A NOTE ABOUT UNDERSTUDIES
Everyone at Woodside Musical Theatre, in the age of COVID-19, works hard during rehearsals and performances to keep everyone in the cast healthy. But, to ensure we can still hold a performance if one of our actors gets sick, we cast understudies for most major roles in our shows.
In most cases, an actor understudying a role is one who came in second by a whisker during auditions, and is equally capable of performing the role as their counterpart. During rehearsals, understudies often substitute in the role, so they (and the rest of the ensemble) are comfortable with the part. To ensure there are no difficulties, at least one of our dress rehearsals is performed by the understudies.
In "normal" performances, the understudy actors have alternative roles in the ensemble. If they are required to step in for a major role, other actors -- "swings" -- may shift their roles slightly to cover crucial actions in the show.
In the matinee Bright Star performance on Saturday, October 22, the understudies will perform their assigned main roles.