OCT
24

How to Overcome Stage Fright

By Grey Pratt, Customer Service Rep, Pioneer Drama Service 

Grey has been involved in theatre for 16+ years, starting from when they were a small child.  Through the years, their participation has included acting, tech, directing, designing, writing, construction, and much more.  The theatre arts have a special place in Grey’s heart, and they invest themself in any facet they can, which has led to the exciting opportunity of being employed with Pioneer Drama. 

It’s almost time for your big entrance.  Your palms are sweaty, your knees are trembling, and your mouth is dry.  You’re hoping beyond hope that your performance is over soon.  We all know this feeling.  Almost everyone has stage fright to a certain degree — that shock of fear that triggers the production of adrenaline, which ensures that you get those feelings of stress and excitement.  A little bit of this tension is good because it helps you stay focused and energized.  But too much can take away from the fun in your performance.

Even world-renowned, award-winning performers regularly experience stage fright.  Helen Mirren once confessed, “I still suffer terribly from stage fright.  I get sick with fear.  Not every night, but at the beginning and on occasion — not necessarily when I’m expecting it.  You just have to cope with it — take it on the chin and work through it, trying to use the adrenalin to perform.”

As a director, you’ll find it beneficial to address stage fright weeks before the actual performance.  Share these tips with your actors so in the days and weeks before opening night, they can already be working to soothe their nerves and alleviate their tensions.

• Know that you don’t have to be perfect.  Allow yourself to make mistakes.  A slip of the tongue, a wrong word, forgetting your lines — it’s okay...  to a point!  So don’t beat yourself up over every little flub.  Instead, practice beforehand how to recover when something goes wrong.  That way, you know what you’re going to do onstage, and you can know how to proceed if you make a mistake.  In addition, keep in mind that the people in the audience understand your nerves — they’ve all experienced it, too.  So if they laugh, remember that they’re laughing with you, not at you.


• Acknowledge that stage fright is normal and use that energy to fuel your performance.  Everyone experiences stage fright, even those who have taken the stage hundreds of times.  Let it reassure you that you’re not alone, and that it is something you can overcome.  In the weeks before your performance, find inspirational quotes from actors or singers you admire and read them over and over again as your own positive affirmations.


• Turn negative talking into positive thinking.  The longer you stay engulfed in negative territory the more it will feel like home.  We are all experts at beating ourselves up through negative talk.  Throughout rehearsals, use positive thinking and affirmations instead.  Create a positive groove you can stay in for the actual performances.  During rehearsals, take every negative statement you say about yourself and add “yet” to the end of it.  “I don’t know my lines...  yet.”  “I’m not a good dancer...  yet.”  “I can’t do this...  yet.”


• Find time for calming activities in the days before your performance.  Play sports or exercise, listen to music you love, read a book, go for a walk, do yoga, play with your dog...  the possibilities are endless.


• You are your character.  Reframe your thinking and imagine that it’s your character, not you, going onstage.  It is your character who might make a mistake, not you.  So don’t think about yourself.  How would your character react if they tripped while entering, dropped a propped, or hiccupped in the middle of saying something?


• You are a part of a whole.  You have worked with your cast for countless hours of rehearsals by now.  They’re there to help you if something goes differently than expected.


• Shake it out.  Sometimes the best way to get the nerves out is to literally shake them out!  Wiggle your arms, shake your hands, jump up and down.  Use your jitters as energy to move throughout your space and release muscle tension.


• Take deep breaths.  Deep breaths are one of the most soothing things you can do when you feel overwhelmed.  Inhale through the nose and out through the mouth, making sure that the breath goes deep into your diaphragm and not into your shoulders.  Stand up straight, open up your chest.  This will make you look and feel more confident.  Take 30 seconds.  Just.  Breathe.


• Trust the moment.  Know that you’ve already done most of the work.  You’ve practiced and memorized lines.  You’ve learned lyrics, songs, and dances.  You’ve worked hard and done your best.  Now, let it go.  Enjoy the fruits of your labor and trust yourself in the moment!

You know that instance when you’re standing onstage and you have that feeling of tension?  When it comes down to it, it’s a logical feeling and actually very good!  Embrace it!  Because of that tension, your performance can peak!  Everyone has that feeling, even if they’ve been there a thousand times before.  So don’t worry about it.  Use the energy to feel alive...  you are a performer.