A White Girl's Understudy

by Isabel Beatriz Tongson

Lyn Wong has achieved her childhood dream. She is an off-stage understudy in the new
Broadway play Speakeasy Love and covers the lead female role. During a performance, the man
she is in love with and also the male lead of Speakeasy Love-- Ben Muller-- begins to question
whether he is truly in love with his co-star-- Sienna Russo-- whom Lyn covers for. Lyn imagines
herself in scenarios onstage playing...

Lyn Wong has achieved her childhood dream. She is an off-stage understudy in the new
Broadway play Speakeasy Love and covers the lead female role. During a performance, the man
she is in love with and also the male lead of Speakeasy Love-- Ben Muller-- begins to question
whether he is truly in love with his co-star-- Sienna Russo-- whom Lyn covers for. Lyn imagines
herself in scenarios onstage playing opposite of Ben, but the drama of Speakeasy Love bleeds
into her reality as she is forced to confront the truth of her job. Lyn recalls memories with fellow
understudy-- Andrew Halston, crew member-- Taylor Castorena Perez, and stage manager-- Bo Reed,
all of whom are artists that have been forced out of the spotlight. When a connection with Ben at
intermission leads to him and Sienna's relationship spiraling mid-performance, Lyn recalls a
memory key to why she wanted to be an actor in the first place. With a new opportunity for Lyn
to be a principal actor opposite Ben, Lyn must ask herself if her greatest desires are truly what
she wants and if they are authentic to the artist she is.

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A White Girl's Understudy

Recommended by

  • Shaun Leisher: A White Girl's Understudy by Isabel Beatriz Tongson
    “

    I really enjoyed this play. A one-act told in real-time that shows what it can be like to live the life of a Broadway understudy. I was really moved by what this play had to say about race. In this show, Lyn knows she is making audiences believe she is white and she yearns for something else. I loved the moments between Lyn and Andrew as they connected with each other being the understudies of color in this show. I really found myself rooting for Lyn throughout this play. Produce this play

    I really enjoyed this play. A one-act told in real-time that shows what it can be like to live the life of a Broadway understudy. I was really moved by what this play had to say about race. In this show, Lyn knows she is making audiences believe she is white and she yearns for something else. I loved the moments between Lyn and Andrew as they connected with each other being the understudies of color in this show. I really found myself rooting for Lyn throughout this play. Produce this play

    ”
Lyn Wong - late 20s; Asian-American; she/her; the kind of actor that we always see robbed of complex characters, a hard worker, down to earth, Delaney Thornton understudy
Benedict (Ben) Muller - late 20s; white; he/him; an actor that is the definition of committed, gets a little too comfortable in his characters' skins, grew up privileged, Jasper Rutherford principal actor
Aduni (Andrew) Halston - early 30s; African; he/they; a musical theatre actor who finds themself in a straight play, addicted to cough drops, Jasper Rutherford understudy
Taylor Castorena Perez - early 30s; Latina; she/they; so happy to be here, full of other peoples' secrets, assistant to the assistant stage manager of Speakeasy Love
Sienna Russo - late 20s (but younger than Ben and Lyn); white; she/her; an actor that makes money, probably played Matilda on Broadway at age 12; Delaney Thornton principal actor
Bo Reed - late 30s; Black; they/them; a wise siege presence, a God voice on a god mic, the backbone of Speakeasy Love (stage manager)
*Note: these characters' ethnicities were changed to match the most recent production cast

Development History

  • Reading, Ensemble Theatre Company, 2024
  • Workshop, NOMADS Columbia University, 2023

Production History

  • Professional, The Chain Theatre NYC, 2025

Awards

  • WordPlay Festival
    NOMADS Columbia University
    Selection
    2023