Righteous Insanity

What Your Kids Get From Drama Ministry

I found myself in the position of drama ministry leader the way most of them do: by accident. I was just a common youth volunteer with a heart for young people when I wrote that first skit. In fact I had just dropped out of an acting class in college, and had no desire to return to the theater world. But one skit led to another, and those skits led to a call from the youth minister. Thus a nineteen year-old kid found himself swept into a ministry that would change his life forever.

I can't imagine not doing drama, not having it as a part of my life. Drama has been a huge blessing to me in so many ways. And not only to me, but also to the hundreds of students I have worked with over the years in churches, youth conferences, and schools.

Perhaps you're on the outside, wondering if you should give drama a try. Or maybe you're at a discouraging point, struggling to keep the program alive and wondering if it shouldn't be put to sleep. Or maybe you're where I was at the start, like a deer caught in headlights. My purpose in writing is to show you the benefit of what you're doing.

It's pretty much a given these days that drama works as an effective ministry. Students sit up with a little more interest when they think they're going to be entertained rather than preached at, and drama allows us to touch some deep wounds that need to be healed. But this article is not about the student in the audience; it's about the ones on stage. This is about the kids you work with week in an week out, frantically learning lines, digging up costumes and props, praying that things will not fall apart at the seams when you step on the stage. While the kids in the seats need the message, the kids on stage can be blessed far more richly than you might realize. Drama ministry can benefit your students - and you - spiritually, personally, and artistically.

Drama has a spotty history within the church. At one time, the church was considered to be the pinnacle of theater, where the best actors and the best plays took the stage. At other times, it has been called vulgar, immoral, and sinful. Thankfully we live in a time where it may not be the best it can be, but drama at least has acceptance. I say this because no matter what the church's stance on drama might be, there have always been people gifted by God in the theatrical arts. And those people, especially the youth, need an outlet to hone that gift in the way God intended.

If one cause for the lack of "quality" Christian and moral drama, fiction, and film can be cited, it would have to be the lack of development these arts have had within the church. In the past theater artists have been cut out of serving the Lord with their artistic gifts, and have had no alternative other than the secular theater in which to use them. Yes, we as Christians should be in the world, but without a firm foundation in Christ, we are easily swept away by worldly values and beliefs.

Drama as a ministry gives those students a chance to develop their gifts in a Christ-centered environment. They have the opportunity to grow in Christ while following their passion, their dream. Unless you have been bitten by the fabled "theater bug" you really can't understand its draw, its allure to the actor, playwright, director, etc. They crave it, and long for it, and if you can give them a place to scratch that itch within the church, they will come.

A drama program will not only bring in the Christian kids, but non-believers as well. I know there are some that will disagree with me, but I never had a question about admitting non-believers into the groups I have led in churches. They were required to sign on to the same code of conduct as the Christians, but so long as they stayed in line, I welcomed them. And as a result, a dozen kids in seven years accepted Christ as their Savior within the drama troupe I led at Northside Christian Church in New Albany, Indiana.

In addition to developing a relationship with Jesus Christ, students (and their directors) gain something more: community. If you've ever worked in the theater or in a drama program, you know that drama requires a great deal of trust and interdependence. Actors must trust each other to remember lines and cues. "Techies" and actors also depend on each other for cues. If that trust and confidence is not there, the performance falls apart.

This preexisting condition of the theater spills over off stage when you're in a drama ministry. We were created to have community with each other, and the students I have worked with in the past have all developed deeper, more meaningful Christian friendships with their fellow actors and actresses. By learning to take risks and trust on stage, the students feel more comfortable taking risks off stage. They share their deepest burdens with one another. They pray for each other, and look after each other. And they grow stronger, drawing on the encouragement and support of their colleagues.

What's more, those relationship bonds tend to hold for a long time. Just a few days ago, I had a house full of friends, all gathered to watch movies and have some fun. Every one of the people who came has at one time or another worked in drama ministry with myself and/or others who were in attendance. We still gather to share stories, to talk about life and faith, and to pray over one another.

