Life as an understudy

In the program she's listed as "Parlor Maid" and "Crowd." But at a moment's notice, Perci Hale '22 can transform into any of the female characters in the USI/New Harmony Theatre co-production of Pygmalion, continuing through Sunday, February 17 in USI's Performance Center. "I'm the general female understudy," Hale explains, "so if any female were to get sick or injured, I would have to go on for them."

Elliot Wasserman, chair of USI's Performing Arts Department and the director of Pygmalion, doesn't always cast understudies. "But in a show like this where there is so much emphasis on a single actor or one or two actors, we like to make sure that we have some backup." Hale, whom Wasserman recruited and describes as "an exceptional young lady," impressed him enough to earn the responsibility.

The Montgomery, Alabama, native was at the grocery store when she found out she was expected to learn every word uttered by every woman in the show-in her first collegiate production. "I had been waiting for the cast list, so when I found it, I screamed," she recalls. "Someone behind me was like, 'Oh, you're excited, aren't ya?' I said, 'yes'-and then I ran off because I didn't want them to think I was crazy!"

Crazy? No. A little overwhelmed? Who wouldn't be.

It didn't take long, however, for Hale to embrace Wasserman's challenge. "It still is extremely exciting, but it's also extremely nerve-wracking," she admits. "You have to know everything from lines to accents, as well as blocking, which is basically the movement that they do around the stage."

To make that happen, Hale attends every rehearsal involving any of the female characters, including the leading role of Eliza Doolittle, played by Ashtyn Cornett '19. "I use that time to take down notes," she says, "or I'll get with one of the characters during the break and say, 'Hey, can I see your script?'"

"In some ways she may be the hardest working person, just sitting in her chair off to the side watching Ashtyn rehearse Eliza," Wasserman contends. "It's an exceedingly difficult thing to be an understudy. It's hard to make yourself ready when you don't have a lot of people practicing with you and focusing on you. You've got to focus on yourself."

Despite the many hours she's spent watching and rehearsing, the audience will likely never see Hale deliver one of Doolittle's lines. Wasserman compares the situation to that of a sidelined baseball player. "You're sitting in the dugout hoping that you get called to pinch hit," he offers, "and the World Series goes by-and you didn't get called."

If that happens, Hale will be perfectly happy. She wants everyone stays healthy.

"But if you need me," she says with a laugh, "I'm here."

Read about the professional actors joining Hale and the rest of the USI student cast in Pygmalion

Learn more about New Harmony Theatre local auditions happening February 16-17 at USI

Elliot Wasserman talks about Pygmalion and USI Theatre