Ursula’s Understudy

Of Sanctification and Sea Witches

This week is tech week for my daughter, Piper—basically the final stretch of rehearsals before curtain call for her middle school’s production of The Little Mermaid. It’s a week full of late nights, stage makeup, and running lines until 8:30pm. It’s chaotic, yes, but it’s also the sweetest part of the process, in my opinion. The butterflies start to stir, and the bonds between castmates deepen in a way that only shared nerves and backstage snacks can create.

We’ve ridden the rollercoaster of school theatre before, but this show is different. This time, Piper isn’t front and center in a lead role. She’s in the ensemble and serving as the understudy for Ursula.

And let me just be honest here…being an understudy kind of stinks.