The Death of the Understudy Slip — Page 4

I'm still not sure why so many shows are still using the paper slips

Although the the slips are no longer required, there's no prohibition on them. Any production could continue to use them if they wanted.

Went to see Chess last week and saw the QR code in the corner, not really obvious at all. If I didn't look for it, I would've just assumed who I'm seeing on the stage is the cast printed in the Playbill itself. Didn't like it.

Also, is it me or have the "At This Theatre..." disappear also? Last couple of shows I saw since December didn't have that page about the theatre also.

I got an “At This Performance” cast slip at RAGTIME this evening.

Playbill gives an update on this. More shows will join the new process in February.

https://playbill.com/article/playbill-launches-at-this-playbill-to-credit-understudies-standbys-alternates

I know this is technically off-broadway, but when I saw spelling bee a few weeks ago I think it had a paper in it.

ACL2006 said: "BVSC and Chicago have been added



https://linktr.ee/broadwaycastboards"



Now & Juliet and Hadestown have been added.

Updated On: 2/4/26 at 07:40 AM

Majority of shows now are doing the QR code. Most new shows are now listed, including Beaches, Death of a Salesman, CATS, The Lost Boys, Giant, Dog Day, Fear of 13 & Schmigadoon.

Notables not using the QR code: Aladdin, Lion King, Hamilton & Book of Mormon.

Islander_fan said: "Jonathan Cohen said: "Getting rid of understudy slips really drives me nuts, not because I'm against it in a vacuum but The Broadway League is being really selective in what they consider wasteful. At least those slips are giving me information I'll look at. The full color inserts I often get in Playbills reminding me to turn off my phone I'm sure aremore expensive to make and are pretty redundant, as ushers are paid to make the same point."

I can tell you from my experience as a front of house staffer, that, while your use of them is great, there are many more who just let them fall to the floor and not give them any attention."

Also house staffed when I first got to the city for quite a while and while this is likely true for nearly half of the audience, not only does that not negate their usefulness for those who care, but knowing enough about the Broadway League and how these people spend their time and what their social events are like, the idea that this is about wastefulness is completely laughable.

I mean, even inside the actual event of a performance. Maybe a third of the alcoholics at Broadway shows take their adult sippy cups home as souvenirs sans lid, but these are mostly single-use thick plastics with several parts with vastly more environmental impact than the slips. But those are a cash cow.