This brings me to the next benefit of drama as a ministry. I have never known a person, male or female, young or old, in theater who did not have some heart-breaking story to tell. I've heard it all many times over: abuse, parental neglect, relationship issues, family conflicts, divorce, eating disorders, drug addictions, suicide attempts, and so many more.

Drama tends to draw people who have experienced hardship. It gives them an escape from their problems, allowing them to be someone else for a change. Or, in other cases, drama is a chance to shed the masks a person wears in real life and let one's true self emerge. Over time, drama allows an individual to face their issues from the past by reliving them on stage, and releasing the pain and anguish such hard times bring.

Have you ever noticed how so much of comedy comes from tragedy? I firmly believe God gave us laughter and humor as a coping mechanism, to help us deal with the hard knocks we receive and keep our sanity. Last year, Righteous Insanity toured a hilarious comedy called God Told Me to Break Up With You. The play centered on a group of friends struggling with the Christian dating scene and the many issues that come with it (boundaries, blind dates, broken hearts, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, etc.) While the play made people laugh, about ninety percent of the stories told in the play were actual REAL LIFE events that no one living through them found funny at the time. Nevertheless, the tragic events my friends and I went through produced a comedy that touched the hearts of other young people who had dealt with some of the same issues.

The drama community can also help a person develop a stronger sense of self-worth. One of my closest friends and partners in the ministry these days has struggled all her life with self-esteem due to a lack of positive reinforcement she has received from her own father. In the past year, working with Righteous Insanity, her self-confidence has grown immensely, and that confidence is leading to success away from the stage as she pursues a college degree.

Drama ministry has one more benefit to the participant: artistic inspiration. That may not seem like an important value for a ministry, but when you consider that the gifts of theater artists ultimately come from God, we honor God when we choose to improve on those gifts. More importantly, by giving students an opportunity to serve God with those gifts, we can challenge them to continue using those gifts in His service.

As I stated earlier, the lack of quality in drama, film, etc. that comes from the Christian culture stems from our negligence in giving Christians the chance to develop those gifts. Imagine how different things might be if we as a church and as youth workers were sending out Christian artists into the professional theater and the film industry. Imagine Christian writers, actors, producers, and directors crafting plays and movies that will draw audiences and acclaim because of their quality of art. Wouldn't it be great to be able to turn on the TV and see programming that's inoffensive to your Christian values and also expresses a Christian worldview? Not that every drama and play has to be overtly Christian in nature; but this world could do with more plays and films that simply convey and teach Christ-centered values. What's more, the film, television, and theater industries could do with a few more Christians spreading seeds to the lost souls around them.

Storytelling in all of its forms is an important part of the human existence. The craft has become almost a lost art within the church, which is why there's so much "bad stuff" on TV, in the movies, and in the theater. We can reclaim that art for God, and it can begin in your church with your students ministering through drama.

Just this past weekend, I had a girl instant message me while I was online. Five years ago she attended a workshop I led at Christ in Youth conference on using drama as a ministry. Since that one event, she has pursued her own course in Christian drama. She is attending a Christian college as a theater major, and works with a Christian youth theater company out of Cincinnati, Ohio.

It's rare that I get feedback of that kind, and you may never know the impact you have had on students by developing a drama program. But as my weekend encounter demonstrated to me, God is in the business of raising up theater artists to serve Him and take the Gospel to the entire world.

Whether you're just starting out, or in the midst of a marathon with your drama ministry, I encourage you to press on, knowing that you are doing a great work for God's kingdom through the ministry of drama. Not only do our students need us to inspire them to new levels of creativity, using their dramatic gift for God, our dying world needs our kids to be so inspired. Today's students are the artists, writers, actors, and producers (not to mention the politicians and world leaders!) of tomorrow. They are the light in the darkness that God will use to reach a lost world through the dramatic arts!

