Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: understudies

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Nanette
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Topic: understudies
Posted: 10/31/07 at 6:42am

How many of you out there have understudies for your productions?

Personally, I never name understudies, but I always have someone in mind ... just in case. I simply don't want to deal with the people who tell me, "My kid has worked hard to memorize all the lines and the blocking and should have time in the limelight, too!" I only do two performances; I don't want to deal with two casts!

In a world of margarine, be butter!

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biggertigger
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Posted: 10/31/07 at 11:07am

This is one of those tough calls, you know the "d... if you do and d... if you don't."

I have used understudies if the actor comes to me with concerns or problems. In my area we have a military base and many of our actors are associated with the military. I have gotten calls weeks before a performance to say that they are being depolyed, etc. Though I try not to single them out, I try to keep that in the back of my mind to keep the production moving forward.

That being said, I don't run separate rehearsals, that is what the stage manager is for. Usually my understudy will work out time with the stage manager to get the notes and basic blocking. Because the understudy is usually a minor member of the cast they are already familiar with most of it anyways.

The two greatest days in a theater persons life, the day you start a new show and the day the damn thing closes.

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JoeMc
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Posted: 11/01/07 at 3:37am

I have never used understudies as yet?
alyjough I had a close call when I did Man of La Mancha. The female lead pulled the pin, less than a month before the show opened.
she had been offered the lead in tamming of the Shew at another theatre.
So unpreturbed, at lest I hope it didn't show?
I asked a young lass, who was was one of the other prisoners to read in. she didn't need to read from the script, as she had been secretly learning the part of Aldonza at home & driving her husband round the twist with it.
So she was a gawd send & a proved to be a great chioce.
There were a couple of hiccups though, she found out she a short while latter she was pregnant.
I was assured it was not caused by the 'Rape' dance scene in the show?
So I had to modify the scene & make allowances for any agressive movements in the dance, because of her condittion.
Anyway on the day of the final dress she she turned & could hardly speak. so I hired in a radio mic set up & another female in the cast sang the songs for her in the show. As she wore the lapel mike for doing the dialogue the punters could not pick up that it was a vioce over to the music.
Although we anounced the fact it was being done.
Her throat was much better after a week & when she was cleared by the Quack. She did it without audio reinforcement.
Funnily enough when she had her baby boy was born a while later. In fact he was born on my birthday [24th January] Thumbs%20Up

I had to assure me wife 'n even Quixote - It was just a fantastic coincidence Tongue

[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

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whitebat
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Posted: 11/26/07 at 12:32am

I know a lot of our HS shows that are double cast, the major roles are double cast, but the actor has a minor role in the "other" cast. Sometimes the director may end up switching which actors are in the "same" cast. My thought is that for our next CT show, I would like to have tech crew take turns prompting, and be ready to understudy if need be. I know my brother will hate acting for life because of the traumatic experience he had being shoved into a role for which their was no understudy. So it might be worth some trouble to save someone the pain of having to do that.

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SherrieAnne
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Posted: 11/26/07 at 5:49pm

I've worked both ways, with different companies over the (mumblemumble) years I've been in CT. One company I used to work with insisted on understudies for the leads - though I can never remember one ever having to go on! The understudies either had smaller roles (I was Sr. Berthe when I understudied the Mother Abbess in SOUND OF MUSIC) or were in the chorus (my understudy - who was the Mother Abbess! - as the Duchess in ME & MY GIRL was in the chorus). Other companies haven't used them - it's a toss-up. I once did three performances in one day as the Blue Fairy in PINOCCHIO with a 102-degree fever (bronchitis), because I had no understudy. A lot of times it depends on the director.

I'm getting ready to direct next year - a show that has no chorus into which I can place understudies. I may use the prompter idea, actually - and I may be VERY careful in my choice of Assistant Stage Manager...just in case, you know!

There's a little bit of diva in all of us. Some just have a larger helping than others.

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whitebat
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Posted: 11/26/07 at 9:28pm

Oh, I just thought of something! Some book, I think "The Stage Manager's Handbook"(?) explains how to set up understudies so if you lose one actor it doesn't start a chain reaction of understudies for understudies. Just thought that would be a good idea if you were to use understudies.

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magicguy
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Posted: 12/25/07 at 9:24pm

There is a difference in double casting and understudies. With double casting, each actor that has the part will be in a show. However, an understudy is only in the show if the original actor can not be in the show. You do not need to give the understudy equal time in rehearsal. You can also have an actor be an understudy for more that one part. Make sure it is clear to the understudy that they will play that character only if the original actor can not be in the performance. If the actor (or parents) do not like this, then find another understudy.

