ges the ing the nt

Everyman Theatre gratefully acknowledges the
following donors for generously supporting the
Education and Community Engagement
Program:
The Dillon Fund
Eddie C. and C. Sylvia Brown Family Foundation
Edward St. John Foundation
The Goldsmith Family Foundation
Henry & Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg Foundation
Jean & Sidney Silber Foundation
Lockhart Vaughan Foundation
Muller Charitable Foundation
Paul M. Angell Family Foundation
T. Rowe Price Foundation
Season Sponsors:
Insight into the Playwright
Education at Everyman
Upcoming Events!
THERESA REBECK
Theresa Rebeck is a playwright, novelist,
screenwriter, and producer who has found a
balance between working in theatre and
working in TV and film. She grew up in
Cincinnati, and went to Brandeis University
in Massachusetts, where she earned both her
Master’s Degree and PhD.
Rebeck started her career in theatre on offoff-Broadway productions, but eventually
found steady work writing for a TV sitcom.
She described the environment of working
on this sitcom as neurotic, and she felt that
she needed to write about it. One of her early plays, Family of Mann, is
based on her experience there. Since then, she’s written about one play a
year and has now had 15 of her plays produced in New York. This is a
milestone for any playwright, but especially for Rebeck as one of the few a
female playwrights to have this honor.
Most of Theresa Rebeck’s plays are about actors or the business of acting.
She explains in an interview with Roundabout Theatre: “I actually think
my subject is actors because I am very moved by the complexity of what
they do, how they use their whole
selves to express the mysteries of
humanity and survive in a very
difficult, battering environment.”
Most recently, she was the head
writer (known as the showrunner)
and executive producer of the TV
show Smash. The show, which
was about the making of a
Broadway production, was the
perfect combination of her two different worlds: theatre and television.
Plays: Seminar, Good Behavior, Dead Accounts, Bad Dates, Spike
Heels, Our House, The Family of Mann, The Scene.
TV Shows/Movies: Smash, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Third
Watch, NYPD Blue, Catwoman, Harriet the Spy.
$5 Student Tickets to THE WORLD OF THE PLAY
panel series
Waiting in the Wings
What does it take to be an understudy? Join an intimate conversation
around the trials and tribulations, the skills needed, the joy and
challenges in the world of the professional understudy. How does
understudying differ from acting? Get perspectives from both an
understudy and the members of theatre staff who help to pull it off. Why
do some theaters have understudies and others don't?
An understudy from the Broadway musical Beautiful will Skype in from
backstage at the show!
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6th, 5 PM AT EVERYMAN THEATRE
Playwriting for Teens
Do you have a story to tell? Join us as we explore the art of writing for
the stage. Beginning with the basic ingredients of plot, character, and
theme, students will work to transform their ideas into a finished
playscript. From analysis of contemporary plays to brainstorming,
formatting, and finding opportunities to stage your play, this class will
provide an overview of the playwright’s creative process. Perfect for
young creative writers and actors.
SATURDAYS, NOVEMBER 1st-DECEMBER 20th, 10am-12pm
For more information and to register please visit:
www.everymantheatre.org/classes
Questions? Call 443-615-7055 ext. 7142 or email
[email protected]
Resources and primary sources
Insight into the Playwright
THERESA REBECK ON THE UNDERSTUDY
Further Reading:
The Stage Manager’s Toolkit by Laurie Kincman— A fantastic resource
for aspiring stage managers
Buzzfeed article: “Someone Asked Reddit To Explain ‘Kafkaesque’ And
The Response Was Genius” by Daniel Dalton
“When Hollywood Stars Call the Shots on Broadway” by Lyn Gardner;
article in The Guardian
Roundabout Theatre Lecture Series on The Understudy; interview with
Theresa Rebeck
Works Cited:
“Franz Kafka Biography.” Biography. The Biography Channel Website,
2014. Web. 4 Aug 2014.
Gardner, Lyn. “When Hollywood stars call the shots on Broadway.” The
Guardian. The Guardian, 11 Feb 2013. Web. 4 June 2014.
Lowery, Wesley. “In Ferguson, Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery
gives account of his arrest.” The Washington Post. The Washington
Post, 14 Aug 2014. Web. 14 Aug 2014.
Lunden, Jeff. “For Playwright, TV Gigs Make Theater Possible.”
The Understudy: A Study Guide. San Jose Repertory Theatre, 2012.
Web. 4 June 2014.
Wong, Curtis M. “‘Poor Behavior’ Is A Milestone For Playwright Theresa
Rebeck, But She's Already Looking Ahead.” The Huffington Post. The
Huffington Post, 6 Aug 2014. Web. 11 Aug 2014.
Theresa Rebeck knows all
about Kafka. She’s read
everything
he’s
ever
written. She says the
reason she incorporated
Kafka into The Understudy
is because she feels like the
life of the actor can be
Kafkaesque (read more
about what this means in
the section on Kafka later on in the study guide). Whether or not an actor
gets a job depends on a force that’s entirely out of their control. Actors
can get rejected from a job for any reason (too short, too tall, the director
is friends with another actor, their quote is too high, they don’t have
enough star power, etc.) and, more often than not, they never have the
chance to find out why. Much of what Kafka wrote about was these kinds
of mysterious forces that decide someone’s fate.
Interesting facts about The Understudy:



