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
LESBIAN ARM WRESTLING
November 14 @ 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
CALLING ALL D*KES IN THE CHICAGOLAND AREA! HANG WITH LEZBIAN MINNELLI + JETT PARR TO COMPETE TO SEE WHO’S THE STRONGEST LEZ IN ALL THE LAND BUTCHES! FEMMES! STUDS! GAYS! […]
LESBIAN ARM WRESTLING
November 14 @ 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
CIRCLE JERK and THIS AMERICAN WIFE: The Internet Theater of Fake Friends
November 16 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Two plays along with process essays on the cacophonous world of pop culture, politics, and personal testimony that we call the internet. Join the artists of FAKE FRIENDS to dive […]
CIRCLE JERK and THIS AMERICAN WIFE: The Internet Theater of Fake Friends
November 16 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Silence Speaks: Writing Visuals
November 18 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Come join the Chicago Audiomakers Collective and The Understudy for a special listening party. Together we’ll listen to Silence Speaks: Writing Visuals, a story about a famous mime in 1960’s […]
Silence Speaks: Writing Visuals
November 18 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
The Understudy Dares You to Produce This Play: The Green Line
November 23 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
A monthly reading series highlighting plays that have not yet been produced in Chicago The Understudy Dares You to Produce This Play is a monthly reading series highlighting plays that […]
The Understudy Dares You to Produce This Play: The Green Line
November 23 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
DRAMATURGAS CHILENAS: A Staged Reading and Discussion
November 29 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
A teenage girl confronts her sexual identity, and the conservative adults in her life, while being targeted by an online scandal. Please join us for a staged reading of scenes […]
DRAMATURGAS CHILENAS: A Staged Reading and Discussion
November 29 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
YOGA PLAY by Dipika Guha
November 30 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
A play reading of YOGA PLAY by Dipika Guha produced by Exit, Pursued by a Play Reading. Joan has been hired to stabilize Jojomon, a yoga apparel giant, after its […]
YOGA PLAY by Dipika Guha
November 30 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Ikaros Ensemble presents: Book One – Darkness
December 2 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Join us for a night of poetry and live music with Cloud Community College feat. Ikaros Ensemble Ikaros Ensemble presents: Book One – Darkness “Through the darkness, there is stillness […]
Ikaros Ensemble presents: Book One – Darkness
December 2 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
A Salute to Twink Ensembles
December 4 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
A cabaret that pays tribute to the backbone of musical theatre. Join us for a cabaret tribute to the twink ensembles of the past and bravely pave the way for […]
A Salute to Twink Ensembles
December 4 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Re:working – Educating and Engaging The Next Generation
November 5 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
For many of us, our love of theatre sprang from the talented teachers and artists who introduced us to it. How do we continue the education? For many of us, our […]
Re:working – Educating and Engaging The Next Generation
November 5 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Give Me a Sign: Mercury Rx
November 4 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
An astrological storytelling workshop based on mercury retrogrades. Hosted by Isabella Pelz of Free Street Theatre. PSA: you don’t need to be afraid of Mercury retrograde! Curious about the stories […]
Give Me a Sign: Mercury Rx
November 4 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
(X)tra: An Anniversary Cabaret
October 22 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
About This Event We spent a year building something. Now we’re celebrating it the only way we know how: by gathering everyone we love in a room for a night […]
(X)tra: An Anniversary Cabaret
October 22 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Re:working – Elements of Surprise: Specialized Design
October 15 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Join Matt, Megan, Alice, & Ethan as we discuss their wide-ranging careers and visions around specialized designs that surprise and amaze us. When was the last time you gasped in […]
Re:working – Elements of Surprise: Specialized Design
October 15 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Re:working – Elements of Surprise: Specialized Design
October 15 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Join Matt, Megan, Alice, & Ethan as we discuss their wide-ranging careers and visions around specialized designs that surprise and amaze us. When was the last time you gasped in […]
Re:working – Elements of Surprise: Specialized Design
October 15 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Mia Schachter: How to Do Consent (without Sounding Like a Robot)
October 8 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
a modern guide for moving sex and boundaries past rigid rules and toward real connection, personal fulfillment, and self-discovery. ABOUT THE BOOK Essential, up-to-date guidance on consent and sex for […]