Awkward

I'm currently rehearsing for a play, one of the lines in which goes as follows: "I know I'm old. I remember when a Brazilian was a person". Last night the 70-something man directing the play stopped us to ask if anyone understood the line, because he didn't. There was a burst of nervous laughter followed by what seemed like an eternally long silence, as I blinked down at his innocently expectant face and prayed for somebody else, anybody else, to answer the question.