Theresa Rebeck has said the play started out as a monologue she
wrote for a friend.
She finished writing the play in only 11 days!
Bradley Cooper (The Guardians of the Galaxy, The Hangover)
starred in the first production of the play as action star Jake.
LOVE AND THEATRE IN THE UNDERSTUDY
Ultimately, Rebeck says the play is about the love of the theatre, and how
that can bring people together who might otherwise have many
differences. In her own words: “The play is very much about love—
love of art, about people whose lives are defined by their passion for
storytelling… I think that the play traces how all three of the [characters]
fall in love with each other. In theater, hopefully everyone in your cast
and crew does love each other. They are always using the fullness of who
they are and it runs into very, very intimate relationships that slip away
when we all move on. So I think it is more about that.”
Everyman Exclusive
The Play
THE STORY
This
MEET MANDY, cont
laugh-out-loud
comedy
places
the
audience as voyeurs to the backstage tension of
Noun
a frantic Broadway understudy rehearsal.
Meet Harry, the “real” actor who’s just a tad
bitter about his circumstances; he’s just the
understudy.
Jake,
the
g r o s s l y
overpaid,
action movie
star
un·der·stud·y
he’s
1. (in the theater)
a person who
learns
another's role
in order to be
able to act as a
replacement at
short notice.
Verb
1. learn (a role) or
the role played
by (an actor).
Theresa
Rebeck
skillfully uses the play within the
play
(Franz
Kafka's
fictional
undiscovered masterpiece) as a
platform to explore the existential
nature of show business,
and life.
love,
What is the most stressful rehearsal you have ever been
through?
Since this is going to be published, I will craft my response in saying that
when people don't get along with each other, especially actors, it is the
worst thing I have ever experienced. And a big part of what Stage
Managers have to do is try to help everybody do what they need to do
safely and professionally, but the rest is up to them to figure out.
with couldn’t possibly understand the
stage manager happens to be Harry’s
I love being in rehearsal, I love tech, I love working with all the
designers. Watching the final process come together is very exciting to
me, and I get to help do that. No performance happens, in a union
theater, without the Stage Manager present. It can’t happen, they
couldn't do it without you.
ex. And the backstage technician
What does an understudy rehearsal look like?
appears to be high – oh it’s just another day in the glamorous life of the
Playwright
They all have their special place for different reasons. I loved working on
Red, which we did last season. Part of what I think keeps people working
in the theater is that you are always in search of your next favorite
moment. So, the wonderful thing about it is that this is what you are
doing now, but in 4 weeks, it will be like this never happened.
What is your favorite part of Stage Managing?
the tough, yet charmingly lovesick
show together before show time?
What's been your favorite project to work on?
working
play; he’s just a celebrity. Roxanne,
theatre. Will they ever pull the
are supposed to, making sure that all of our union rules are being
followed and keeping everyone safe.
There are two kinds of understudy rehearsals. When someone is sick and
an understudy goes on for that actor, it’s called a “put-in” rehearsal. This
means you are putting somebody into the show, rehearsing them with all
of the sets, lights, costumes, and cast. The Stage Manager’s job is to make
sure they are clear on all the blocking. With a regular understudy
rehearsal, you have rehearsal once a week, where you rehearse the
understudies working on blocking and lines so it is almost second nature.
What advice would you give someone who wanted to go into
Stage Management?
To people who want to be Stage Managers I say watch as much theater as
you can, and talk to as many Stage Managers as possible; they want to
help people. And find an internship--it is a huge lesson in humility and it
is a huge eye opening experience. You will learn very quickly if it is
something you want to do or not.
The Play
Everyman Exclusive
THE SETTING
STAGE MANAGERS
Every play has a stage manager, who is
responsible for making sure that each
show can run successfully. Stage managers
are usually at the theatre an hour before
rehearsal or a play starts and stay an hour
after. Even before rehearsals start, stage
managers are responsible for scheduling
production meetings and keeping the lines
of communication open between the
director and designers. They are the ones
that everyone looks to to be prepared and
thinking ahead. During a show, the stage
manager is in the booth, which has all of
the light and sound controls for the theatre, making sure that all of the
light and sound cues in a show happen when they’re supposed to happen.
In the theatre world, we call this “calling a show.”
Backstage on Broadway: The Play within the Play
The Understudy takes place on the set of a Broadway show currently in
production. The action of the play revolves around the characters
coming together for an understudy rehearsal for the Broadway show.
What happens at an understudy rehearsal?
An understudy rehearsal provides an opportunity for understudies
to practice recreating the roles developed by the original actors in case
they have to go on. For most productions, understudy rehearsals
start the week after the play opens. The Stage Manager will call
understudies in and give them a chance to
After a show is up and running, Stage Managers make sure that the show
doesn’t change too much from what the Director originally intended.
They will sometimes give out artistic notes to make sure this happens.
rehearse lines and blocking (where the actors
MEET MANDY
they pertain to the performances. Understudy
Education Intern Maggie Seymour sat down with
