The Understudy Coffee & Books Hosts Its Very First Book Event with a Chicago-Theatre-Centric Novel

Andersonville's Understudy Coffee & Books at 5531 N Clark Street, Chicago hosts a reading and book signing of GIVE MY REGARDS TO NOWHERE at 7:30 pm May 31st. The novel is a work of comedic fiction informed by author Richard Engling's years as an artistic director in one of Chicago's storefront theatres.

Doors open at 7:00p for a 7:30p start to the reading. A limited cafe drink menu will be available to all who attend. The evening will begin with an introduction and reading followed by a Q&A session with Richard. The evening will end with a book signing with copies of the novel available for purchase along with merch from The Understudy Coffee and Books. The bookstore requests that attendees visit https://tinyurl.com/zndakh3u to obtain a free ticket for entry.

"We were so excited to hear about GIVE MY REGARDS..." says Adam Crawford, co-owner of The Understudy alongside husband Danny Fender. "We celebrate the process of making theatre-specifically Chicago theatre-every day, so to have that expressed in such a witty, irreverent way in Richard's novel was a great treat. We're looking forward to sharing our space to chat about it."

GIVE MY REGARDS TO NOWHERE follows the adventures of struggling Chicago director Dwayne Finnegan who has a long shot at the big time and only two obstacles: himself and everyone he knows. Dwayne has an idea of how to direct Shakespeare's least-favorite play that could set him on the road to Broadway, with Bob Fosse-style choreography, Jimi Hendrix-style guitars, and the hottest cast in the city of Chicago. When the show's producer leaves town and abandons the project, Dwayne decides to produce the show himself, putting his marriage and his meager finances at risk.

Owned and operated by Adam Todd Crawford and Danny Fender, two passionate theatre artists, The Understudy is dedicated to fostering discovery, community, and collaboration every day. Their bookshop celebrates the creative, collaborative spirit of the Chicago theatre community, and features over 3,500 plays, technique books, and other titles to get your creative juices flowing. Whatever your role, no matter your dream, they believe art is an essential part of everyday life. So they invite you to lose yourself in their shelves, cozy up in their cafe, and come alive in the atmosphere of inspiration. There's something for everyone at The Understudy.

Richard Engling founded Polarity Ensemble Theatre in Chicago in 2004 and served as its Artistic Director for twelve long and confusing years. His dystopian detective thriller, Body Mortgage, was published by Penguin Books USA and Headline UK and has been rereleased in a revised version by Polarity Ensemble Books. His novel Visions Of Anna (Polarity Ensemble Books) and play Anna in the Afterlife appeared in 2014 as part of the ambitious Afterlife Trilogy. His plays have been produced in the US and England, and he continues to work as an actor, playwright, and novelist.