The Understudy Coffee and Books

09/23/2026

guys. we got fall specials are so good, mother nature couldn’t leave us alone 🪰🪦

🩵RIP to the insects that were harmed during this shoot🕊️🙏🏽

anyways, stop by and try them all~

🍁Maple This Time — A maple brown sugar latte garnished with nutmeg.

🍌Two Old Cat — Banana bread latte garnished with cinnamon

🎃The Great Pumpkin, CB — Spiced pumpkin cold brew with pumpkin oat cold foam and a nutmeg garnish.

09/17/2026

💅🏽first rehearsal bb✨

GO! SEE! RAMALLAH! BY KAYLA KARNESKY! (kk)☕️

🚨‼️ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 @ 7:30P‼️🚨

tickets are PWYC or $15 (for PWYC, you can purchase a ticket via the donation tier on eventbrite~)

scroll through for a sneek peek of the iconic and v talented team for this month’s freshly brewed :^)

“Set in 1950s Ramallah, Palestine, the play follows a young woman coming of age as she discovers love, family, independence, and adulthood. Through the everyday lives of Margo and her loved ones around her, the play explores what it means to grow up, fall in love, build a life, and hold onto hope while the world around you is changing. Ramallah is a story about ordinary people trying to live ordinary lives in extraordinary circumstances.”

Playwright: Kayla Karnesky
Director: Gloria Imseih Petrelli
Dramaturg: Krystal Ortiz
-
Stage Directions: Amal Salem
Margo: Joelle Denhof
Aziza: Marielle Issa
Omar: Abbas Salem
Samir: Zakaria Senan
Nadia: Tina El Gamal
Asad: Arash Fakhrabadi

🔗 in bio

09/11/2026

Hey y'all- Last minute change in our hours today. Thank you for understanding!

09/08/2026

for all the yearning poets and writers — Hot Potato Hearts is back with another poetry workshop. this month’s theme is: savor. hosted by Leah!

tickets are sliding scale, starting at $5.

see you there

09/07/2026

Hey y'all!

Happy Labor Day! We're closing earlier today to get outside!

09/07/2026

@ all the qts who have been going *through it* this eclipse season 😵‍💫 !!!

the fabulous 𝕊𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕥𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕔𝕝𝕖𝕠𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕣𝕒 | 𝕋 will be available for readings in the lounge on tuesdays and saturdays all of september! so if you’re looking for some advice or guidance after this whole doozy, come through and say hey!

—

Tina El Gamal // Tina El Gamal (they/she) is a Chicago-based artist, tarot practitioner, and intuitive reader. They have been practicing tarot for eight years and make a daily practice of listening to their intuition. They practice intuitive modalities with the knowledge that we are all inherently attuned beings with deep wisdom available to us✨

09/03/2026

money spent on books doesn't count ! 📚
there's a literacy crisis !! not at my house ! but other places for sure !

09/01/2026

Calling Chicago-based early career playwrights!

We are searching for plays that we will be programming in our 2027 season. The deadline for submissions is September 30th at 11:59 PM CST OR until we hit 100 submissions.

Selected writers will receive a short (two-rehearsals) development process with a director, dramaturg, and full cast, culminating in a public presentation of their work as a part of our Freshly Brewed reading and workshop series. Compensation is $100 honorarium.

Please note we only accept one script per playwright.

Check the link in bio to apply!

08/26/2026

08/22/2026

New dare incoming 👀

Join us next month for POOR CLARE by Chiara Atik!

It’s 1211 in Assisi, Italy, and Clare’s got beauty, wealth and a rich suitor who showers her with expensive presents. So why is she so drawn to this guy Francis who gave up all his possessions just because poor people are suffering?

Clare—-Felicia Oduh
Beatrice—John Payne
Francis—Andrew Shipman
Alma—Jordan Levene
Peppa—Preeti Thaker
Ortolana—Mari De la Rua
The Poor/Beggar—Izzy Valdes
Stage Directions—Adam Crawford

🔗 in bio for your seat!