Stage Fright

[PuppyforChrist]

This goes out to all of you who had to deal with this. I'm sure us actors and actresses had to deal with stage fright at least once in their lives.

How do you deal with stage fright or being nervous before a performance?

 

[Kilted Stranger]

reherse your lines.. go through characterisation exercises.. think of the bow and applause your going to get at the Finale.

 

[futurehope]

Pick a spot on the wall and keep your eyes there? lol. jk. don't look at the audience though.

 

[Kilted Stranger]

don't look at the audience though.

or imagine them all naked...

 

[Ainuhina]

My mother always told me to imagine them all naked too-all went well till my music teacher was there once.

Another trick I´ve learned is to simply keep thinking bread, bread, bread,...
Taht really helps to calm you down.

What I personally do is to say to myself "Mehr als schiefgehen kanns net, und wenns schiefgeht is a wurst" (in English: It can´t go worse than wrong and if it goes wrong it doesn´t matter anyway - hope this is an understandable translation)

 

[kleptobismol]

lol the naked trick never worked for me...neither did the underwear on the head. deep breathing works the best para mi.

 

[PuppyforChrist]

Keep thinking about bread? Never heard of that one before actually.

The underware/naked thing never really worked for me. Looking at the audience really doesn't worry me too much since when you are acting, you really are not supposed to be looking at the audience at all, but more on the characters around you.

I tend to keep my focus on my character. When I'm up on stage I'm like a completly different person, well, actually, I am.

I love being in character especially when the character portrays someone whom I really want to be like. Then I really get into it, especially when I'm on stage.

So my advice, stay in character and focus yourself on the actors around you. And don't focus on the audience.