The Show Must Go on Strategies for Using Understudies
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guy fromage The show must go on Strategies for using understudies by John D. newman The auditorium of our high school was filled with the worst-case scenario happened, we were unpre- a thousand sixth graders for a matinee performance pared. of our 2003 production of Crazy for You. In the musi- We took an unexpected “stretch break” while cal number “Shall We Dance?” Bobby swept Polly off I instructed one of the featured dancers to get her feet as the western town set pieces floated away into Polly’s costume and go on stage with book on cue, leaving the couple gliding about the red-rock in hand. By the next morning’s matinee, technical landscape. As the music swelled, Polly rose gracefully director Paul Cutrer had rigged up an audio cuing into the air… and landed painfully on a twisted ankle. system that allowed the new Polly to receive and Polly crawled off into the wings as Bobby did an im- speak her lines without a script in her hands. By promptu pas de deux with his tuxedo jacket. our first public performance, our original Polly was In previous years, I had designated understudies, back. With her ankle braced, she made it through but since we had not had to replace a main actor the show standing and hopping on one leg and in many years, I had grown complacent. I had felt leaning on strategically-located support bars, furni- somewhat guilty making students prepare for a role ture pieces and cast members, with her last-minute that they almost certainly would not perform and understudy serving as Polly’s “dancing double.” since they had never seen an understudy used on stage, many students were unenthused about accept- assigning understudies ing or fulfilling such assignments. Therefore, when Now that we have had an actual instance in which TEACHING THEATRE 11 a principal actor couldn’t perform, I have no trouble one myself. Also, since I have placed myself in the convincing my actors of the importance of under- role of a fellow-learner, my students and I have been studies. Since Crazy for You, we have had some able to share memorization strategies and to engage in cases in which we’ve needed to replace actors, and some friendly competition in our memorization efforts. we’ve had a full complement of understudies ready While I offer my understudies flexibility in their to take the stage. schedules, I require that they observe at least one run- As a director plans an emergency replacement through, making notes of their characters’ blocking, strategy, he or she must decide whether to use ac- inflections, and stage business. If a principal actor is tors in supporting roles, which will need to be filled unable to attend a rehearsal, the actor is responsible by another actor if that actor is called to play the for getting the understudy to rehearsal in his or her larger role, or to use ensemble actors or chorus place. The main actor must also provide the under- members with few or no lines of their own. To use a study with his or her own copy of the script so that sports analogy, sometimes a high school theatre pro- the understudy can follow the blocking notation. That gram has a great set of starters but no bench. In such way the rehearsals can proceed without interruption, a case, supporting actors may need to cover leading the understudies are better prepared, and the main ac- actors and a complete “bump-up” scheme must be tors are reminded that they can be replaced. devised that will cover all contingencies. This can be We have also started the tradition of holding a especially problematic when two main actors need regular understudy rehearsal about a week before the to be replaced. If members of the ensemble, with show opens. The cast is also on call for an emergency few or no lines of their own, are up to the task, it is rehearsal the afternoon before a performance if it ap- generally preferable to use them as the understud- pears likely that a replacement will need to be made. ies. This will generally mean that a cast is supporting The regular understudy rehearsal shows me how well- one replacement actor at a prepared each replacement actor is, which is often less time rather than several. well than the student has reported. The more diligent However, even a mem- understudies will have their lines memorized, but I now include ber of the chorus with no most are familiar with the lines yet still need to carry individual lines may be a script. It can be helpful to have the principal ac- the understudies missed in key moments and tors present at the understudy rehearsal to coach their the understudy should think counterparts in the details of the stage business and through his or her usual blocking they have rehearsed for so many weeks. The in rehearsals from role and alert the director rehearsal also provides a moment for the director to to anything that must be explain to understudies how and when they would be the beginning and covered by someone else. notified if the decision were made to replace the main A choreographer may have actor. list their names to make some quick adjust- At that time, the understudies should also be re- ments to a dance number minded about any assistance they might have avail- and a choral director may able, such as an emergency prompter, an audio cuing in the program. need to reassign a few cho- system, or a mini-script. Many professional understud- rus members to cover cer- ies are allowed the option of carrying script under tain harmony lines. certain circumstances and student understudies should likewise have some options. In an ideal world, every Preparation and motivation understudy would know every line by heart, but edu- As with so many things in high school theatre, the cational theatre is rarely an ideal world. students’ attitude toward understudying directly re- The replacement actors should also be assured flects the attitude of their teacher. When I thought that an announcement would be made prior to their of understudying as a burden, my students dreaded performance. An informed audience can be very un- it like a burden, but when I presented it as an op- derstanding and may accept a prompter, earpiece, or portunity, they prized it as an opportunity. Rather script like any other theatrical convention. than ask actors to understudy as a favor to the cast, I made my actors apply for the positions. I now in- emergency prompter clude the understudies in rehearsals from the begin- In previous centuries, when actors were required to ning and list their names in the program. keep dozens of roles in their memory and perform In our current production of The Tempest, I have them with few or no rehearsals, a prompter was con- also elevated the status of understudies by backing up sidered a necessary precaution. The prompter, locat- the role of Prospero myself. Understudies cannot, in ed either in the wings or in a downstage box, would good conscience, tell me they have no time to memo- follow the script and offer a line when signaled to 12 TEACHING THEATRE rize the entire role when I am memorizing the largest do so by an actor. Fines were often levied so as to Audio cuing Radio Shack, at a very small cost. Check before you by Paul CuTrer anD russell FelT buy. The audio cuing system we used in Crazy for You The CTCSS feature, sometimes called privacy consisted of two FRS (Family Radio Service) radios, codes, makes it so your actor receiving the prompt- one that would only receive and one that would ing will not hear outside radio transmissions. A only transmit. The VOX feature (short for “voice headset is needed for the prompter and is necessary operated switch”) offered on some radios does not to ensure that the microphone is always the same work well for this purpose. If your radio has this distance from the prompter’s mouth, assuring a feature, disable it or get a different radio. consistent volume level in the prompting. Any two-way radio system could be used, but Choose a clear channel on which to transmit. On make sure that you are not violating any federal FRS radios, use any channel two through fourteen, licensing regulations. We used the FRS system skipping channel one, which is commonly used in because of radio licensing, use regulations, and children’s toys. Find a place where the prompter requirements. (See http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/ can see the actor, read the script, not disrupt the personal/family/.) performance and backstage operation by talking, Some FRS radios have features that make them and not be interrupted by offstage actors. A little better for our purpose than others. Being able to practice and you’re ready to go. plug in an individual earpiece so it is not obvi- ous that it is being used is important. Earpieces Paul Cutrer has served as technical director at High- with 1/8" phone jacks are easy to find but they land High School since 1987. Russell Felt served on do not fit most new radios in use today. You can, the Highland stage crew and has served as the assis- however, get adapters at electronics stores, such as tant technical director since graduation. prevent an actor from becoming too reliant on the system to indicate if there are problems with trans- prompter.