Wanted: Comic Book Artist

Just thought I would put the word out on here I am looking for a comic book-style artist to illustrate a six-part super hero story I am developing. It's the story of a super villain who returns to her home town after a spectacular defeat at the hands of her arch-enemy. It's a bit of a dark comedy with a message of redemption.

If anyone is interested please email john@righteousinsanity.com to let me know!

Coming in 2008

2007 was an amazing year for Righteous Insanity. We released our first DVD of short films, "Holy Shorts" over the summer. The long-awaited short film "Fluffy" was released on the web and broadcast on local TV in Louisville, Kentucky. And "An Annoying Little Sin" was adapted into a film by Daystar television in Houston and broadcast worldwide.

It was also a great year for me personally. I got to return to my first love, working with teenagers, by becoming the drama director at Christian Academy of Indiana. And in November my daughter Lydia was born.

2008 promises to be even more exciting. Here is a look at what's already available, and what's coming up!

FREE SKIT WEEK - That's right, free skits! Righteous Insanity will hold the first ever free skit week from January 6-13. You pick the skit from our catalog at www.righteousinsanity.com/skits.html and email john@righteousinsanity.com with your selection. No strings.

BSI: Bible Scene Investigations - This is not a drama product, but an interactive Bible study for kids. Students become crime scene investigators, watch police interrogations of key suspects, and visit the "crime scenes" of several Bible stories to piece together what happened, why, and how they can apply the lessons from the story to their own lives. www.righteousinsanity.com/bsi.html

Left Overs - My second novel, "Left Overs" is a parody of "Left Behind." It's not just another story about the people left over after the rapture, but what happens when they throw out the Bible and adopt LaHaye and Jenkins' books as their new scripture. www.areyoualeftover.com

Coming Soon:

Sidekick: The Musical - A full-length musical for students about a super hero's sidekick who gets her wish to become a hero. But when fame comes, will she forget the God who gave her the powers she has? A great story with fun songs by Bernadette Negus.

Mission Improv(able) - A new resource book about using improv as a training tool for mission workers.

30 Seconds or Less - A FREE collection of skits that last 30 seconds or less. Hilarious (and sometimes meaningful) short comedy bits.

The Big Bad Movie - A new one act play by John Cosper. A Hollywood producer brings a movie premiere to small town America, where he stirs up the local church to protest the movie in hopes it will drive ticket scales. A timely, dark comedy about Hollywood's exploitation of the church - and the church's stupidity in falling for it over and over.

There's more to come, but all of this will be available soon. Stay tuned for more updates. And have a Happy New Year!

Beyond skits: Drama as missions training

In October 2007 Edge Outreach hosted a water purification conference in Louisville, Kentucky. The conference drew mission workers from around the world to learn about a water purification system that is changing and saving lives in third world countries. It's an incredible tool for helping the impoverished and establishing relationships in places that have not heard the gospel.

One of the biggest challenges for mission workers looking to install these systems is convincing the people in a village they need a water purifier and convincing them you have the right solution. To help the conference attendees learn the ins and outs of making that first contact, Edge led them all to a third world village called Miranda, where they were able to assess a community's needs first hand and begin the difficult task of persuading the villagers to install their water system. The mission workers spoke with the townspeople and even the chief, gathering basic information, names, and laying the groundwork to come back and install a water purifier.

Miranda, of course, does not actually exist on any map. The people of Miranda were actors, and the experience they gave the attendees at the Edge conference was one they will never forget.

Edge came to me several months before the conference and asked if this kind of exercise could be done. This was different from anything I had ever done, but it's nothing new. It's also not near as daunting and complicated to organize as you might think.

The first step to this type of training exercise is to educate yourself. I read as much as I could about the water purification system, studied the five page questionnaire the missionaries use in the field, watched videos and read as much as I could about the cultures. Edge's staff and past volunteers were especiall useful resources, giving me not just the basics, but details that made the village come to life. The hardware store was a particularly unique setting we tried to recreate.

