Next week, my improv group was to perform a pop-up show.
The blessings of luck led me to discover that the same venue also booked my friend’s show.
Oops.
There are two options available to me:
- Pitch a fit of rage! Break up all relationships and tell the person responsible to fix it NOW.
- It was not worse, so laugh and move on.
There’s no way to fix the two shows that expect to be on stage at the same time.
My friend confirmed that there was a show scheduled for that date, and they had sold tickets. We practiced new material at these pop ups, and don’t charge anything for untested material.
The answer was simple: we would support the stand-up and run our pop up in April.
Do you know anything about the venue booking agent? Before I could reach out to them they apologized profusely. Asking what they can do to help.
I said: “I get it.” Snafus happen. “We’ll do it in April. Don’t worry.”
Why? Because mix-ups happen. It happens! We’re so glad we heard about it in advance.
Failing with joy in Improv is a core principle of the comedy, and letting others fail with joy in life is also a core principle.
I would not be benefited by being angry about a calendar mistake. It would not solve the problem to make this person feel even worse.
It was best to just laugh and be thankful that we have learned from our mistakes now, rather than then. The best thing to do is to move on with your life.
If you are stressed out by mistakes, join Neelie Verlinden and Neelie Verlinden for When there is no HR for HR: how to prevent burnout and improve your well-being starting today.
