Undermain Theatre

I love the Undermain Theatre. I’ve seen four shows here so far, and they have all been terrific. The space itself is a little unconventional. It is literally under Main Street (hence the name), so to get there you climb some steep steps, enter a nondescript lobby, walk through a small door in the back of the lobby and down a few flights of stairs, and then you’ve reached the main lobby of the theatre. Instead of physical tickets, you tell your name to the main desk, they check your name off of a list and hand you a program (which I suppose serves as your ticket). For most shows there is no assigned seating, but at the last performance I went to (opening night of «The Night Alive») they had reserved each seat for each ticket holder.
There is a small concession stand where you can purchase beer, wine, and snacks like cookies and chips. One really great thing about Undermain is that you can bring your concessions directly into the theatre and enjoy them while you watch the show! Pretty unheard of in most theaters. They also have complimentary coffee and hot tea, which is great.
The theatre space itself is quite intimate, a black-​box style theatre. It means that there are no bad seats in the house, and they don’t have to mic the actors because you’re so close to them. It really makes for a riveting theatrical experience.
Probably the only big downside to this theatre is the bathroom situation. There are only four toilets (two for women, two for men). All single-​toilet restrooms, so the line gets REALLY long at intermission. However, they always have someone monitoring the bathrooms and they never start the show until everyone has had a chance to use them.
Like I’ve mentioned, I’ve seen four shows here: «Profanity», «We are Proud to Present a Presentation…» «The Flick» and «The Night Alive». All have been exemplary pieces of theatre that have left me speechless. This is quality theatre and everyone should experience it.

Unexpected gem in Deep Ellum. It’s in a basement, it’s cheap, and we really enjoyed the show. Parking across the street at night seemed a little dicey, but that’s the only star removal.

Reasonably priced shows, an adult concession stand (wine/​beer, soda, cookies, tea), easy and free parking across the street, relatively comfortable padded seats and an interesting stage layout are great reasons you might visit Undermain to see a show. What you might complain about after arriving are the few seats from which you can actually see the actors and unassigned seating (if you arrive late enough and end up in one of view-​blocked seats). Get there early and it’s totally worth the $ 10 – 20 admission fee. The writeups of the plays are pretty accurate too. Call ahead to find out how long the show is!

The venue itself is super cool. Instead of having a fake retro theatre house vibe to it, Undermain is the real deal. Kind of hard to figure out the entry and exit of the building, but we managed. Parking across the street was plentiful and free. I will be back if something is playing that interests me.

I just went for the Tomorrow Come Today opening show. The show was really interesting. It left me thinking a lot about the selfishness in people and GLOBAL WARMING. Anyways the theater was really cool. I’ve never been to an open theater where you could watch the play from all sides. I really enjoyed the experience. The theater is interesting and a little hard to find at first. They have a gravel parking area right next to the theater. (It’s always nice to not have to worry about parking downtown)

This was a really cool venue! My husband and I did not even know the Undermain existed.
It was really simple to find a parking spot and we were thrilled to find out that parking was complimentary. Way to go Undermain!
The theatre is located in the basement of a loft apartment complex. You have to go through the main doors and the. Take the elevator or the stairs downstairs to the basement.
They have wine and beer and small snack items. The bartenders were really friendly and did a great job. Make sure to tip!
We saw the play Tomorrow Come Today. I loved the play and the theater was really intimate. This was a great show.
I can’t wait to come back!

My first time at the Undermain was surely not my last. It’s been a vital part of the underground theatre scene in Dallas for the past 30 years so how it missed my radar is beyond me! There are so many aspects to love about this space.
First, it’s super intimate. The space seats 90, so it’s pretty impossible to get a bad seat in the house. Being so close to the stage and acting space really takes your experience up a notch.
Second, the quality of productions are phenomenal. Edgy selections that push the mainstream envelope are often featured here and will really open your eyes to a new way of experiencing the performing arts.
Lastly, they are committed to their purpose of bringing unique shows to Dallas. In doing so they have survived the last three decades quite humbly, operating mainly off of donations. To fill the gap between ticket prices and what it costs to operate and produce shows, Undermain sells concessions, submits foundation and government grant applications, finds corporate sponsors, requests in-​kind support, and solicits contributions from individuals.
Other pluses include great concessions– wide selection of local beer and wine (that you can bring inside the theatre)– and a free lot across the street! A HUGE plus and deserving of an extra star in and of itself given how congested the Deep Ellum parking situation can be.

