Ready at Moment's Notice: When the stage lights fade on and Dorothy, (played by senior Annie Rossi) steps on the rehearsal stage, her understudy, freshman Ayla Jolly-Ballantine is in the wings, script in hand, marking the staging, quietly mouthing every line, and ready to step on stage without hesitation if something goes wrong. As ELHS prepares to bring a brilliant performance of “The Wizard of Oz” to life on stage starting March 13, understudies like Jolly-Ballantine are rehearsing intensely along with the leads to ensure that the show can go on if emergency strikes. Often, understudies rehearse as if they are the lead without even needing to step in and bow in that role. In this year’s production, many understudies also balance their role in the ensemble as they learn principal...