The space is evenly split between the bookstore and coffee bar. And so we had to kind of work in reverse of looking at our own shelves with our arms crossed and being like, 'Okay who's that publisher? Or what's that imprint? And do they publish anything else that we want? Or what else can we get from this playwright? And where can we source it from?' And we had to go down these long rabbit holes of university presses and small indie presses.' Regarding their book selection process, Crawford said, 'We had to do it kind of the opposite of the way that a typical bookstore would open, 'Okay, we have this much space, and we know we want to have these kinds of sections.' And then a lot of the time you'll just go straight to the publisher and they say, 'Oh, well, here's what we think every bookstore should have to start right now.' Like, this is what's hot, this is what's selling. Old posters and production photos cover the walls, and the owners hope to create space for regular theater-related exhibitions of visual art as well.'

'The shelves already contain a diverse collection of new and used titles in a range of categories, interspersed with a cunning array of antiques and knickknacks. The venue, designed by Chicago firm Siren Betty, 'feels both cozy and elegant, with a variety of different seating areas scattered throughout,' Reader noted. Reader reported that owners Danny Fender and Adam Crawford were originally aiming for an August 2022 launch, but 'city permits and supply chains being what they are, those plans got pushed back by several months.'

in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago, Ill. Understudy owners Adam Crawford and Danny Fender.Īlmost a year in the works, the Understudy Theatre Bookstore & Coffee Shop will host its grand opening this Saturday, March 25, at 5531 N.

The Undertakers by Nicole Glover