Everyman Theatre’s Resident Stage Manager
Amanda Hall to discuss the reality of her life as a
Stage Manager.
How did you
Management?
get
involved
in
Stage
My first time stage managing was senior year of
high school. It was the first time that I felt at
home, and I felt like I belonged there. I then talked to every Stage
Manager that I could ever talk to, I read every book, and I just knew that
was what I wanted to do.
What does the job of a Stage Manager involve?
Stage Managers are always the first to arrive and the last to leave. In a
rehearsal process, I am the conduit between the director and all the
designers, who get a rehearsal note from me every day with schedules
and questions. I am the person who keeps things running the way they
move onstage). The Stage Manager is looking
for accuracy and will also give acting notes as
rehearsals are attended by the understudies and
the Stage Manager, with limited technical
support.
As understudy rehearsals do not involve the
In The Understudy,
Theresa Rebeck
uses these terms
loosely and the
dynamics of the
rehearsal
presented in the
story do not match
perfectly with the
traditional Stage
Management
definitions.
primary cast members (only the understudies), a put-in rehearsal may
be necessary when it is known that a specific actor will be out and,
therefore a specific understudy will perform in his or her place. A putin is a rehearsal between an understudy and corresponding primary cast
member. It is a specific rehearsal that allows the understudy to work out
important moments and scenes, tricky dialogue or choreography;
anything that could not be replicated in a general understudy
rehearsal.
The Play
Cultural Context
THE CHARACTERS
BROADWAY STARS VS. MOVIE STARS, cont
Roxanne
Roxanne is the Stage Manager of the
Broadway show which creates the backdrop
for Theresa Rebeck’s play. Roxanne used to
be an actress and was at one time engaged to
Harry.
So why are producers letting the celebrities call the shots of what to
produce and when to do it? Mostly, it’s because they know the star power
will draw in audiences and that they’ll make money from it. James
Grieve, who works with a touring company that produces new plays, has
said that it’s hard for a new play to get enough money while on tour
without a big star name in the title. It’s also a great way to bring in
audiences who might not otherwise come to see theatre on their own.
CELEBRITIES WHO HAVE BEEN ON BROADWAY
 Antonio Banderas
 Kristen Bell
 Toni Braxton
 Glenn Close
 Sean "P Diddy" Combs
 Bryan Cranston
 James Franco
 Morgan Freeman
 Whoopi Goldberg
 Terrence Howard
 Hugh Jackman
 Julia Roberts
 Samuel L. Jackson
 Chris Rock
 Carly Rae Jepsen
 Denzel Washington
 Diane Keaton
 Rachel Weisz
 Sarah Jessica Parker
 Vanessa Williams
Jake
Harry
Jake is a known action film
Harry is the understudy for Jake.
star who is trying his hand at
Although unknown, he is a seasoned
a play on Broadway. He
stage actor who battles with the
 What makes you want to see a play? Reviews? Who’s in it?
considers himself a serious
insecure lifestyle his career dictates.
 Would you be more willing to pay to see a show on Broadway if your
actor, while Harry (a “real’”
He is Roxanne’s ex-fiancé. They
stage actor) challenges his
have not seen each other since he
credibility.
left her two weeks before their
wedding six years ago.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
favorite celebrity were in it? Why or why not?
 How many theatre and stage stars can you name off of the top of
your head?
 What makes an actor famous? Is it always because of their acting
talent or is it something else?
The Play
Cultural Context
BROADWAY STARS VS. MOVIE STARS
The theatre business and the film
business used to be two separate
things. There were people who were
Broadway stars in their own right
and then there were film stars. There
would sometimes be an actor who
did both, but it wasn’t usual to see an
actor on Broadway who was in the
movies.
More recently, this culture has been
changing. Not only are many movies
being turned into Broadway shows
(Ghost, Legally Blonde, Spiderman:
Into the Dark), but celebrities are starting to take over the starring roles
on Broadway. Daniel Radcliffe, the star of the Harry Potter series,
recently starred in a Broadway production of How to Succeed in
Business Without Really
Trying even though he
didn’t have previous
experience working in a
musical. If any actor who
wasn’t a celebrity had
tried to do that, she or he
would
never
be
considered for the role.
On top of this, many
celebrities are choosing the plays they want to do and then finding a
producer to make it happen. That’s the opposite of how things usually
work. For example, Scarlett Johannssen wanted to play Maggie in Cat on
a Hot Tin Roof, so she found someone to produce it and then told them
when she was available to do it. Though every actor would love to be able
to do this, it’s not something most actors can do.
THE ‘UNSEEN’ CHARACTERS
Playwright Theresa Rebeck skillfully
weaves elements of Kafka into the play.
As an audience we are aware of several
secondary characters in the play (Laura,
Bruce, Dean, Tony), but never actually
come in contact with them.
Although not physically present in the
play, the unseen actions of these
characters seem to directly affect the
actions of the characters we do see. The
characters we do meet cannot control
these forces. These ‘unseen’ characters
could be viewed as representations of the
“unseen forces” theme that is a staple in
Kafka’s writing. So, the play The
Understudy itself is Kafkaesque.
"I like the fact that
there are forces in this
play that the other
characters have no
control over. This is a
comedy, so they are
comedic forces. But
that was part of it for
me. I find that in Kafka
there are so many
forces that are working
on the people who live
in this strange
universe."
-Theresa Rebeck