Our theatre group is in a small town and we have no problem finding understudies. We alsways have understudies for all the main parts and can move around the cast if we have to replace any minor cast.

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purplegirl
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Posted: 1/02/08 at 1:46pm

Our team is not generally large enough to cast understudies, but we will usually have a couple of the junior members stand in as "readers" for cast members who can not be present for all rehearsals due to their real jobs. Those "readers" will occasionally need to step in for a cast member if there is an emergency, but there have been a couple of times where I, as Director, needed to step in and play a role. Once, a cast member fell and broke her ankle on opening night, and I was the only person who knew the role well enough to take it over. Fortunately, her costume fit me reasonably well.

That's not something I'd recommend doing, though.

It's not about you - it's about the story.

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whitebat
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Posted: 1/09/08 at 9:54pm

Well, now that I think of it, "The Stage Manager's Handbook" has a lot of stuff on taking your company on tour, so it wouldn't necessarily apply. I think what they had in mind was a company where actors with smaller parts understudy lead roles. I guess some places do that with repertory theatre, where all the actors are in 2 or 3 shows. But that could place a large burden on one person, if they end up with a major role in more than one show.

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MacThespian
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Posted: 3/06/08 at 12:01am

I'd love to have the luxury of having understudies, but in my area there are so many CTs that very few people are willing to do the work that being an understudy requires--unless I guarantee them a performance. Since most groups with whom I work only run 6 or 7 performances, this isn't really fair to the person I cast.
I'm currently directing a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and offered two auditionees the chance to understudy the Titania/Hippolyta and Oberon/Theseus roles (yes, I'm having one person do the paired roles). I was up front with each; I told them it's a lot of work with no guaranteed reward. I also offered a small spear carrier role in addition to the understudy position. One accepted, one turned me down. I think that the one who accepted has gotten better and better, just seeing what my primary choice for the role is doing. But I'm still hoping I don't have to use the understudy in a performance.

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Directing
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Directing

Author	Message
Nanette Celebrity Joined: 8/01/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 399	Topic: understudies Posted: 10/31/07 at 6:42am
	How many of you out there have understudies for your productions? Personally, I never name understudies, but I always have someone in mind ... just in case. I simply don't want to deal with the people who tell me, "My kid has worked hard to memorize all the lines and the blocking and should have time in the limelight, too!" I only do two performances; I don't want to deal with two casts!
	In a world of margarine, be butter!

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biggertigger Celebrity Joined: 4/16/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 188	Posted: 10/31/07 at 11:07am
	This is one of those tough calls, you know the "d... if you do and d... if you don't." I have used understudies if the actor comes to me with concerns or problems. In my area we have a military base and many of our actors are associated with the military. I have gotten calls weeks before a performance to say that they are being depolyed, etc. Though I try not to single them out, I try to keep that in the back of my mind to keep the production moving forward. That being said, I don't run separate rehearsals, that is what the stage manager is for. Usually my understudy will work out time with the stage manager to get the notes and basic blocking. Because the understudy is usually a minor member of the cast they are already familiar with most of it anyways.
	The two greatest days in a theater persons life, the day you start a new show and the day the damn thing closes.
	IP Logged

JoeMc Celebrity Joined: 3/13/06 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 832	Posted: 11/01/07 at 3:37am
	I have never used understudies as yet? alyjough I had a close call when I did Man of La Mancha. The female lead pulled the pin, less than a month before the show opened. she had been offered the lead in tamming of the Shew at another theatre. So unpreturbed, at lest I hope it didn't show? I asked a young lass, who was was one of the other prisoners to read in. she didn't need to read from the script, as she had been secretly learning the part of Aldonza at home & driving her husband round the twist with it. So she was a gawd send & a proved to be a great chioce. There were a couple of hiccups though, she found out she a short while latter she was pregnant. I was assured it was not caused by the 'Rape' dance scene in the show? So I had to modify the scene & make allowances for any agressive movements in the dance, because of her condittion. Anyway on the day of the final dress she she turned & could hardly speak. so I hired in a radio mic set up & another female in the cast sang the songs for her in the show. As she wore the lapel mike for doing the dialogue the punters could not pick up that it was a vioce over to the music. Although we anounced the fact it was being done. Her throat was much better after a week & when she was cleared by the Quack. She did it without audio reinforcement. Funnily enough when she had her baby boy was born a while later. In fact he was born on my birthday [24th January] I had to assure me wife 'n even Quixote - It was just a fantastic coincidence
	[western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!}
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whitebat Celebrity Joined: 8/05/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 137	Posted: 11/26/07 at 12:32am
	I know a lot of our HS shows that are double cast, the major roles are double cast, but the actor has a minor role in the "other" cast. Sometimes the director may end up switching which actors are in the "same" cast. My thought is that for our next CT show, I would like to have tech crew take turns prompting, and be ready to understudy if need be. I know my brother will hate acting for life because of the traumatic experience he had being shoved into a role for which their was no understudy. So it might be worth some trouble to save someone the pain of having to do that.
	IP Logged

