“As the pianist strides onstage, the page turner, cloaked in muted hues, trails behind. She is not to bow, but rather to sit immediately on the spare chair beside the piano bench and hunch. She is to be small and silent. … At the performance’s close, she is the first to retreat. The applause is not hers. She is also rarely missed. Many a show has gone on without a page turner.” Jennifer Gersten looks not only at this silent assistant’s subordination, but also at the times she (or he) has gotten a laugh, saved the day, and even had a part written by the composer.