Yes, this post was inspired by my family watching the Netflix show about the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, but I think a lot of audiences could use this reminder:
Performers, even professional ones, the people who have years of experience and training, are going to make mistakes sometimes. And that is part of the art.
It isn't because they are untalented, ungrateful, or bad at their jobs. No, it's because at the end of the day, performers are just regular people putting themselves out there. This factor that leads to mess ups and flaws is also the same thing that makes performance wonderfully unique.
If you notice something wrong on a stage or field or set, don't immediately jump to the conclusion that a performer was unprepared or unqualified. Speaking as someone who has spent a lot of time doing musical theatre, performing in drag, playing and singing live music, and speaking in public: no matter how much you practice your art, how much effort you devote to it, how much you love what you do, there will always be moments where you fall short and make mistakes.
This could be because of an outside situation, health reasons, exhaustion, a toxic working environment, immense pressure, mental illness, production malfunctions, or any number of other things that impact a performer's life because they are really just people. Even on your best day, you could simply trip over your shoelace or leave your fly down before walking on stage (definitely not speaking from experience).
But that's not the part of performance we should be focusing on. If the hallmark of a good performer is how they deal with the unexpected, then we need to remember that an actually supportive audience, anyone who calls themself a fan, should be judged by the same standard.
Support great art. Support great artists. Support the performers who show that you don't have to be perfect to be talented, professional, and absolutely amazing to watch.