Went back to Undermain to see An Iliad. What a magnificent performance by Bruce DuBose. He carried the show alone, being the only actor with a speaking part. There was another guy walking around stage playing instruments to accompany the performance, but that was it.
So, back to Bruce… how one man can carry an entire play… and do it in such a captivating way… astounds me. I have never seen an actor that impressive before. By the way, he seems to be in at least one play each season, so make it a point to see one of them!
The play was smart. The sound design was clever and awesome. I love how they use sound effects at Undermain – it enhances the performance without being distracting.
Both plays I’ve been too have been so cutting-​edge and unique that I really want to make every play from now on. It sounds like I’ve been paid off to write this review, but I swear I’m just captivated. Gotta support the local arts scene, especially when it’s this good.

Why do a play on words when I can simply tell you to see a play on Main?
This unique theatre is actually under Main, as my fellow Unilocalers have pointed out. I had to a see a couple plays in college for my Theatre History class and came here for most of those occasions.
The atmosphere is welcoming (unlike the uppity nature of other venues) and the productions are high-​quality. Definitely worth experiencing.

I am not one who frequents the theatre. Plays and musicals are the last place that you would likely find me, but I’m always game to try something different from time to time.
Carla bought us 2 tickets to see «The Dog Problem» at the Undermain Theatre, so we headed that way on a weekday night. I have passed by this building on Main Street a million times, but never knew that a this place was underneath (and it’s literally underneath Main, in the basement… hence the name). When we walked into the theatre, it wasn’t at all as I expected. It was a «theatre in the round», the seats surround the actual stage. It was quite small and intimate, which added an awesome feel to the play. The actors literally were right in front, to the side, and behind you throughout the program. They have a place to purchase refreshments before and during intermission. There was a nice wine selection, and they were giving out free wine samples on that night as well (free is always good!).
The acting was good, the story was good (if you get a chance to see this particular play, go for it!), and the atmosphere was great! It was a positive experience, and it has convinced a theatre-​avoider like me to venture out and see more plays in the future. (I will still need a lot of convincing to go to a musical)
If you are looking to do something different, going to the Undermain for a date would be a nice change of pace!

Feeling cultural? Feeling dramatic? Feeling theatrical?
Go to the Undermain Theatre! The wonderful hidden Theatre is literally under ground on Main St. in Deep Ell um and it is wonderful.
I have been fortunate enough to participate in the audience of many of their plays. I am no Theatre guru, but I can represent the theater neophytes and confidently say they choose very substantial, relevant and powerful plays, such as Port Twilight (Amazons), The Black Monk (more awesome) and Eurydice. The actors are phenomenal, the staff is phenomenal, the venue is a little different.
I love that you actually take an elevator underground to only walk into a more pleasant setting greeted by a hostess and a ‘grassroots’ type bar, but it is the actual ‘stage’ that can draw a hindrance. You are seated closely enough, the lighting is perfect, the make-​up and costumes are up to par… it is just those damn pillars that block your view and prohibit an observer (at a certain seat) in the audience to fully view the stage. Yes, they do improvise with the pillars and tie them into the plot of the play. However, there is no denying that there are big ass pillars breaking the up the scene.
All in all, I enjoy the Undermain as a serious venue for plays. I will return when I want to impress someone with my cultural experience!

This is truly a great place; a gem in the Dallas Theatre System. It’s literally under Main Street in Deep Ellum.
The theatre director came out before the play, shifted some seats around so everyone was sure to have a great view, and then she told about the background of the production and introduced the play.
I saw Port Twilight here. I would recommend this play to anyone. I would suggest sitting in the middle around row two or three to get the best view. I wish the chairs were a little more comfortable, but that’s the only down side.

While my friend and I literally stumbled across this place a few years ago, and the first play we saw wasn’t something I’d suggest — the venue is great. I’d like to go a few more times and would suggest looking into it for other people who enjoy live theater. If I do remember correctly there is a small bar avalible.

Great space to see progressive theater. Good wine choices, Frank Lloyd Wright chairs. Near Sons of Hermann, All Good Café, Local Restaurant and Monica’s, all favorites of mine

Located under Main St., as the name suggests, Undermain Theatre is the buried treasure of Deep Ellum.
The theatre offers a personal experience for its patrons, with a small house that has the audience face-​to-​face with the actors. Nothing is lost in the translation of these actors performances; the line of separation that one usually feels between cast and audience is non-​existant. Undermain offers an up-​close, pores-​of-​the-​skin view usually reserved for screen, combined with the energy and intimacy that only live theatre can produce.
I recently attended a performance of their critically acclaimed urban ghost story «Shining City» by Irish playwright Conor McPherson. Terrific acting (despite pre-​conceived doubts about Texas actors playing Irish roles), sharp directing by Katharine Owens, and the perfect setting for a ghost story made this production truly haunting.
The next time you’re strolling Deep Ellum, keep in mind that the most promising attraction may be right under your nose!