Review of The Standbys (2014) by Richard M — 20 Oct 2012

This is a nice film. It is engaging, well filmed, in parts emotional, in parts suspenseful, interesting, and informative. One learns about the roller-coaster and often psychologically stressful lives of three standby, understudy, and/or swing actors in their own words and with commentaries from others in the world of stage performances (including other standbys).

We who enjoy such entertainment really never think about these people who have to be often even better prepared and certainly more flexible than those whom they stand in for. The pace of the documentary and the interleaving of segments is generally good, although additional editing could probably make some of the segments even more compelling and turn this into an even better film.

I was really impressed by the personal and stage qualities of the featured actors and how they forthrightly discuss their feelings and the motivations for their choices. The subtext of deep desire and resilience being keys to success at whatever level runs as a thread throughout the film.

Thanks to Stephanie Riggs for making a high quality documentary that honors the unsung heros of stage acting. And thanks to the Tallgrass Film Festival for featuring the film at the close of their 2012 event.