Article May 21, 2012 Issue

When the spotlight shines on someone else

Allison Knight

I have always loved the freedom of expression that singing and dancing bring. When I’m dancing, I feel so much joy, and I have loved performing in regional musical theater productions throughout the years. 

During my third year at college, I auditioned for a production of A Chorus Line, thinking I was practically guaranteed to be cast in a leading role. I had been cast in previous productions at this theater and knew the staff and production team. So I went into the audition feeling confident in my abilities, grateful for the training I was receiving in my college musical theater classes, and fully expecting to be one of the leads.

I did get cast, but it was far from what I had expected. The theater company wanted me to be a “swing,” an understudy who covers multiple roles. In my case, this meant learning the roles of three different women in the cast. Should one of them ever need a substitute to perform in her absence, I would step in. The three women I was understudying had parts that I’d desperately wanted. To be the swing meant I had to attend every rehearsal and learn three different sets of lines, lyrics, and dance steps that I was not guaranteed ever to perform. Feeling defeated and deflated, but still wanting to be part of the show, I accepted the offer.