The next step was to tell the story of a village. What is their history? What sort of government do they have? How are women viewed in the community? Do they know the water is dirty? What explanation do they have for so many illnesses? Giving your actors the right frame of reference is critical. As an example, many places in this world have no concept of germs; evil spirits are often to blame.

Once you know the village you can tell the stories of the people in the village. There's Zoe, the town doctor, who is overworked and overwhelmed by the poverty. She knows the water's making people ill, but there's no one to believe her. There's the chief's daughter, the town water official, who uses out of date, contaminated tools to measure the cleanliness of the water. There's the town pastor, the hardware clerk, the mothers who see the suffering in their children's eyes. And of course, there's the chief… who for our exercise was hiding in his office taking a nap for the first part of the exercise.

Casting and rehearsing come next. You want actors who are VERY comfortable with improv, good at staying in character, and have a long memory. The more they learn not just their character, but all the others, the more real the exercise becomes for the trainees. After all, in a small village, everyone knows everyone else's business.

Rehearsing is tricky, but again, not as tricky as you might think. There were no lines to rehearse, so what we did was to bring the actors together, discuss the characters, and then spend time improvising and interacting in character. I would conduct interviews with each character, which allowed them to get to know their own characters as well as each other's. Edge staffers would drop by on occasion and when they did, the actors peppered them with questions. They listened, they retained, and everything they absorbed was put to use.

The actual visit to Miranda happened beside a lake at Kavanaugh Retreat Center in Crestwood, KY. We used the space we were in, giving each person a place to be and something to do before the trainees arrived. Once they were in the performance space, the actors really came alive. The hardware store owner threatened people who tried to touch her things with a stick. The doctor pleaded for privacy so she could treat a sick child. Villagers dished dirt on each other in addition to discussing the town. The chief was constantly campaigning for bribes. Most interesting of all, without ever discussing it in rehearsal, all of the cast members started making references to the witch doctor up the hill in the woods. Talk about groupthink.

The trainees had a debriefing as soon as the exercise was over. It was incredible. Every person gained from the experience just by being there. What made it even more educational was when the actors had a chance to speak. As the villagers, they had a completely different take on the exercise, and they were able to give the trainees invaluable lessons. Don't be in a rush. Don't be rude. Say hello, introduce yourself, then say goodbye rather than walk away once your questions are answered. Don’t be buried in your clipboard. Get to know me. Please respect our wishes when we ask to be left alone; the doctor was particularly frustrated in her efforts to treat a patient. Some actors even tested the trainees; the chief, who acquired a small container of honey dip as a bribe, would intentionally shake hands with the honey-covered, finger-licked hand, just to see if people flinched.

Miranda was so successful, plans are being made to incorporate the village into next year's conference. If you're looking for other opportunities for your actors to serve, perhaps there's a missions group you can connect with and serve in this same capacity.

Check out the video linked below for a closer look at Miranda. If I can be of any help in designing such a training exercise, please email me at john@righteousinsanity.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VURZ37l165I

Left Overs - A Left Behind Parody

Tim and Jerry had it coming.

The Left Behind series now has its Spaceballs. "Left Overs" is the story of a pilot, a reporter, a preacher, and a rebellious daughter who are left over after the Lord calls his people home. Left to their own devices, the left overs toss aside Revelation and the Bible for the new Book, Left Behind, as they do battle with Nicolae Macedonia, a would-be Anti-Christ who seeks to rule the world with the recipe for the world's greatest egg salad.

"Left Overs" is now available for purchase at www.areyoualeftover.com. While you're there, check out the first few pages of the book as well as Heaven's Funniest Rapture Videos. This book is not for everyone; the humor is rather dark. But if you get into the videos, you'll love the book.

