TheatreFace
Putting a Face on Theatre
What is the common word for when an actor urgently takes over a part (say the main performer got ill)?
(in Russian we literary say 'an urgent putting')
Replies to This Discussion
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"Understudy" is what we call the actor who is studying to take over parts. Would the term be "cover performance"?
A good question!
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Thank you (oh man, that's why I have to blog about it - couldn't figure this out with a dictionary)
anyway, zooming in:
How would you specifically call a rehearsal (especially in the day of the performance) when its only point is to put some new actor in (especially if this actor didn't actually rehearse this part before)? How would you put it in a dialog like this:
- Hey, why is everyone that early, what's going on?
- It's ...... (or) They are....
_________
'understudy' - Would you put it like this: 'Anna is Marry's understudy'?
'cover performance' - Would you put it like this: 'Don't look at Mercutio today, it's just a cover performance'?
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I'm not sure about the rehearsal--I'd perhaps call it a "pick up rehearsal", though that term is used more generally for a show with a long run that rehearses to refresh and fix things. I would say,
"It's a pick-up rehearsal for the understudy that we just hired yesterday..."
You used understudy and cover performance as I would. :-)
If I can ask, what makes you ask? :P
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Thanks for your help Michael!
I'm writing a script for my film project at UCLA. Some of my characters are actors :)
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Permalink Reply by Ted Jones -
A "stand in". Such as "Standing in for Bob Smith this evening, will be John Doe."
Ted
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Thank you!
anyway, zooming in:
How would you specifically call a rehearsal (especially in the day of the performance) when its only point is to put some new actor in (especially if this actor didn't actually rehearse this part before)? How would you put it in a dialog like this:
- Hey, why is everyone that early, what's going on?
- It's ...... (or) They are....
I did find "stand in" in the dictionary btw, and ran into an expression: to be a 'second string'
Do you actually use this one?
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Permalink Reply by Rich Dionne -
In my experience:
The actor is called an "understudy."
The rehearsal is called a "put in."
I've never actually heard a term for a performance with an understudy, though there is often an announcement indicating the casting change, or a stuffer in the playbill: "This evening, the role of 'Hamlet' will be played by John Q. Actor."
Hope this helps!
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Thanks for your help Rich!
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