the pie in the face is a moment in the story

"In physical theatre training, students spend weeks learning the precision of the fall ~ how to trip, tumble and recover...

Learning how to fall isn’t just about the fall. It’s a way to experience a larger movement, a flow. When things don’t go our way, we should remember that the pie in the face is a moment in the story. In story structure, the climax continues into the next action. Things don’t end where we think they should or begin just because we say so. Instead there’s a natural ebb. Easy to say and hard to practice, the principles of how to fall (and make others laugh while we’re at it) teach us to see the larger story of life. There is a saying that the body never forgets. When we engage physically (like dancing, falling in love, writing) we change. We remember. It is in our bones. 

The lesson in the end is about learning how to give in.  If you brace yourself while tumbling, you may hurt yourself. But if you lean in, over time you’ll discover rhythm, ease, maybe even grace."