Just don't look down

Who needs a safety net? Actors in amateur productions don't. They don't have understudies for emergencies. They just have to be there, night after night, so the show can go on. But what happens, you may well ask, if there is an emergency? Well, I am finding out!
The first time, it was during Post Horn Gallop at Samford last year. An actor had a very bad migraine and could not even lift her head off the pillow. The director knew a woman who had played the part years earlier and she stepped in. Her role was one of a tourist guide, so her holding a clipboard and referring to it was not out of character. Of course, she had the script on stage! Yet the audience didn't even realise. What a trooper!
The second time was during the most recent play, The Hollow. But it was during the later stages of rehearsals. An actor became very ill and had to pull out. I replaced him, taking on a more major role. A new actor was found to take on my somewhat smaller role. The new guy was a seasoned actor and took no time making the role his own - and won quite a bit of audience admiration in the process.
Now we come to the third time. We are in the early stages of rehearsing for Deathtrap. The actor due to play the main role has had to withdraw because of serious illness. Another actor has been found - one I have previously played opposite in Black Coffee. Given that we are in the early stages of rehearsals, I don't see this as a problem.
But there is a bigger issue here: should there be understudies? Well, it's tough. I wouldn't want to be an understudy. It means learning lines and probably not getting so much as one chance to appear on the stage - even though you work as hard as the guy getting all the applause at curtain call! Or is this saying something about the size of my ego?
Anyway, this is where I skip to the last of my thoughts (my brain can only have so many at once). Things come in threes and I have had my three emergencies. I am not jinxed. Just things happening as they should, in threes. The reason these emergencies have been so deftly handled is that people in amateur theatre are so damned resourceful and practical. I hope it rubs off on me! Meanwhile, it's back on the highwire without a safety net for me...