reserve your spot.

Evermore Quartet at The Understudy
2023-08-11 19:30 - 21:30 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
Click here to buy your tickets.
The Evermore Quartet was formed as a passion project by four musicians at Northwestern University who wanted to play way more chamber music than was required of them. Since graduating, the group continues to play whenever possible for anyone who will listen, focused on performing overlooked oeuvres, newly-composed masterpieces, and works by giants of the genre. This concert presents one of each on a literary theme.
Hosted at The Understudy, a new theater bookstore and cafe in Andersonville, the Evermore Quartet will bring you on a journey reflecting on the relationship between music and literature. The program will begin with Philip Glass’ String Quartet No. 2, a classic work based on the novella “Company” by Samuel Beckett. Next up, a posthumously published quartet written by a composer ahead of her time, Rebecca Clarke’s “Poem”. Lastly, the world premiere of “Poem in Four Parts” by Evermore’s own Owen Ruff.
Doors open at 7:00pm for a 7:30 start to the performance. The Understudy’s coffee bar will be open for refreshments, and BYOB is also welcomed.

G. L. O. W. : A Queer Sober Open Mic
2023-08-18 20:00 - 22:00 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
CLICK HERE to Reserve
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. For performer signups, please click here.

The Subtext Podcast LIVE
2023-08-21 19:30 - 21:30 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
CLICK HERE to Reserve Your Seat
From AMERICAN THEATRE magazine, a podcast where playwrights talk to playwrights about the things usually left unsaid. In a conversation that dives into life’s muck, we learn what irks, agitates, motivates, inspires and—ultimately—what makes writers tick.
Join host Brian James Polak and guest Nancy García Loza for a live recording of an episode of the pod.
Doors open at 7PM. Taping begins at 7:30 PM. The Understudy cafe will be open for refreshments before the event.
Brian James Polak lives in Madison and is an award-winning playwright born and raised in New Hampshire. His plays have been presented at venues around the country, and have been published by Smith & Kraus, Talon Review, Commonplace Books, NoPassport Press, Next Stage Press, and Canyon Voices. Brian is the producer and host of American Theatre magazine’s “The Subtext,” a podcast about what makes playwrights tick. He earned his MFA in Dramatic Writing from the University of Southern California.
Nancy García Loza is a pocha playwright rooted in Chicago, Illinois and Jalisco, México. She is a two-time alum of the national Fornés Playwriting Workshop. Her commissioned work includes Ascent: the eighth wonder (Steppenwolf Theatre); Bull: a love story (in development with Paramount Theatre; Chicago Dramatists Tutterow Fellowship); Rust (Goodman Theatre Playwrights Unit); Los Lakeview ’92 (Make-Believe Association); and Wave (Teatro Leyden). Her audio drama, Brava: a folktale con música (Make-Believe Association) is available on all podcast platforms. A self-taught writer, García Loza draws from instinct, plays by ear and is determined to bring the pocha experience in all its complexity, rawness, and lyricism to American stages. She is Mexican American, no hyphen.

THE SPORTING LIFE by Marjorie Muller
2023-08-23 19:30 - 21:30 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
CLICK HERE to Reserve your Seat
16-year-old Dot still hasn’t gotten her period. Lucky for her, there’s a Witch in the woods who can get it started. However, in exchange, Dot must offer her the life of a man who has wronged her. And who better to offer than a math teacher? When Dot gets her elusive first period and becomes witness to the Witch’s murder, they become bonded in literal blood, sending Dot down a path of self-understanding, bitterness, and perhaps a little bit of violence too (as a treat). The Sporting Life is a ‘this girl is a woman now’ story brutally snapped open to expose the, sometimes literal, entrails of growing up girl.
Marjorie Muller writes body plays and when she’s not writing body plays, she’s writing romance novels, which are kind of like body plays but sexier. Marjorie’s work has appeared at Urbanite Theatre, The Women’s Theatre Festival, Avalanche Theatre, and Northwestern University (among others). Most recently, her play “littlespace, or the daddy play” was a semi-finalist for The O’Neill. Marjorie is an alum of the acting program at the Theatre School at DePaul, Jackalope Theatre Playwright’s Lab, New Coordinates’ Writers Room and The Road Theatre’s Under Construction 3 cohort.
Director – Kayla Menz

Cast
Sherry – Sonia Goldberg
Dot – Dana Pepowski
Joe – George Zerante
Mikayla – Liv McDaniel
Older Man – Cory Hardin
Younger Man – Maxwell Peters
Doors open at 7 PM for a 7:30PM showtime. The Understudy Cafe will be open for refreshments before the performance.

