Author Topic: Understudies/Double Casting  (Read 2157 times)

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SMeustace

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Understudies/Double Casting
« on: Aug 27, 2013, 06:13 pm »
How does your college and/or community theater deal with understudies or double casting?

At my college, we are a smaller theater department, and we don't use understudies. We pray that actors don't get badly sick during performance!

Are there any guidelines or policies you know of regarding understudies/double casting for your college/community theater?
(By community theater, I dont just mean community theater, I also mean any theater or company that isn't equity or professional)
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Maribeth

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Re: Understudies/Double Casting
« Reply #1 on: Aug 27, 2013, 08:33 pm »
The subject of double casting has come up recently- try doing a search in the search box for the other thread on this subject.

MatthewShiner

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Re: Understudies/Double Casting
« Reply #2 on: Aug 27, 2013, 09:00 pm »
Many AEA theaters are now foregoing understudies as well - the cost of hiring, rehearsing them, costuming theme - is just not worth the insurance - since the runs are often short enough, and past history within the theater proves they just don't loose performances . . .

But I find it scary, a lot of times BECAUSE a theater doesn't have understudies an actor, who normally would call out sick, goes on - and often times not given an ideal performance.

When working without understudies, you need to talk to your producer and ask the hard questions about what happens if someone goes out - - - does the director step in on script, do you cancel - are their internal covers that could happen?

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