I study under things: My ode to being Fred for a night

First off, thank you Will for that loverly post about understudies. Good timing.

When I read I would be understudy for Fred, I was actually more excited about that than Lady Rowena (who turned out to be pretty cooky and funny anyway). I knew no one would see my performance, and I always hear complaints about being an understudy...

You have to learn all the lines and blocking and notes but never go out and get the same recognition.

Despite this, I decided to give my all to Mini-Fred.

I went to Laura's practices, scribbled notes and felt silly being there, but all the same I showed up.

For a while I familiarized myself with Fred's lines, but not doing it daily and focusing on Lady R's blocking made my memory fade.

But Laura always shows up, right?

Not exactly. Not tonight.

I was nervous. I thought people would be mad at me for not knowing everything, so I decided to put all my energy into it.

Laura, you go girl, have Fred back, but being her for one night, although via speed-through, was an AMAZING experience for me. I had sugar-high feel the whole two hours.

I didn't know the blocking well enough for "Happily Ever After," and I didn't get the "Out lumps!" part down, but the rest I really put my all into.

And now I'm exhausted.

So, for all you understudies out there, please learn your lines, your blocking. One night, even if it isn't an official night, you may need to stand in.

And knowing your stuff makes you, and everyone else, have a great time.

As Will said, yay for understudies!