Play Reading Club: FAT HAM
2023-08-28 19:00 - 20:30 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
Join us for our first-ever PLAY READING CLUB, a new monthly series hosted by the Understudy staff!
This month’s pick is the Pulitzer Prize winning FAT HAM by James Ijames.
No RSVP required to attend, just arrive with your copy, ready to discuss the play!
Click below to reserve your copy of the play:
TCG Edition
Acting Edition

MERCURY STARDUST Book Signing
2023-08-30 19:00 - 21:00 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
About the Event:
Join us starting at 7 PM on August 30th to meet Mercury Stardust, The Trans Handy Ma’am. The book, Safe and Sound: A Renter Friendly Guide to Home Repair will be available to purchase on-site, but click the link above to preorder your book for pickup. Mercury will be on-site signing from 7PM to 9PM.
PLEASE NOTE: No RSVP is required to attend, but attendees are HIGHLY encouraged to preorder their copy of the book from The Understudy to ensure it will be available to them the evening of the event. Additional copies will be available for purchase on-site.

About the Book:
Don’t panic—Mercury Stardust, AKA The Trans Handy Ma’am is here to help!
For too many people, the simple act of contacting a plumber or repair person can feel like a game of chance. As a trans woman and a professional maintenance technician, Mercury Stardust has discovered (the hard way) that we live in a world with much to fear. If you’ve ever felt panicked about opening your home to strangers in order to fix a maintenance issue, this book is for you.
Renting a home can be a complex process—from finding a safe and affordable space, to hiring help for moving in and out, and of course, managing any repairs that come up during your stay.
You deserve to feel empowered to take matters into your own hands—and it’s not as hard as you might think. In this book, Mercury will show you how to tackle the projects that need improvement in your home—from how to properly fix a clog in your bathroom sink and safely hang things on your walls to patching small and medium drywall holes.
Safe and Sound includes:

Guidance for over 50 simple home maintenance projects, such as replacing your showerhead and troubleshooting a faulty garbage disposal.
Chapters covering basic and handy repairs for your plumbing, electrical, carpentry, and safety needs.
Advice tailored to renters to minimize permanent changes.
Helpful illustrations and QR code links to videos to help you on your journey.

Remember—a little bit of knowledge can go a long way toward making you feel more safe and in control of your own life.

THANK YOU FIVE: LIVE with Strawdog Theatre
2023-09-06 19:00 - 22:00 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
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.

Crafting the TV Drama
2023-09-08 20:00 - 22:00 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
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

I Can't... I Have Trivia
2023-09-11 19:30 - 21:30 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
📚 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!

YOU DESERVE TO BE HERE by Alex Lubischer
2023-09-18 19:30 - 21:00 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
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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

Demystifying the Actor / Agent Relationship with DDO Artists Agency
2023-09-19 19:30 - 22:30 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
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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.

A Critical Moment: The UChicago Critics Table in Conversation
2023-09-20 19:30 - 21:00 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
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

The Thing in the Bathroom by Cal Walker
2023-09-28 19:30 - 21:00 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
A Comedy Horror Play about Capitalism
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Cafe Royalty - Drag @ The Understudy
2023-09-29 20:30 - 22:30 | The Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
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 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.

Live Portrait Illustration with Joe Kraft
2023-09-30 11:00 - 16:00 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
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 RSVP, just come visit us on Saturday the 30th!

GASZCHEBET by Skyler Tarnas
2023-10-09 19:30 - 21:30 | The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
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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. Contact: skylertarnas@gmail.com