Laura: Laura is the unseen stage hand that terrorizes the
understudy rehearsal. While she’s supposed to physically be
in the rehearsal, none of the characters ever see her.

Bruce: Bruce is a mega-film star who has decided to do a
play and is the lead in the play within the play. Playwright
Theresa Rebeck has said that she didn’t base the character of
Bruce off of any specific person.

Dean: Dean is the director of the play within the play. We
hear the characters talk about him and hear a phone
conversation Roxanne has with him, but we never directly see
him.

Tony: Tony is Jake’s agent. He’s another character that we
hear about and hear a phone conversation, but who never
appears onstage.
Historical Context
FRANZ KAFKA
Franz Kafka was a German writer in the
early 1900s. He was born in 1883, and
raised by strict parents who didn’t
understand why their son wanted to
become a writer. His father was
particularly
“And in that recurring
strict, and
dream, I found myself
put a lot of
trapped in some sort
pressure on
of gigantic game of
which I was
K a f k a
unfamiliar with the
because he was the only boy in the family.
rules; lost in a
In order to please his father, Kafka studied
labyrinthine town of
law in college. He eventually started
dark and damp, crissworking at an insurance agency, a job he
crossing streets,
ambiguous characters called his “bread job” (one that would
of uncertain authority make him money). His real passion was
his writing, which he would do at night
and having no idea of
why I was there nor
after work.
what I had to do.”
Kafka developed tuberculosis later in his
- Franz Kafka
life, and died in 1924 when he was only 41
years old. Even though Kafka asked that his stories be destroyed after he
died, his friend and literary executor Max Brod went against this and
published them. Kafka’s stories are now considered to be classics.
WHAT DOES “KAFKAESQUE” MEAN?
The characters in The Understudy use the term “Kafkaesque” to describe
some of the surreal and unbelievable situations they’re put in during
their rehearsal. To give you an idea of what this means, take a look at
some of the recurring themes in Kafka’s works:


Existentialism: The idea that nothing in the world makes
sense, so we can’t understand it.
Bureaucratic Rules: Lots of paperwork, complicated rules,
and waiting in lines (does this sound familiar?).
Historical context
WHAT DOES “KAFKAESQUE” MEAN? cont.





Isolation/Loneliness: Characters feel alone even if they’re
with a group of people.
Unseen forces/characters: We don’t see these characters,
but they are usually a big part of the conflict.
Injustice: Characters not getting what they deserve.
Authoritarian Power: Similar to dictators like Hitler.
Cruelty: Usually from the people in power.
A recent example of something seeming Kafkaesque comes out of the riots
and protests in Ferguson, Missouri. A reporter named Wesley Lowery was
charging his phone in a McDonalds near the protests when police officers
came in to clear the restaurant. His account of what happened is below, as
he reported in The Washington Post:
As I made my way toward the door, the officers gave me
conflicting information. One instructed me to exit to my
left. As I turned left, another officer emerged, blocking my
path. “Go another way,” he said.
As I turned, my backpack, which was slung over one
shoulder, began to slip. I said, “Officers, let me just gather
my bag.” As I did, one of them said, “Okay, let’s take him.”
Multiple officers grabbed me. I tried to turn my back to
them to assist them in arresting me. I dropped the things
from my hands.
“My hands are behind my back,” I said. “I’m not resisting.
I’m not resisting.” At which point one officer said: “You’re
resisting. Stop resisting.” […]
We asked the officers for badge numbers. We asked to
speak to a supervising officer. We asked why we were being
detained. We were told: trespassing in a McDonald’s.
“I hope you’re happy with yourself,” one officer told me.
And I responded: “This story’s going to get out there. It’s
going to be on the front page of The Washington Post
tomorrow.”
And he said, “Yeah, well, you’re going to be in my jail cell
tonight.”
Historical Context
FRANZ KAFKA
Franz Kafka was a German writer in the
early 1900s. He was born in 1883, and
raised by strict parents who didn’t
understand why their son wanted to
become a writer. His father was
particularly
“And in that recurring
strict, and
dream, I found myself
put a lot of
trapped in some sort
pressure on
of gigantic game of
which I was
K a f k a
unfamiliar with the
because he was the only boy in the family.
rules; lost in a
In order to please his father, Kafka studied
labyrinthine town of
law in college. He eventually started
dark and damp, crissworking at an insurance agency, a job he
crossing streets,
ambiguous characters called his “bread job” (one that would
of uncertain authority make him money). His real passion was
his writing, which he would do at night
and having no idea of
why I was there nor
after work.
what I had to do.”
Kafka developed tuberculosis later in his
- Franz Kafka
life, and died in 1924 when he was only 41
years old. Even though Kafka asked that his stories be destroyed after he
died, his friend and literary executor Max Brod went against this and
published them. Kafka’s stories are now considered to be classics.
WHAT DOES “KAFKAESQUE” MEAN?
The characters in The Understudy use the term “Kafkaesque” to describe
some of the surreal and unbelievable situations they’re put in during
their rehearsal. To give you an idea of what this means, take a look at
some of the recurring themes in Kafka’s works:


