Original Short Film THE UNDERSTUDY Coming to Streaming

After premièring at international film festivals, Stratfest@Home original short The Understudy will make its next stop on its world tour in your very own home. The short film returns to Stratfest@Home, the Stratford Festival’s subscription streaming service, on April 3. It won Best International Short Film at the Montana International Film Festival (MINT) and Best Narrative Short Film at the Tacoma Film Festival. 

In addition to MINT and Tacoma, The Understudy was part of the official programming lineup for another 12 film festivals including St. Louis International Film Festival, Coronado Island Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Hamilton Film Festival, Catalina Film Festival, Anchorage International Film Festival and the new Stratford Film Festival.

Written and directed by Peter Pasyk, The Understudy tells the story of an actor who receives the fateful call that he must go on at the last minute to replace the star of a major stage production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, all while caring for his young granddaughter.

“With this film I wanted to shine a light on the little-known role of the understudy,” says Pasyk. “Understudy actors have a tough gig: they must always be ready to replace an actor, but never know for certain if they will go on. This film is an ode to the unsung working people that dedicate their lives to the arts.”

Filmed at the Festival’s Warehouse and Avon Theatre, our short film features Tom Rooney as Tom, Maria Vacratsis as Stage Manager, André Sills as Actor, Scott Wentworth as Star, Jennifer Villaverde as Wardrobe Attendant, Mike Nadajewski as Wig Attendant, and introduces 10-year-old Mia SwamiNathan as Illy. Appearances are also made by Tim Campbell, Jamillah Ross, Tyrone Savage, Shannon Taylor, and Mateo G. Torres.

The Understudy is produced by Genna Megaw and Paolo Mancini with production design by Debra Hanson. Tom Rooney, Maria Vacratsis and André Sills will reunite for the 2025 season of the Stratford Festival in Macbeth and The Winter's Tale.

The Understudy is available on Stratfest@Home, the Stratford Festival’s subscription streaming service, beginning April 3. Subscribe to Stratfest@Home for just $7.99 a month and gain access to the best in Canadian digital theatrical productions, including the Stratford Festival’s acclaimed Shakespeare films, selected productions from our past seasons, exclusive behind-the-scenes videos and podcasts and original, award-winning digital content from around the world.