An Annoying Little Sin Broadcast Premiere 12/20

AN ANNOYING LITTLE SIN, one of Righteous Insanity's most popular skits, has been turned into a short film by director Mitch Robbins of Daystar Television/Top Secret Productions. The film will be aired world-wide this Thursday, December 20th, during the 11:00AM (Central Time) CELEBRATION on the Daystar Network. You can watch the show on Direct TV, Dish Network, Sky Angel, and a variety of other satellite and cable networks.

My Utmost for His Highest - 12/15

If you haven't read My Utmost for His Highest, you're missing out. It's a terrific devotional compiled from the sermons of Oswald Chambers. The following devotional (Dec 15) has meant the most to me as a writer. Chambers encapsulates what it means to be a Christian writer so well. Our task is not to repeat what we have learned verbatim, but to make it our own and share it with others. In doing so we enable someone else to make our story their own, and continue passing it along.

This was definitely worth sharing.

My Utmost for His Highest - December 15

Title: Approved Unto God

Key Verse: Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Click link below to study this verse: 2 Timothy 2:15

http://www.studylight.org/desk/?query=2ti+2:15

If you cannot express yourself on any subject, struggle until you can. If you do not, someone will be the poorer all the, days of his life. Struggle to re-express some truth of God to your self, and God will use that expression to some one else. Go through the winepress of God where the grapes are crushed. You must struggle to get expression experimentally, then there will come a time when that expression will become the very wine of strengthening to someone else; but if you say lazily - "I am not going to struggle to express this thing for myself, I will borrow what I say,"

the expression will not only be of no use to you, but of no use to anyone.

Try to state to yourself what you feel implicitly to be God's truth, and you give God a chance to pass it on to someone else through you.

Always make a practice of provoking your own mind to think out what it accepts easily. Our position is not ours until we make it ours by suffering. The author who benefits you most is not the one who tells you something you did not know before, but the one who gives expression to the truth that has been dumbly struggling in you for utterance.

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Taken from 'My Utmost for His Highest', by Oswald Chambers. © l935 by Dodd Mead & Co., renewed © 1963 by the Oswald Chambers Publications Assn., Ltd., and is used by permission of Barbour Publishing, Uhrichsville, Ohio.

All rights reserved.

Christmas scripts for last minute shoppers

Hey, folks. If you're still looking for Christmas drama ideas, check out www.righteousinsanity.com/christmas.html for a wide range of ideas. Skits can be sent by email, and I'd be happy to help if you're looking for something specific.

If anyone's looking for longer Christmas plays, I have five available ranging from 20-40 minutes: The Guest, Home for Christmas, Christmas Carol, Santa and the Cornflake Girl, and my personal favorite, A Christmas Gift for Beulah. All five are simple plays with simple staging, and many can be done with only two actors. I've posted segments of all five online. You can read more and check out the free previews at www.righteousinsanity.com/christmasplays.html

Email john@righteousinsanity.com if you're in a pinch. Happy to help out any way I can with the last minute worship planning!

Adam's Legacy

Adam was a kid nobody cared about. He had one good friend in the world he regretted to leave, and yet he just couldn't bear to go on living. Before taking his own life, Adam posted his final words on the Internet, naming names in a long list of people who made him feel unwanted.

Before you go grabbing a hankie, let me spoil the myth: Adam is not real.

I created Adam several years ago as part of a unique play that came to be known as "Adam's Letter." The play referenced an actual website, adamsletter.com, where a suicide note graces the front page. Scroll down and click the enter link and you will go into the main site with information on the play, resources for kids in need, and more.

My intention with the real website was to connect with kids beyond the performances. Any one who saw the play and looked up the website would be able to revisit Adam's words, the play, and find help if they needed it. More or less, it was a way to extend the ministry of the play beyond the stage.

Here's the crazy part: google the name Adam Krieger, and you're going to find all kinds of strange stories about the kid who posted his suicide note online. The one I found most interesting was that Adam had sent a copy of his letter to Mark Hoppus of Blink 182, thus inspiring their song "Adam's Song." (The song was recorded before I ever wrote the play, so there's no truth to this at all.) I have no idea how the play got connected with the Blink song, but the end result is that a lot of people have come across the play without ever seeing it on stage. I've had some wonderful emails from kids who were touched not just by the play, but the letter itself. More than any other feedback I get, these are the emails I treasure the most.

