On March 30, 2023, I had an unexpected debut with the Mindy and Others track, a day earlier than originally scheduled. To set the stage, I had spent the two weekends leading up to this date swinging in the Pam/Erin track while eagerly preparing for my official Mindy debut on March 31, 2023. In the midst of all this, I was also learning the Angela and Others track. However, fate had something else in store for me.

We had a put-in scheduled, where I was set to step into the role of Angela for the first time. Everything was proceeding as planned until, about 5 minutes into our 10-minute intermission, I received the unexpected news that I would be swinging on for Act Two.

In that moment, my mind shifted into a state of intense focus. I hurriedly prepared by fixing my hair and trusted in the training and preparation I had undergone. Then, I was off to the races. It was my very first time transitioning between harmonies and truly experiencing the life of a swing, something I had been eagerly anticipating and yearning for.

It felt as if I were having a practice run at Act Two before my official debut in the role. This experience taught me a valuable lesson – as a swing, the pursuit of perfectionism is an unattainable goal. I had to make peace with the fact that my typically type-A, perfectionist mindset would have to take a backseat to the demands of the role.

My Off-Broadway debut weekend held a special significance, not only because it coincided with my birthday but also because the actor typically playing Pam/Erin was taking on the Angela and Others track, and I was stepping into her role. Our stage manager at the time had a creative impulse to shake things up, making it an incredibly fun and whimsical weekend. Additionally, it was the debut weekend for our Michael Scott, adding to the excitement.

Pam/Erin: March 16, 2023 put-in

March 18-19, 2023

March 26, 2023

May 9-11, 2023

June 8-11, 2023

August 26-27, 2023

VACATION SWING DATES: March 7-17

March 3, 2023 Put-in

March 30, 2023- Act Two mid-show Swing On

March 31, 2023

April 1, 2023

April 20-23, 2023

July 28, 2023

August 11-13, 2023

August 17, 2023

August 18, 2023

October 1, 2023

October 28, 2023, both shows and FINAL PERFORMANCE

March 30, 2023 Put-in

July 1, 2023, both shows

July 2, 2023

August 5, 2023, both shows

September 14-15, 2023

September 16, 2023 both shows

May 18, 2023 Put-In

March 9, 2024- 4:00 p.m. show

Can we take a moment to talk about how amazing Swings are? This is in no way me stating this to get any sort of credit, though I can see where that may be misleading. I promise you- I mean this genuinely: SWINGS ARE THE BACKBONE OF THEATER.

During intermission of our first show, things got a bit tricky when one of our performers wasn’t feeling well and it was decided they should call out for the second show.

We had to do some quick thinking to rearrange roles. The normal performance for today, was having our past swing, who was normally plays Pam, fill in for Michael, who was on leave, while I covered Pam vacationing in for two weeks. Normally, we would have had another swing cover for the person who was sick but as fate would have it, she was off for the day.

Phyllis/Meredith/Kevin/Roy was a track I wasn’t as familiar with, and I couldn’t recall having a proper rehearsal for it, all I know, is it had been since May 18, 2023 when I had that original “put-in”. So it was a shock when I realized that was our only option. Of course, when I was a swing, there was always a chance I’d have to go on prior to leaving the show but never in a million years did I think SWINGO would happen when I left in October.

Truly by the grace of God, I was able to dig deep into my memories of watching the Phyllis before perform, and trust the work put in a long time ago and swing on.

I just want to take a moment to thank the cast and crew for the encouragement, and for guidance backstage.

This experience served as a reminder that swing performances may not always be flawless, but they are essential to keeping the show going. I had to remember that. And in the end it ended up being a reminder that the life of a swing is never set in stone. Tracks can change show to show. And what a thrill it is.