Understudy dreaming

mr. bills, the director of the school play, just delivered unbelievable news to the entire cast and crew. this year, now, today, i am no longer exclusively working with the backstage crew. i took a chance, auditioned, and now i, gabriela sanchez, am the understudy for the lead, and it’s a juicy role! granted, it’s just the understudy, but i’ve got to be ready every night, just like willow chambers, who plays the lead. willow is an excellent actress, and she’s won every part that she’s ever auditioned for, but if she ever gets sick, i’m in! obviously, i do not want willow to get sick, because she is a very kind, generous girl who is always willing to paint some backdrops or go thrifting for a prop. but if she does catch one of the nasty viruses floating around drama club, i will save the play. okay, so i still have to work backstage with the sets and costumes and make sure the actors have what they need, but now i’ve also got to be ready at a moment’s notice to take the stage, recite my lines convincingly, and perform just like a real, regular stage actress.

can you imagine what that’s like? it’s practically shakespearean! think of the dramatic potential: unknown young woman waiting patiently in the wings for that chance—that small, fateful chance—to be discovered. as i said, i definitely don’t want anything to happen to willow, but if something unfortunate should happen to her—say she catches the flu or breaks her arm or something—i get to go on in her place. the stage waits for no one because as the old saying goes: “the show must go on! ” maybe i’ll get discovered by a talent agent or a producer or something. i mean, i do live in new york, the theater center of the universe, and someone in the play may have an uncle or a cousin who’s in show business. so it’s possible! anyway, back to shakespeare. that’s who we’re doing this year, performing his tragic play romeo and juliet. i can just see me there on the balcony, all lovely in my long, flowing gown, wistfully speaking those lines, “oh romeo, romeo, wherefore art thou, romeo? ” i’d be a good juliet, too, and i’d be the sun, just like romeo says, glowing, shining—his light in the dark! how romantic is that? and romeo would be so enchanted by me!

but, well, back to reality because i am only the understudy and not the star—not yet anyway. i’m so glad mr. bills encouraged me to audition. he could see past my prosthetic leg, see my hidden talent trying to burst forth, and see that i could do more than the actors with a quick costume change. understudy is a small step, but understudies have gone on to become famous in show business on both stage and screen. but i’m getting ahead of myself here. i may never even get on stage; still, i’ll have to mr. bills for encouraging me and seeing that i am more than a stagehand, prosthetic leg and all!

blogging off!

gabriela
how does gabriela’s allusion to an old saying in the sentence develop this passage?

the stage waits for no one because as the old saying goes: "the show must go on! "

it demonstrates her disdain for clichés.

it shows her confidence in her acting abilities.

it highlights her sense of importance to the cast and crew.

it emphasizes her awareness of theater traditions.