Existentialism: The idea that nothing in the world makes
sense, so we can’t understand it.
Bureaucratic Rules: Lots of paperwork, complicated rules,
and waiting in lines (does this sound familiar?).
Historical context
WHAT DOES “KAFKAESQUE” MEAN? cont.





Isolation/Loneliness: Characters feel alone even if they’re
with a group of people.
Unseen forces/characters: We don’t see these characters,
but they are usually a big part of the conflict.
Injustice: Characters not getting what they deserve.
Authoritarian Power: Similar to dictators like Hitler.
Cruelty: Usually from the people in power.
A recent example of something seeming Kafkaesque comes out of the riots
and protests in Ferguson, Missouri. A reporter named Wesley Lowery was
charging his phone in a McDonalds near the protests when police officers
came in to clear the restaurant. His account of what happened is below, as
he reported in The Washington Post:
As I made my way toward the door, the officers gave me
conflicting information. One instructed me to exit to my
left. As I turned left, another officer emerged, blocking my
path. “Go another way,” he said.
As I turned, my backpack, which was slung over one
shoulder, began to slip. I said, “Officers, let me just gather
my bag.” As I did, one of them said, “Okay, let’s take him.”
Multiple officers grabbed me. I tried to turn my back to
them to assist them in arresting me. I dropped the things
from my hands.
“My hands are behind my back,” I said. “I’m not resisting.
I’m not resisting.” At which point one officer said: “You’re
resisting. Stop resisting.” […]
We asked the officers for badge numbers. We asked to
speak to a supervising officer. We asked why we were being
detained. We were told: trespassing in a McDonald’s.
“I hope you’re happy with yourself,” one officer told me.
And I responded: “This story’s going to get out there. It’s
going to be on the front page of The Washington Post
tomorrow.”
And he said, “Yeah, well, you’re going to be in my jail cell
tonight.”
The Play
Cultural Context
BROADWAY STARS VS. MOVIE STARS
The theatre business and the film
business used to be two separate
things. There were people who were
Broadway stars in their own right
and then there were film stars. There
would sometimes be an actor who
did both, but it wasn’t usual to see an
actor on Broadway who was in the
movies.
More recently, this culture has been
changing. Not only are many movies
being turned into Broadway shows
(Ghost, Legally Blonde, Spiderman:
Into the Dark), but celebrities are starting to take over the starring roles
on Broadway. Daniel Radcliffe, the star of the Harry Potter series,
recently starred in a Broadway production of How to Succeed in
Business Without Really
Trying even though he
didn’t have previous
experience working in a
musical. If any actor who
wasn’t a celebrity had
tried to do that, she or he
would
never
be
considered for the role.
On top of this, many
celebrities are choosing the plays they want to do and then finding a
producer to make it happen. That’s the opposite of how things usually
work. For example, Scarlett Johannssen wanted to play Maggie in Cat on
a Hot Tin Roof, so she found someone to produce it and then told them
when she was available to do it. Though every actor would love to be able
to do this, it’s not something most actors can do.
THE ‘UNSEEN’ CHARACTERS
Playwright Theresa Rebeck skillfully
weaves elements of Kafka into the play.
As an audience we are aware of several
secondary characters in the play (Laura,
Bruce, Dean, Tony), but never actually
come in contact with them.
Although not physically present in the
play, the unseen actions of these
characters seem to directly affect the
actions of the characters we do see. The
characters we do meet cannot control
these forces. These ‘unseen’ characters
could be viewed as representations of the
“unseen forces” theme that is a staple in
Kafka’s writing. So, the play The
Understudy itself is Kafkaesque.
"I like the fact that
there are forces in this
play that the other
characters have no
control over. This is a
comedy, so they are
comedic forces. But
that was part of it for
me. I find that in Kafka
there are so many
forces that are working
on the people who live
in this strange
universe."
-Theresa Rebeck

Laura: Laura is the unseen stage hand that terrorizes the
understudy rehearsal. While she’s supposed to physically be
in the rehearsal, none of the characters ever see her.

