“But the role of the understudy is not to bring their own interpretation to the role,” he continues. “It's playing the role as the actor you're replacing played it. So, in effect, you're not playing Orlando. You're playing Jeroen Gosslers playing Orlando."
But Jeroen's Orlando is all wrong, I mean. It's all machismo and capering and nothing revealing; and without vulnerability, Rosalind wouldn't love him, and if Rosalind doesn't love him, why should the audience care? I mean: let me do this. Let me get it right this time.
But I don't say anything about that. And Petra just looks at me. Then finally ask, "Do you think you can handle that?"
Petra smiles again. How foolish of me, of all people, not to recognize her smile for what it was. “We can still cancel for this weekend,” he says, his