"Adam's Letter" is a free play. It can be adapted for public schools (i.e., it was designed so you can easily take God out and still get across the main message of "love one another"), or used as a ministry tool. The story follows a group of kids, all different, who are each touched and changed by Adam's suicide note in one way or another. Suicide is just the starting point; the play also deals with drugs, sex, and a number of other issues facing kids. It's intended to be a wake up call for them: stopping suicide and violence begins with every person taking responsibility for loving those around them.

Thanks to an email from a mom who came across the site, there is now a companion play, "Adam's Legacy." The play focuses on Kimmy, one of the characters in "Letter". Her parents are appalled when Kimmy gets named in Adam's suicide note, fearful of how this will reflect on them. Then Kim drops a bombshell: she is pregnant. The letter and the pregnancy force a family divided to wake up and learn to communicate with each other.

I'm hopeful that as time goes on I will be able to add video of the play to the site. I'm amazed at how God has used this play to reach kids I never could have reached otherwise already. I pray more people will be touched by the play on stage and online.

"Unforgettable" Performances

One of my fondest memories in my years of drama ministry came at a boarding school in Central Ohio. One of the drama students acted as our escort for the day as we taught workshops and gave a performance. Following the play he pulled me aside to tell me a skit I had written, “Wicked Ruler”, was the reason he accepted Christ. It’s moments like those that we, who use drama as a ministry, pray we will experience.

But what of the others?

Anyone who knows live theater knows that for every poignant moment when a life is changed, there’s an equally memorable disaster, a story you tell and re-tell at drama conferences, Christmas parties, and workshops. Live theater is both fun and frightening because absolutely anything can happen. There are no re-takes, and when the unexpected occurs, it bonds audience and performers in a moment they all remember forever.

There’s no way to guard against mistakes and pratfalls, but you can learn from them. I’d like to share with you some of the classic blunders from my years in drama ministry, and the lessons that came from each one.

SPEECHLESS

It was a high school outreach program, and the Dramamaniacs were performing a Seinfeld spoof. George, Elaine, and Jerry all found their greatest dreams were coming true, but then Kramer entered the scene to tell them the reason for their good fortune: “We’re TV characters in a sitcom, and this is the last episode!”

That’s how the scene should have gone. Unfortunately for us, Kramer (played by a girl; we were short on guys, okay?) got her first line out, then froze. The pivotal character in the skit was speechless, and the rest of us were left hanging. Thankfully, we spent hours improvising in rehearsal, so the rest of us who had our wits about us found a way through the scene. I can’t even begin to recall how we got out. I just know we did, and that actress was much better prepared before her next performance.

Lessons learned: Know your lines by heart. Know everyone else’s lines others by heart. And practice improvisation constantly.

NO PAUSE BUTTON

We were performing the aforementioned skit “Wicked Ruler”, which shows 3 people playing Satan tempting Jesus in the wilderness. One of my best actresses, as Satan number two, told Jesus to turn a stone into a rock. Thankfully, none of the cast members laughed, and the audience seemed to miss it. The skit continued on, and ended as powerfully as it had in rehearsal. And the video of that performance was played for the actress at our annual Christmas party for years!

Of course this slip of the tongue paled in comparison to what happened during a production of a play about school shootings. The play ended with Michael W. Smith’s “This Is Your Time”, and a dancer setting some crosses (representing the dead students in the play) on stage. For some reason I let my girlfriend fill in one night. Half way through the dance, the music stopped – and so did her dancing. She began simply walking on and off stage with crosses. As if that wasn’t enough, she was down to the last cross when she decided to tell the audience, “Oh, I’m not the dancer. She’s sick, so I filled in. But I don’t know what happened to the music.” Backstage thirteen hands hit thirteen foreheads; none of us could believe she’d destroyed such a powerful moment.

