5 min read
How to read a Playbill
The cast list, the understudy slip, the song list and the credits: what every page of a theater program is telling you.
An usher hands you a program at the door. On Broadway and at many touring and regional theaters it is a Playbill, the familiar magazine with the yellow banner; elsewhere it may be a booklet, a folded sheet, or a QR code. It is free, and it is full of useful things if you know where to look. Here is a tour, in roughly the order you will find it.
The title page
The title page lists the show's name, the writers, and the production's key credits. For a musical you will see three kinds of writing credit: music, lyrics and book. Sometimes one person did two or all three. "Based on" credits name the novel, film or story it was adapted from. Above the title you may see the producers or the theater's name, and sometimes a star whose name is billed above the title.
The cast list
The cast list pairs each character with the actor playing them, usually in order of appearance or importance. Below the principals comes the ensemble. Next you will find understudies, swings and standbys: the performers ready to step in if someone is out. Knowing who covers which role is part of the fun for regulars.
The slip of paper
If a small printed slip falls out of the program, or there is a sign in the lobby, it means an understudy or standby is playing a role tonight. It is not bad news. Understudies know the part inside out, and seeing one can be the most exciting performance of the run.
The scenes and the songs
Many programs list the time and place of the story ("A small town in Ohio, 1953") and, for a musical, the song list for each act, with who sings each number. Glance at it before the show and you will know roughly where you are in the evening; at intermission it tells you what is still to come. The overture and entr'acte are the instrumental pieces that open each act.
Who's who
The biographies of the cast and creative team come next: where they trained, what else they have done, and often a line of thanks to their families. In community theater these bios are often the most charming pages of all, full of day jobs and first roles.
The creative team
The director shapes the whole production. The choreographer creates the dances. The music director teaches the songs and usually conducts the band. The designers are credited for scenery, costumes, lighting and sound, and sometimes projections, wigs and props. The stage manager runs every performance. For a new play you may see a dramaturg, who advises on the script and its history.
Notes and extras
Regional theaters often include an essay about the play, its history and why they chose it. Read it at intermission or on the way home; before the show it can give away more than you want. Programs also list the band, the theater's staff, donors and volunteers, upcoming shows, and sometimes a note about accessible performances.
Keep it
Plenty of theatergoers keep every program they have ever been handed. It is the one free souvenir in the building. If you want a record of your nights out online too, mark productions "I'm going" on this site and they collect on your profile.
Written by PlayhouseFinder. Dotted words open a short definition; the full glossary is here.