The Understudy
PHARAOH TAROT
The Understudy Coffee and Books 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, United StatesPharaoh Tarot is BACK on Wednesday, May 1st! BELTANE, or May Day, is the May 1st sabbat that marks the beginning of Summer and is the worldwide day to celebrate freedom and breakthroughs and births! Welcome in the new season with this spread: RAPID EXPANSION What untapped potential can be acted on in your life? […]
American Theatre Presents: Grown in Chicago
The Understudy Coffee and Books 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, United StatesThis panel will feature local Chicago theatre leaders as they chat about adapting and planning for longevity, establishing a distinct company identity, staying true to your mission, and serving your community on stage and beyond. The conversation will be moderated by Carla Stillwell, faculty at The Theatre School at DePaul University. Panelists will include: Xavier Custodio, co-founding […]
HEROES: A Reading to Benefit Freshly Brewed
The Understudy Coffee and Books 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, United StatesAn exclusive, one-night-only reading featuring Jason Alexander (Seinfeld), Daniel Breaker (Billions), and Michael Kostroff (The Wire). It's August 1959, and three aging French veterans of the first world war, Philippe, Gustave, and Henri spend their days on the terrace of their home for retired military men. The three friends reminisce, banter, and plot a daring […]
BOTH by Paloma Nozicka
The Understudy Coffee and Books 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, United StatesJoin us for a peek into the process of a new play by Paloma Nozicka. Presented as the first collaboration between Teatro Vista Productions and The Understudy. BOTH A woman's life is thrown into chaos when her missing twin suddenly reappears. This play currently in development as part of the Geffen Playhouse 2023/2024 Writers Room […]
ISLAND OF LOVE by Felicia Oduh
The Understudy Coffee and Books 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, United StatesA batch of romantic hopefuls compete for a chance to win love and a large cash prize on the UK’s hottest summer reality dating series. Though everyone has come on the show for the same reasons, one contestant soon learns that not everyone will have the same experience. Positioning the audience as the camera and […]
CROOKED hosted by Betty Theft
The Understudy Coffee and Books 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, United StatesJoin host Betty Theft alongside a sordid cast of drag things. CROOKED is a show for villains, freaks, and petty thieves. A show that celebrates all things strange, dark, bizarre, fringe, and alternative! CROOKED is a theatrical platform for dark and alternative drag- ominous, expressive, and dramatic. Featuring performances by: Betty Theft Fallon Finn Kerosene […]
THE DRAG by Mae West presented by Gerber Hart Library
The Understudy Coffee and Books 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, United StatesJoin us for a community reading of “The Drag” presented by the Gerber/Hart Library and Archives. Written by the iconic Mae West, this 1927 drama about a closeted socialite and the morality of homosexuality was banned from theatres and torn to shreds in the press. No acting experience required! This is a reading with the […]
Play Reading Club: FLEX
The Understudy Coffee and Books 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, United StatesJoin our monthly play reading club! Each month, we gather to discuss a new, exciting or confounding play that has caught our attention. This month, we're reading FLEX by Candrice Jones ABOUT THE PLAY The pressure is on for the 1998 Lady Train high school basketball team—on top of a battle to bring home […]
G. L. O. W. : A Queer Sober Open Mic Night
The Understudy Coffee and Books 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, United StatesThe Understudy presents G.L.O.W.: a Queer Sober Open Mic Night ABOUT THE EVENT 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. Stay tuned for performer signups! Doors open at 7. Performances begin at 7:30. The Understudy Cafe will be […]
Ari Gato Attempts to Share the Spotlight
The Understudy Coffee and Books 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, United StatesA (not so) Solo Show Join Ari Gato for her intimate, one-woman-only cabaret... or is it? For once in her life, scene-stealer Ari might have the tables turn on her. Featuring accompaniment by Alex Newell and guest appearances by: Annie Andrews Jordan Tannous Kynzie Jones Neala Barron and Rachel Slurrz-Stoole Doors open at 7pm, Performance begins […]
Advocacy Night for Theatre Writers
The Understudy Coffee and Books 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, United StatesJoin us on Tuesday, June 18, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm CDT, for a special advocacy event featuring playwright Samuel D. Hunter and Dramatists Guild Co-Executive Director Emmanuel Wilson. Register Here The Dramatists Guild is thrilled to continue their national advocacy tour, bringing empowering Advocacy Nights to theatre writers across the country. After successful events […]
PHARAOH TAROT
The Understudy Coffee and Books 5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, United StatesPharaoh Tarot is back for a surprise solstice popup on Monday, June 24th! The summer solstice is upon us and abundance and wealth are dancing in the sky as the sun is in cancer and the full moon heightens in Capricorn on June 21st. This is one of the most powerful spiritual holidays for manifesting […]