Lesson learned: Don’t pause to react to mistakes. If you act like it never happened, the audience, nine times out of ten, never knows the difference.

TECHIES NEED PRACTICE TOO

We were at a youth rally in Louisville, Kentucky, performing a series of three skits about See You at the Pole. Scene two played out in front of the stage, and ended with all the actors running off stage, left and right. The way you reached backstage was by going to the side of the auditorium, rounding a brick wall, and descending a few steps to the choir room. It went well in rehearsal. Then we got to performance. Someone in the light booth cut the lights too soon, and the lead actor turned the corner too fast, busting his lip open. It took the entire 10 minutes between scenes to stop the bleeding so he could go back on stage.

Lesson learned: Rehearse with your techies, and get your timing perfect.

WATCH YOUR STEP

I taught a workshop at a Christ in Youth Conference one summer. On the last night, the drama students performed a skit for worship. Because of the tight schedule, the actors had to share the stage with the worship band’s equipment. That meant monitors, amps, guitars, and miles of cords. The scene began with Richard Simmons being sat upon by a fat lady, then carried off by two EMT’s. Richard took his fall, and the EMT’s came out to carry him off stage. As they started their exit, the EMT going backwards tripped over a guitar cord and fell. Eleven hundred teens and youth workers laughed as a seventeen year old kid broke his arm.

A year later at church, the Dramamaniacs did Monty Python’s “Spanish Inquisition” sketch. None of the actors had sandals, so they went on stage barefoot, following one of the youth pastor’s gross games. I was nervous the crowd would not get Monty Python, but they were howling with laughter. I turned to a fellow youth worker and said, “I don’t believe it! They love it!”

My friend laughed. “Didn’t you see it? Some kid threw up after the game, and they didn’t mop the stage.”

Lesson learned: Clear the stage before you act! A clear, clean stage will spare you injury… and vomit-soaked feet.

STAY FOCUSED

Theater offers the audience a view into another world. Except in rare instances, the characters within that world are not aware they are being watched. Therefore, there is no reason why any actor should ever respond to noises or distractions in the audience. Which brings me to one of my former tour mates. For some reason, any tiny distraction from the audience would bring her out of character. She was in the middle of a monologue one night when some inconsiderate viewer’s cell phone went off. Rather than going on, my friend stopped, waited politely for the call to be over, then asked the viewer’s permission to go on. Another night in the middle of a scene with me, someone in the audience sneezed. She turned to the audience and said, “Bless you.”

Contrast that story with my long-time acting partner Jamie. We toured a play about Christian dating for a year, and one of the gags in the play was that Jamie’s character drank and entire 2-liter of Dr. Pepper during the play. It was her character’s stress relief, as a stupid boy kept denying her his heart. Anyway, we had not performed the play in a good while, when one night in North Carolina, she felt an uncomfortable rumble in the belly. She stopped talking. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I started ad libbing, making sure she was okay. Then I pat her on the back. Jamie’s eyes got real big. Then, in character, she said she was going to check on another character who had just left the scene. In truth Jamie ran off stage, threw up, and returned, never breaking character for a moment.

Sounds like the perfect cover, but the other actress (the same one who paused for the cell phone) decided to announce to the entire audience, in Jamie’s absence, that she was in fact throwing up.

Lesson learned: ignore the audience, stay focused, and never, ever break character.

You can check the facts, ask my sources, look at the videos. Every story I’ve shared with you is true. As a creative writer, it always amazes me how real life always surpasses the imagination in giving us unbelievable moments in time. Maybe you’ve got worse stories to share. Maybe I’ve scared you off from ever doing drama again. The important thing is to learn from the past, and never make the same mistakes twice.

And don’t worry that a little preventative medicine will prevent you from gaining such “precious memories.” Live theater is always unpredictable, and you’ll never run short of amazing stories to tell.