Bruce: Bruce is a mega-film star who has decided to do a
play and is the lead in the play within the play. Playwright
Theresa Rebeck has said that she didn’t base the character of
Bruce off of any specific person.

Dean: Dean is the director of the play within the play. We
hear the characters talk about him and hear a phone
conversation Roxanne has with him, but we never directly see
him.

Tony: Tony is Jake’s agent. He’s another character that we
hear about and hear a phone conversation, but who never
appears onstage.
The Play
Cultural Context
THE CHARACTERS
BROADWAY STARS VS. MOVIE STARS, cont
Roxanne
Roxanne is the Stage Manager of the
Broadway show which creates the backdrop
for Theresa Rebeck’s play. Roxanne used to
be an actress and was at one time engaged to
Harry.
So why are producers letting the celebrities call the shots of what to
produce and when to do it? Mostly, it’s because they know the star power
will draw in audiences and that they’ll make money from it. James
Grieve, who works with a touring company that produces new plays, has
said that it’s hard for a new play to get enough money while on tour
without a big star name in the title. It’s also a great way to bring in
audiences who might not otherwise come to see theatre on their own.
CELEBRITIES WHO HAVE BEEN ON BROADWAY
 Antonio Banderas
 Kristen Bell
 Toni Braxton
 Glenn Close
 Sean "P Diddy" Combs
 Bryan Cranston
 James Franco
 Morgan Freeman
 Whoopi Goldberg
 Terrence Howard
 Hugh Jackman
 Julia Roberts
 Samuel L. Jackson
 Chris Rock
 Carly Rae Jepsen
 Denzel Washington
 Diane Keaton
 Rachel Weisz
 Sarah Jessica Parker
 Vanessa Williams
Jake
Harry
Jake is a known action film
Harry is the understudy for Jake.
star who is trying his hand at
Although unknown, he is a seasoned
a play on Broadway. He
stage actor who battles with the
 What makes you want to see a play? Reviews? Who’s in it?
considers himself a serious
insecure lifestyle his career dictates.
 Would you be more willing to pay to see a show on Broadway if your
actor, while Harry (a “real’”
He is Roxanne’s ex-fiancé. They
stage actor) challenges his
have not seen each other since he
credibility.
left her two weeks before their
wedding six years ago.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
favorite celebrity were in it? Why or why not?
 How many theatre and stage stars can you name off of the top of
your head?
 What makes an actor famous? Is it always because of their acting
talent or is it something else?
The Play
Everyman Exclusive
THE SETTING
STAGE MANAGERS
Every play has a stage manager, who is
responsible for making sure that each
show can run successfully. Stage managers
are usually at the theatre an hour before
rehearsal or a play starts and stay an hour
after. Even before rehearsals start, stage
managers are responsible for scheduling
production meetings and keeping the lines
of communication open between the
director and designers. They are the ones
that everyone looks to to be prepared and
thinking ahead. During a show, the stage
manager is in the booth, which has all of
the light and sound controls for the theatre, making sure that all of the
light and sound cues in a show happen when they’re supposed to happen.
In the theatre world, we call this “calling a show.”
Backstage on Broadway: The Play within the Play
The Understudy takes place on the set of a Broadway show currently in
production. The action of the play revolves around the characters
coming together for an understudy rehearsal for the Broadway show.
What happens at an understudy rehearsal?
An understudy rehearsal provides an opportunity for understudies
to practice recreating the roles developed by the original actors in case
they have to go on. For most productions, understudy rehearsals
start the week after the play opens. The Stage Manager will call
understudies in and give them a chance to
After a show is up and running, Stage Managers make sure that the show
doesn’t change too much from what the Director originally intended.
They will sometimes give out artistic notes to make sure this happens.
rehearse lines and blocking (where the actors
MEET MANDY
they pertain to the performances. Understudy
Education Intern Maggie Seymour sat down with
Everyman Theatre’s Resident Stage Manager
Amanda Hall to discuss the reality of her life as a
Stage Manager.
How did you
Management?
get
involved
in
Stage
My first time stage managing was senior year of
high school. It was the first time that I felt at
home, and I felt like I belonged there. I then talked to every Stage
Manager that I could ever talk to, I read every book, and I just knew that
was what I wanted to do.
What does the job of a Stage Manager involve?
Stage Managers are always the first to arrive and the last to leave. In a
rehearsal process, I am the conduit between the director and all the
designers, who get a rehearsal note from me every day with schedules
and questions. I am the person who keeps things running the way they
move onstage). The Stage Manager is looking
for accuracy and will also give acting notes as
rehearsals are attended by the understudies and
the Stage Manager, with limited technical
support.
As understudy rehearsals do not involve the
In The Understudy,
Theresa Rebeck
uses these terms
loosely and the
dynamics of the
rehearsal
presented in the
story do not match
perfectly with the
traditional Stage
Management
definitions.
primary cast members (only the understudies), a put-in rehearsal may
be necessary when it is known that a specific actor will be out and,
