Beating the POWER of STAGE FRIGHT

Stage fright has a way of impeding you from giving your best when you are in front of an audience. We often hear other people say that fright is all in the mind. 

The very fact that more people are actually more frightened of being in front of an audience than the fact that they will be facing death means that you are not the only person who suffers from stage fright.

It is very easy to suggest that you have to believe in yourself but let’s face it—this does not always work. Overcoming stage fright is a process. This is easier said than done. One reason why people are frightened of being on stage is the possibility that they could commit a mistake. What would help you overcome stage fright?

Building Your Confidence

If you are confident about your craft, then you know that there is nothing that will faze you when you are already acting behind the camera or if when you are acting on stage. You need to practice on your piece over and over again. Knowing that you have memorized your lines really well will in fact make you feel more confident.

Be In The State Of Public Solitude

Public solitude is the state where an actor appears to be “private” when he is on public. This concept was thought of by Stanislavski. Strasberg on the other hand was the one who developed an exercise based on this concept. Acting schools now employ the use of this exercise to help students get over their stage fright. 

Basically, this trains you to block the other people present in the room or any space. It helps you be in sync with your character and not concentrate on the other people who are watching you. It is very crucial for an actor to put his focus on his character and not get drowned by the attention of the crowd around him. It would also help if you prioritize what you need to happen the moment you are acting your part. For example, you want to feel comfortable while you do your part while setting aside your worst fears like forgetting your lines or messing up.

Stay Positive At All Times

Negativity is your worst enemy and it is the main reason why you are frightened in the first place. Your mind could either make you think positively or negatively. The problem with the mind is that it manages to manifest our thoughts. If you constantly think that people will not like your acting, chances are, you will not be giving your best performance since your mind keeps on telling you that you will not gain praises anyway. The good news is that, you can make yourself think positively if you want to. Do this not only when you are about to go on stage but make it a habit even with the other things that you do. This way, it will become a habit and you would be wearing this attitude like a second skin.

You see, stage fright may prevent you from becoming an effective actor. You must find the confidence that nothing will go wrong once you are in front of an audience.