SherrieAnne Star Joined: 8/08/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 72	Posted: 11/26/07 at 5:49pm
	I've worked both ways, with different companies over the (mumblemumble) years I've been in CT. One company I used to work with insisted on understudies for the leads - though I can never remember one ever having to go on! The understudies either had smaller roles (I was Sr. Berthe when I understudied the Mother Abbess in SOUND OF MUSIC) or were in the chorus (my understudy - who was the Mother Abbess! - as the Duchess in ME & MY GIRL was in the chorus). Other companies haven't used them - it's a toss-up. I once did three performances in one day as the Blue Fairy in PINOCCHIO with a 102-degree fever (bronchitis), because I had no understudy. A lot of times it depends on the director. I'm getting ready to direct next year - a show that has no chorus into which I can place understudies. I may use the prompter idea, actually - and I may be VERY careful in my choice of Assistant Stage Manager...just in case, you know!
	There's a little bit of diva in all of us. Some just have a larger helping than others.
	IP Logged

whitebat Celebrity Joined: 8/05/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 137	Posted: 11/26/07 at 9:28pm
	Oh, I just thought of something! Some book, I think "The Stage Manager's Handbook"(?) explains how to set up understudies so if you lose one actor it doesn't start a chain reaction of understudies for understudies. Just thought that would be a good idea if you were to use understudies.
	IP Logged

magicguy Walk-On Joined: 12/25/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 12/25/07 at 9:24pm
	There is a difference in double casting and understudies. With double casting, each actor that has the part will be in a show. However, an understudy is only in the show if the original actor can not be in the show. You do not need to give the understudy equal time in rehearsal. You can also have an actor be an understudy for more that one part. Make sure it is clear to the understudy that they will play that character only if the original actor can not be in the performance. If the actor (or parents) do not like this, then find another understudy. Our theatre group is in a small town and we have no problem finding understudies. We alsways have understudies for all the main parts and can move around the cast if we have to replace any minor cast.
	IP Logged

purplegirl Walk-On Joined: 1/02/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 1/02/08 at 1:46pm
	Our team is not generally large enough to cast understudies, but we will usually have a couple of the junior members stand in as "readers" for cast members who can not be present for all rehearsals due to their real jobs. Those "readers" will occasionally need to step in for a cast member if there is an emergency, but there have been a couple of times where I, as Director, needed to step in and play a role. Once, a cast member fell and broke her ankle on opening night, and I was the only person who knew the role well enough to take it over. Fortunately, her costume fit me reasonably well. That's not something I'd recommend doing, though.
	It's not about you - it's about the story.
	IP Logged

whitebat Celebrity Joined: 8/05/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 137	Posted: 1/09/08 at 9:54pm
	Well, now that I think of it, "The Stage Manager's Handbook" has a lot of stuff on taking your company on tour, so it wouldn't necessarily apply. I think what they had in mind was a company where actors with smaller parts understudy lead roles. I guess some places do that with repertory theatre, where all the actors are in 2 or 3 shows. But that could place a large burden on one person, if they end up with a major role in more than one show.
	IP Logged

MacThespian Walk-On Joined: 11/19/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 3/06/08 at 12:01am
	I'd love to have the luxury of having understudies, but in my area there are so many CTs that very few people are willing to do the work that being an understudy requires--unless I guarantee them a performance. Since most groups with whom I work only run 6 or 7 performances, this isn't really fair to the person I cast. I'm currently directing a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and offered two auditionees the chance to understudy the Titania/Hippolyta and Oberon/Theseus roles (yes, I'm having one person do the paired roles). I was up front with each; I told them it's a lot of work with no guaranteed reward. I also offered a small spear carrier role in addition to the understudy position. One accepted, one turned me down. I think that the one who accepted has gotten better and better, just seeing what my primary choice for the role is doing. But I'm still hoping I don't have to use the understudy in a performance.
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