As opening week approached for the musical at Colorado Mesa University “Thoroughly Modern Millie” more and more of the cast began to fall ill.
“I believe Carly was the first, but then the cast was hit with tonsillitis, a stomach bug and three cases of strep, myself being one of them,” Anna Dworkin, who plays Ruth and is the understudy for Millie, said. “It was amazing how so many people were sick, but all with different things.”
Carly Nugent who was playing the lead fell ill with tonsillitis. At noon on Friday Nugent, the director, the music director and Dworkin all met and it was decided that Dworkin would go on as Millie at the Friday night performance.
“Although she [Carly] was on the mend, she didn’t feel as though she was at her best to perform,” Dworkin said. “The director double checked that I was feeling alright and we just went from there.”
As an understudy Dworkin had to know Nugent’s part as well as know her own part.
“It was a surprise and not a surprise all at the same time. I have been an understudy a few times before at CMU, but I have never actually had to go on for someone. In the professional world, understudies are used all the time because there are hundreds of performances, but in college it’s not the same. We have fewer performances and the main cast members almost never get sick. But, in this case, Carly had started to feel under the weather a few days before we opened so I knew it was a possibility that I would go on. However, it wasn’t until I was actually told ‘Be prepared, you are going on tonight,’ that the fear and reality of the situation set in,” Dworkin said.
When Dworkin stepped in as Millie, Cassidy Phillips had to take over Dworkin’s other role of Ruth who is one of the main Priscilla girls and a large part of the ensemble. Phillips is considered a swing which means that she is the understudy for all of the women ensemble.
“So, when I found out I was going in for Millie, Cassidy quickly stepped up and learned my Ruth character so she could cover me,” Dworkin said.
Dworkin explained that although she had been studying the part and was ready, that she was fearful of going on.
“Honestly, I was just really scared. Never in my wildest dreams did I think of this scenario happening, so when it did, I didn’t know how I was supposed to feel. I had a rush of emotions that involved excitement, fear. I was worried because I knew I wasn’t as prepared as I wanted to be, and also felt awful for the situation itself. It was cool that I was getting to perform, but I didn’t like the reasoning behind it,” Dworkin explained.
Dworkin gives credit to all of the cast for putting on the performance Friday night.
“I am so proud of not only myself for somehow being able to get through the show, but I am also so grateful for the rest of the cast and crew because they really made last night happen. I did the best I could on my own, but it was because I had so much help from other that it was such a successful show,” Dworkin said.
With the amount of hours and dedication the cast and crew has put into this musical, it can be difficult to get sick and pull off a performance and to have understudies step in.
As Brooklyn Buhre who is part of the cast puts it, “It attest to our passion for theater when we push through to give the show the audience deserves.”
