Feature: WAITING IN THE WINGS at Ogunquit Playhouse

(In the opening night cast party photo, Rhagan Carter is the fourth from the right in the second row.)

There is an old, time-honored cliché in the theater world that the show must go on. But if you want to know who actually keeps the gears turning when a massive, Broadway-scale production faces the unexpected, you don’t look at the names splashed above the marquee. You look to the wings. You look for the swings.

On opening night of the Ogunquit Playhouse’s spectacular current production of Hello, Dolly!, I had the distinct honor of sitting next to Rhagan Carter. A self-proclaimed "born and bred girl" from Oklahoma, Carter is making her Ogunquit debut as one of those vital "swings" who must be ready to replace an onstage actor at a literal minute’s notice.

“I swing for about five different characters and understudy for Minnie Fay, the assistant in the hat shop,” Carter told me. Right before the curtain went up, she sauntered into the vacant seat next to mine, preparing to watch the production for about the fifth time. She is undoubtedly an essential part of this powerhouse company, even if she wasn't under the footlights on this particular evening. When I asked her what it’s like to navigate such an unpredictable role, she simply beamed and said, “It’s fun.”

Carter is just starting out in a promising career where she already excels at dance. She is a graduate of Pace University’s prestigious commercial dance program in New York City—widely recognized as one of the top programs of its kind in the country. It trains performers in everything from ballet and hip-hop to aerial arts and jazz, all while honing the precise acting and vocal skills required to be a truly well-rounded threat on stage.

She has already built up an impressive resume, appearing in the ensemble of White Christmas and Oklahoma!, and tackling featured roles like Kristine in A Chorus Line and Rumpleteazer in Cats. She has also served as an associate director and choreographer for numerous productions, clearly thriving whether she is in the thick of the live onstage adventure or steering the ship from the creative team.

Her journey to the coast of Maine began with an intense two-week rehearsal period in New York City. From there, the company landed on the Ogunquit stage the exact minute the venue's previous production vacated the space.

“We rehearse in New York and then go right into tech rehearsals the moment we get here,” Carter explained. For a first-time visitor to the Pine Tree State, the stop in Ogunquit has been a thrill. “The staff at the theater is so welcoming, and it is great to work with this cast. I’ve walked around downtown Ogunquit and really hope to take in some other local spots while I'm here.”

As a swing for a grand-scale show like Hello, Dolly!, the job description is equal parts exhilarating and terrifying. While the principal actors focus on mastering a single track, a swing must memorize multiple ensemble roles—entirely separate vocabularies of movement, complex vocal harmonies, shifting prop cues, and precise stage traffic. On any given afternoon, Carter might arrive at the historic theater on Main Street not knowing which costume she will be wearing by the time the house lights dim or whether she will simply be watching the show from the audience.

At intermission, I asked her if there was ever a realistic chance she would have to go on mid-show as an emergency replacement. She smiled and said, “It is definitely a possibility.” Right on cue, she pointed to her watch, which had just given her the silent electronic signal that her backstage coverage wasn't needed for the second act.

For this particular run, Carter already knows she is scheduled to fill in for a specific part next week. But things are rarely that predictable. She noted that it is entirely possible for a swing or understudy to go through the entire run of a production and never perform on stage at all.

Ironically, as we sat watching Hello, Dolly!, I was reminded of Carol Channing’s legendary, iron-clad string of performances in this title role. Channing was so famously consistent about her stage schedule that her understudies virtually never got the chance to perform in her absence.

Watching Carter view the performance from the audience is almost like witnessing a high-stakes sporting event. She is constantly rooting for her teammates on stage, offering up rollicking applause and the occasional hoot and holler after an exceptionally fine musical number.

When the final curtain fell, Carter joined the entire opening night crowd in a roaring standing ovation, visibly thrilled by how beautifully the show was performed.

And while the name Rhagan Carter might not be plastered on the billboards out on Route 1, she carries the quiet pride of knowing that she and her fellow swings are the literal safety net ensuring that the show will always go on.

Does she have a dream role in mind for the future?

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