therefore a specific understudy will perform in his or her place. A putin is a rehearsal between an understudy and corresponding primary cast
member. It is a specific rehearsal that allows the understudy to work out
important moments and scenes, tricky dialogue or choreography;
anything that could not be replicated in a general understudy
rehearsal.
Everyman Exclusive
The Play
THE STORY
This
MEET MANDY, cont
laugh-out-loud
comedy
places
the
audience as voyeurs to the backstage tension of
Noun
a frantic Broadway understudy rehearsal.
Meet Harry, the “real” actor who’s just a tad
bitter about his circumstances; he’s just the
understudy.
Jake,
the
g r o s s l y
overpaid,
action movie
star
un·der·stud·y
he’s
1. (in the theater)
a person who
learns
another's role
in order to be
able to act as a
replacement at
short notice.
Verb
1. learn (a role) or
the role played
by (an actor).
Theresa
Rebeck
skillfully uses the play within the
play
(Franz
Kafka's
fictional
undiscovered masterpiece) as a
platform to explore the existential
nature of show business,
and life.
love,
What is the most stressful rehearsal you have ever been
through?
Since this is going to be published, I will craft my response in saying that
when people don't get along with each other, especially actors, it is the
worst thing I have ever experienced. And a big part of what Stage
Managers have to do is try to help everybody do what they need to do
safely and professionally, but the rest is up to them to figure out.
with couldn’t possibly understand the
stage manager happens to be Harry’s
I love being in rehearsal, I love tech, I love working with all the
designers. Watching the final process come together is very exciting to
me, and I get to help do that. No performance happens, in a union
theater, without the Stage Manager present. It can’t happen, they
couldn't do it without you.
ex. And the backstage technician
What does an understudy rehearsal look like?
appears to be high – oh it’s just another day in the glamorous life of the
Playwright
They all have their special place for different reasons. I loved working on
Red, which we did last season. Part of what I think keeps people working
in the theater is that you are always in search of your next favorite
moment. So, the wonderful thing about it is that this is what you are
doing now, but in 4 weeks, it will be like this never happened.
What is your favorite part of Stage Managing?
the tough, yet charmingly lovesick
show together before show time?
What's been your favorite project to work on?
working
play; he’s just a celebrity. Roxanne,
theatre. Will they ever pull the
are supposed to, making sure that all of our union rules are being
followed and keeping everyone safe.
There are two kinds of understudy rehearsals. When someone is sick and
an understudy goes on for that actor, it’s called a “put-in” rehearsal. This
means you are putting somebody into the show, rehearsing them with all
of the sets, lights, costumes, and cast. The Stage Manager’s job is to make
sure they are clear on all the blocking. With a regular understudy
rehearsal, you have rehearsal once a week, where you rehearse the
understudies working on blocking and lines so it is almost second nature.
What advice would you give someone who wanted to go into
Stage Management?
To people who want to be Stage Managers I say watch as much theater as
you can, and talk to as many Stage Managers as possible; they want to
help people. And find an internship--it is a huge lesson in humility and it
is a huge eye opening experience. You will learn very quickly if it is
something you want to do or not.
Resources and primary sources
Insight into the Playwright
THERESA REBECK ON THE UNDERSTUDY
Further Reading:
The Stage Manager’s Toolkit by Laurie Kincman— A fantastic resource
for aspiring stage managers
Buzzfeed article: “Someone Asked Reddit To Explain ‘Kafkaesque’ And
The Response Was Genius” by Daniel Dalton
“When Hollywood Stars Call the Shots on Broadway” by Lyn Gardner;
article in The Guardian
Roundabout Theatre Lecture Series on The Understudy; interview with
Theresa Rebeck
Works Cited:
“Franz Kafka Biography.” Biography. The Biography Channel Website,
2014. Web. 4 Aug 2014.
Gardner, Lyn. “When Hollywood stars call the shots on Broadway.” The
Guardian. The Guardian, 11 Feb 2013. Web. 4 June 2014.
Lowery, Wesley. “In Ferguson, Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery
gives account of his arrest.” The Washington Post. The Washington
Post, 14 Aug 2014. Web. 14 Aug 2014.
Lunden, Jeff. “For Playwright, TV Gigs Make Theater Possible.”
The Understudy: A Study Guide. San Jose Repertory Theatre, 2012.
Web. 4 June 2014.
Wong, Curtis M. “‘Poor Behavior’ Is A Milestone For Playwright Theresa
Rebeck, But She's Already Looking Ahead.” The Huffington Post. The
Huffington Post, 6 Aug 2014. Web. 11 Aug 2014.
Theresa Rebeck knows all
about Kafka. She’s read
everything
he’s
ever
written. She says the
reason she incorporated
Kafka into The Understudy
is because she feels like the
life of the actor can be
Kafkaesque (read more
about what this means in
the section on Kafka later on in the study guide). Whether or not an actor
gets a job depends on a force that’s entirely out of their control. Actors
can get rejected from a job for any reason (too short, too tall, the director
is friends with another actor, their quote is too high, they don’t have
enough star power, etc.) and, more often than not, they never have the
chance to find out why. Much of what Kafka wrote about was these kinds
of mysterious forces that decide someone’s fate.
Interesting facts about The Understudy:



