Yes, I know this is a double post week, but there's very important people that I want to acknowledge: standbys and understudies. This post will serve two purposes: one celebrating them and the other encouraging you to let them do what they do best. What is that, you ask? Let them have your back.
First off, let's celebrate them. They have the hardest job in the show. They have to learn their ensemble track and a principal track (sometimes more than one). No easy task.
What they do best is have your back. Some of you may have heard, but over the last few weeks, there has been talk in the theatre world about mental health, with one of the major spearheaders of the conversation (won't say who but let me drop a hint...for the first time in forever), admitted to calling out due to a massive anxiety attack. It's okay. If you feel like you can't do the show that day and you need to rest or you're having a health issue, you need to call out. Don't feel bad about it. This is why we have standbys and understudies. This is their job. Take the time you need to get better, even if you just wake up one day feeling like you need a day of rest. If you're just slightly fatigued, rest up, gauge yourself throughout the day and, as showtime nears, make the determination of how you wish to proceed that night. However, if you wake up, and you know there is simply no way you can do it, call out. Let your standby or understudy do what they've been trained to do.
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