The original cast version of the legendary LDS stage play “My Turn on Earth” has just been released on DVD. We had the soundtrack for this play while I was growing up, and I knew the songs by heart, but it wasn’t until I was about ten that we found the video in some secluded corner of a rental store. We watched it, I loved it, and I haven’t seen it since until the other day, when my mom came back from a trip to Deseret Book with the DVD in her hand.
The film was made in 1986 in front of a live audience. The play had been performed countless times already, having been first produced in 1977, but now people could watch it in their own homes on video, and we have that opportunity now on DVD.
The movie actually has a very simple premise, and it’s that simplicity that has thrown a lot of people off. The stage is set up to look like a playground, and there are five actors dressed as children on that stage, two boys—John and Charles, and three girls—Barbara, Pam and Gloria. These actors proceed to portray the plan of salvation, from our pre-mortal existence to our return to heaven at the end of our journey. As they are acting like children, sometimes they get a little rambunctious and the dialogue seems a little silly, and my husband thought it was a pretty dumb movie to start. I urged him to stick with it, though — I knew what was coming.
And what came? The music.
The magic of this movie is in the music. Incredible eternal truths are taught in the musical numbers, including the battle in heaven, our desire to get a body and come to earth, the fact that we all take a turn here on this earth and that we all must leave again, and how each of us is responsible for our choices and for how our story turns out. The most poignant moment of the film for me is when our main character, Barbara, starts to feel a little overwhelmed with earth life and yearns to find heaven again. She sings a lovely song, “Where on Earth Can I Find Heaven,” which spoke to my soul and reminded me that truly, we are only here on a short visit. Heaven is our true home.
Once my husband got into the music, he liked the film. My children liked it right from the opening act. And me – I was a blubbering mess through the whole thing. I’ve heard the music my whole life and I’ve seen the film once before, but this time, I simply could not stop crying as the Spirit bore witness time and time again of the truthfulness of the principles we were being taught.
The story is by Carol Lynn Pearson, and the music is by Lex de Azavedo. This film is not rated.
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