Theresa Rebeck has said the play started out as a monologue she
wrote for a friend.
She finished writing the play in only 11 days!
Bradley Cooper (The Guardians of the Galaxy, The Hangover)
starred in the first production of the play as action star Jake.
LOVE AND THEATRE IN THE UNDERSTUDY
Ultimately, Rebeck says the play is about the love of the theatre, and how
that can bring people together who might otherwise have many
differences. In her own words: “The play is very much about love—
love of art, about people whose lives are defined by their passion for
storytelling… I think that the play traces how all three of the [characters]
fall in love with each other. In theater, hopefully everyone in your cast
and crew does love each other. They are always using the fullness of who
they are and it runs into very, very intimate relationships that slip away
when we all move on. So I think it is more about that.”
Insight into the Playwright
Education at Everyman
Upcoming Events!
THERESA REBECK
Theresa Rebeck is a playwright, novelist,
screenwriter, and producer who has found a
balance between working in theatre and
working in TV and film. She grew up in
Cincinnati, and went to Brandeis University
in Massachusetts, where she earned both her
Master’s Degree and PhD.
Rebeck started her career in theatre on offoff-Broadway productions, but eventually
found steady work writing for a TV sitcom.
She described the environment of working
on this sitcom as neurotic, and she felt that
she needed to write about it. One of her early plays, Family of Mann, is
based on her experience there. Since then, she’s written about one play a
year and has now had 15 of her plays produced in New York. This is a
milestone for any playwright, but especially for Rebeck as one of the few a
female playwrights to have this honor.
Most of Theresa Rebeck’s plays are about actors or the business of acting.
She explains in an interview with Roundabout Theatre: “I actually think
my subject is actors because I am very moved by the complexity of what
they do, how they use their whole
selves to express the mysteries of
humanity and survive in a very
difficult, battering environment.”
Most recently, she was the head
writer (known as the showrunner)
and executive producer of the TV
show Smash. The show, which
was about the making of a
Broadway production, was the
perfect combination of her two different worlds: theatre and television.
Plays: Seminar, Good Behavior, Dead Accounts, Bad Dates, Spike
Heels, Our House, The Family of Mann, The Scene.
TV Shows/Movies: Smash, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Third
Watch, NYPD Blue, Catwoman, Harriet the Spy.
$5 Student Tickets to THE WORLD OF THE PLAY
panel series
Waiting in the Wings
What does it take to be an understudy? Join an intimate conversation
around the trials and tribulations, the skills needed, the joy and
challenges in the world of the professional understudy. How does
understudying differ from acting? Get perspectives from both an
understudy and the members of theatre staff who help to pull it off. Why
do some theaters have understudies and others don't?
An understudy from the Broadway musical Beautiful will Skype in from
backstage at the show!
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6th, 5 PM AT EVERYMAN THEATRE
Playwriting for Teens
Do you have a story to tell? Join us as we explore the art of writing for
the stage. Beginning with the basic ingredients of plot, character, and
theme, students will work to transform their ideas into a finished
playscript. From analysis of contemporary plays to brainstorming,
formatting, and finding opportunities to stage your play, this class will
provide an overview of the playwright’s creative process. Perfect for
young creative writers and actors.
SATURDAYS, NOVEMBER 1st-DECEMBER 20th, 10am-12pm
For more information and to register please visit:
www.everymantheatre.org/classes
Questions? Call 443-615-7055 ext. 7142 or email
[email protected]
Everyman Theatre gratefully acknowledges the
following donors for generously supporting the
Education and Community Engagement
Program:
The Dillon Fund
Eddie C. and C. Sylvia Brown Family Foundation
Edward St. John Foundation
The Goldsmith Family Foundation
Henry & Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg Foundation
Jean & Sidney Silber Foundation
Lockhart Vaughan Foundation
Muller Charitable Foundation
Paul M. Angell Family Foundation
T. Rowe Price Foundation
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