The work of an understudy is not always seen live onstage…but that doesn’t mean it’s not vital to the creative process! If anything, swing work is some of the most challenging I’ve undertaken because you must not only know one track inside and out, but every track, character beat, and breath in the show by heart, ready to slip in seamlessly.
I was fortunate enough to be asked to swing for West Valley Art’s production of Emma, which was one of the most fun Jane Austen adaptations I’ve ever been a part of. Though I never performed (in part due to a surgery I underwent during tech week), I felt an integral part of the cast, and had the best time studying and learning at rehearsal with the group!
