Understudy Resource for Performers

Unfortunate things can happen on a show – illness, injury, or an individual emergency – and understudies are a critical part of dealing with a sudden absence artfully and professionally. Increasingly, engagers are recognizing the importance of understudies to supporting a cast for the run of a show, so you want to be prepared for when that involves you.

Whether you are a first-time understudy, or you’ve done it before but are still feeling a bit lost, this resource will help you understand and navigate the process. So, read on! We’ve got you covered.

Understanding Understudies

With someone out of the show, your job is to fill the hole and replace the absent performer as seamlessly as possible. You’re not trying to clone their performance, and you don’t need to bury your own instincts. However, you do need to reproduce the blocking, energy, and intentions of the original performer so that your castmates, crew, and stage management don’t have to make radical adjustments. The audience deserves to get the show they came to see.

In brief, be the understudy you’d like to be working with for a safe, smooth and excellent show.

Types of understudies

There are several different types of understudies defined in our various agreements. Your contract should specify one of the following:

Performing understudy

When you’re contracted as both a performer in the show and to learn the role of another artist.

Swing / Standby / Walking

Understudies who have been contracted to cover one or more roles. They do not have a regular role in the show.

Bit cover / Supplemental business / Specialty assignment

A range of partial or niche assignments. Bit cover and supplemental business may be contracted in advance, but they are sometimes assigned later with the agreement of the artist. They generally cover parts of chorus roles, scene changes, and similar. Specialty assignment is intended to address a specific need in a show, such as puppet manipulation, and it requires prior approval by Equity.

Whether you are a swing, a performing understudy, a bit cover (or any of the others), take the time to find out what the applicable agreement says about your rights and responsibilities.

There may be specific conditions that affect:

the size of roles you can be expected to cover
the number of roles you can be expected to cover
your weekly compensation
whether you receive additional payment to perform

And don’t forget — Equity Business Reps are available to assist if you need more contractual information on any aspect of being an understudy.

Preparation

Theatres have different ways of approaching understudy work and rehearsal. Some important questions to ask are:

Does the theatre have specific guidance or instruction for understudies?
Who on the creative or production team is responsible for understudies?
Who can you ask for clarification of your role?
What is their process for calling you on stage?

Having answers to these questions will help everyone feel prepared for when you may need to go on.

Assignment / Covers

In most cases, your understudy assignment will be part of your contract, so you’ll know that up front. If the decision on your specific covers has not been finalized at the time of contracting, you should at least know how many you have. The list of all understudy assignments must be posted by the end of the first week of rehearsal. If the show is playing in repertory, the deadline is the end of the third week or 42 hours of rehearsal.

Rehearsal Requirements

For rehearsals, there must be dedicated understudy rehearsals beginning no later than 2 working days after the first public performance, including:

a line run before opening
a blocking rehearsal, onstage or in the rehearsal hall
an onstage run-through within 14 days of the first public performance (within 21 days for repertory). If you don’t get this within the required timeframe, there is a fee premium paid until you do.
an additional run-through if more than one person covers the same role

You must have completed at least one onstage rehearsal before you can be required to go on in your cover role(s). Remember that these are minimum rehearsal requirements, so it’s possible you may have more. They may also vary with other agreements, so always check.

The rest of the understudy work is self-directed. As much as possible, you’ll want to be in the hall when your understudy scenes are being rehearsed, so you can observe blocking, listen in on direction, take notes, etc. Make sure you find out the line of communication early on in case you have any questions.

If your understudy involves choreography or fight work, it’s completely fair to ask if some time can be set aside so you can try the physical work yourself. You can also ask to shadow-dance or shadow-fight off to the side.

The priority in rehearsal is always going to focus on the principal actor in the role, so be reasonable about your requests. However, most creative team members will welcome unintrusive initiative and involvement. You may even be asked to step in during rehearsals, for example if the principal cast member is needed for a fitting.

Similarly, it’s always worth asking if there are times when you can work directly with a fight director or a choreographer, dance captain or fight captain. If you want to run lines, ask if one of the stage management team can be available for that.

Understudy rehearsals

This is where the attention really turns to you. It is also your chance to identify what you know… and what needs more work. If you’ve been able to put in some quality time in advance, it will mean you’re not walking in cold. That’s a huge plus all around.

Generally, the stage manager will be the one running and coordinating the understudy rehearsals, with the assistance of fight and dance captains, and others with similar assignments. Each will have their own process, but this is the general pattern.

A Line run is the first read-through for understudies. Typically, people are expected to have the text and/or music well in hand, but aren’t expected to be perfect.

Blocking rehearsal lets all the understudies walk the show end to end, exploring their tracks, entrance timings, transition moves and the like. Don’t go into this rehearsal expecting to start learning your blocking — you should know this stuff already.

An Onstage run-through puts things together at show pace, consolidating all the work you’ve done. It will typically involve tech, and sometimes costumes.

Additional rehearsals

You may have additional choreo/fight/flying/intimacy/music rehearsals, and other work specific to the production. If there are critical elements like this in the show and proper time is not given to them, make sure to ask for it. Expecting you to go on half-prepared is unsafe.

Ask if a run or performance can be recorded and made available for understudy use. This is particularly helpful if you need to go on with limited rehearsal. If you are a non-performing understudy, you may be able to shadow your covers backstage during a performance. It never hurts to ask.

Where this is not possible, it’s totally reasonable to ask an actor you cover for a brief summary of their backstage track. It’s not obligatory, but most artists will understand the importance of letting you know the things they’d find useful in your shoes.

Performance

Notice to perform

In most cases, you’ll get a reasonable amount of notice that you need to go on. But not always. Consequently, theatres may require you to be present for most or all of every performance.

Stay calm, review your notes, review any available video, and be ready with your A-game. You have one! Ask the SM for some time if there is anything you need to review before the show, and they’ll do their best to make it happen. At the very least, you will have the same preshow lift or fight call that the others do. Use the half hour (or whatever time you have) to centre yourself and prepare. Then go out there for your first entrance and have fun!

Helping hands

Always know that your cast and backstage team will be ready to assist you through the show, even if it means giving you a “shove with love” if you blank on which chair to sit in. Stage management can be ready with a script and a flashlight at your next exit, and dressers will talk you through an unfamiliar costume change. Everybody wants you to succeed and for the show to go well.

Credit for your work

Your understudy roles must be listed in the programme, although you can choose to opt out of that if you wish. If you do go on, people should know about it. The CTA/ITA requires that an understudy be announced in at least two ways, unless the substitution is extremely last-minute. Other agreements have similar provisions.

A Few Final Words

Always remember to be an advocate for yourself. It’s normal for most of the focus to be on the cast members playing their usual roles, so sometimes you will have to ask for what you know you need. Never sacrifice safety in the name of saving time or money, and make sure to do your homework so that your castmates will welcome you onstage.

With proper prep and rehearsal, you’ll have a great show! And a great story to tell: “remember the time when…?”

Understudy Resource for Stage Managers