Ready at Moment’s Notice:
When the stage lights fade on and Dorothy, (played by senior Annie Rossi) steps on the rehearsal stage, her understudy, freshman Ayla Jolly-Ballantine is in the wings, script in hand, marking the staging, quietly mouthing every line, and ready to step on stage without hesitation if something goes wrong.
the role of understudy for Dorothy in the
‘Wizard of Oz,’ this spring (Maggie Whritenour)
As ELHS prepares to bring a brilliant performance of “The Wizard of Oz” to life on stage starting March 13, understudies like Jolly-Ballantine are rehearsing intensely along with the leads to ensure that the show can go on if emergency strikes.
Often, understudies rehearse as if they are the lead without even needing to step in and bow in that role. In this year’s production, many understudies also balance their role in the ensemble as they learn principal parts, attend every rehearsal, and prepare to step into the spotlight at a moment’s notice.
Learning Two Roles at Once:
While audiences tend to focus on students playing the leads, many students behind them spend hours rehearsing lines, songs, transitions, and choreography to bring the story to life. The show’s music director, Emily Lattanzi, emphasizes that the ensemble is far more than background support.
The Power of the Ensemble:
With nearly 20 to 25 students filling roles such as Munchkins, Winkies, and Poppies, the majority of the production rests on the strength of the ensemble’s stage presence and vocal power.
“Ensemble is the life of the show. They’re the grit, they’re the meat of the show,” Lattanzi said.
In addition to being a member of the ensemble, Jolly-Ballantine focuses on memorizing every line and movement of
the main character, Dorothy’s role. Jolly-Ballantine is not new to this understudy role and has also had some moments of her own, dabbling in lead roles. She stepped into the life of Matilda in ELMS’ “Matilda Jr.” and the Dragon in “Shrek Jr.”
“We learn the lead roles blocking, as well as the ensemble blocking. Oftentimes, the principal roles will learn certain blocking while the ensemble learns different blocking, so it’s our job to study both,” Jolly-Ballantine said.
Sometimes this means being on stage twice if Dorothy and ensemble are on stage at the same time. According to Lattanzi, being an understudy may be one of the most demanding roles in the production.
“You need to treat it as though you were given the lead, you need to be ready at the drop of a hat,” Lattanzi explained.
She continues to practice the role of Dorothy by reviewing her script as much as possible and observing Dorothy’s scenes during show runs. While balancing school and social life, the typical rehearsal week is about 15 hours, which is a struggle for many cast members, and balancing rehearsals with her other commitments is Jolly-Ballantine’s hardest part of rehearsing for this show, even though the ensemble may not have as many lines or songs as lead roles like Glinda and Dorothy.
Preparing for Opening Night:
As the opening night crawls closer and closer, rehearsals continue to grow longer after school. While the spotlight shines the brightest on Dorothy’s stroll down the yellow brick road, students like Jolly-Ballantine fill the stage with their fellow ensemble members guiding Dorothy’s journey.
“If your eyes and ears are only on the main characters, you’re going to miss a lot of what the magic of the show is all about. The ensemble is the magic of that storytelling,” Lattanzi added.
