Chicago’s Only Theater Bookstore and Cafe Will Soon Take the Stage | Eater Chicago

"Opening in Andersonville this summer at 5531 N. Clark Street, I’m excited about The Understudy, a 2,500-square-foot, drama-themed bookstore and 45-seat café that will stock plays, host performances, and offer plenty of room for actors, playwrights, and crew to hang out, drink coffee, and talk theater. Co-owned by Adam Todd Crawford and Danny Fender, the space grew out of a desire to recreate the sense of community theaters lost during COVID, and was funded and assisted in part by Crawford’s family while the owners pursue grants and small-business loans. Though a café wasn’t part of the original vision, they embraced it—drawing mentorship from Charmers Cafe and the Coffee Lab—and will highlight local vendors (Metric Coffee for beans, Coffee & Tea Exchange for tea, Phlour bakery for pastries, and discussions with neighbor Defloured about gluten-free options). Architect Keefer Dunn and Siren Betty Design are fitting the interior to look like a library or theater lobby with comfortable chairs, rolling-ladder-lined walls of books, velvet curtains, nods to DIY black boxes, and freestanding shelves on wheels so the space can be rearranged for readings, 10-minute performances, workshops (including Shakespeare practice), book clubs, and educational programming with groups like the Chicago Children’s Theatre and nearby schools. They chose the name Understudy to honor the hardworking, non-famous theater community—people who love the art and each other—and to create a true community-made gathering place for theater folks." - Aimee Levitt