Getting Over the Goof-ups in Live Christian Theatre

You've bathed the project in prayer from its inception. You've organized extensive rehearsals, cast trustworthy actors, and lined up a responsible crew. You have done everything in your power to ensure greatness.

That means the performance will go perfectly, right?

Guess again.

Rachel misses her entrance. Seth doesn't punch the sound cue for the telephone ring. Nathan utters a line that triggers the rest of the cast to jump ahead three pages, leaving out the most important part of the plot. Your heart stops. "Why, Lord, why?"

Why do these things happen?

1) We live in an imperfect world.

Blunders don't only happen on stage. We slip up all the time, but we don't think twice about it because we're not under the spotlight for all to witness. As I write this, I am able to check errors and edit to my heart's content before you will ever read it. In live theatre, we don't have the luxury of correcting, of "second takes."

2) Sometimes God has another plan.

In my play "Thanks Harry," a character named Mike picks up a slip of paper as he makes his final exit. That paper contains a phone number that assures the audience of Mike's salvation. During one performance, the actor playing Mike walked directly offstage, forgetting the piece of paper. I was mortified. "He ruined my play! He changed the ending. Tonight Mike didn't get saved!"

Two weeks later a friend called and told me she brought a girlfriend to the play. "It was a convicting reminder to her that not everyone will get saved," my friend said. I didn't know what she was talking about, until I realized they had attended THAT performance. The "ruined" performance. My friend added, "She has now reconciled with God."

3) Sometimes we need to be humbled.

Is an explanation necessary? I didn't think so. I'll go on.

What do you do when there is nothing you can do?

1) Forgive the culprit.

As soon as you have the opportunity, be sure to tell the actor or crew member who "blew it" that you still love him or her. Believe me, he or she feels worse about it than you do.

2) Keep in mind that God works in spite of human weaknesses.

I was terribly embarrassed after one "disastrous" show. An audience member approached me to say how deeply the play affected her. I thought she was just being nice. But then she got very specific about how God spoke to her heart and started to cry. Not one of the "disasters" had gotten in God's way of speaking to this young lady.

3) Know that bloopers make great memories.
Although horrendous and heart-stopping at the time, most bungles will give you and your cast "hilarious" stories to tell for the rest of your lives. I got two hit plays out of mine: "Next Stop, Broadway" and "Exit Smiling."

4) Realize that it's probably not as bad as you think.

That same "disastrous" show mentioned above happened quite some time ago, yet I still cringe at parts of it in retrospect. My assistant director recently rebuked me for that. He pointed out that over time the foul-ups had become magnified in my memory. No one else remembered or cared about them. Why should I?

5) Focus on the positive, not the negative.

After my A.D. chewed me out, he reminded me of the good stuff that came out of that production. Great stuff, actually. When we choose to remember the positive, we can't help but praise God. I did.

5) Let go.

Strive for excellence, do everything that you possibly can to produce a great show, yet accept the fact that some things are out of your control, and that human's err. God will honor your efforts. After all, you are doing this for Him.

So, when Rachel knocks over a set piece with a resounding CRASH (at the most tender part of the play, naturally), or Seth makes the telephone rings AFTER Rachel has picked up the handset, or Nathan enters in the wrong costume and without that crucial prop, just smile. God is with you. I'll bet He is smiling.