Overcoming Stage Fright
You walk to the front of the stage, for your very first theatrical performance. The play is Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House”. You play Torvald Helmer, husband to Nora, your disillusioned wife who is about to walk out on you. The scene calls for you to transition from an angry, accusatory and enraged husband into a meek, submissive and desperate person, longing to see his wife change her mind about leaving him. You know all the lines by heart, and you’ve performed this a million times at practice. But now you’re facing a crowd of about a hundred. The lights suddenly seem a bit too bright, and everyone seems to be glaring at you. Your knees are slowly turning into jelly, you feel your brain turning into mush and you have this feeling of wanting to be anywhere but there.
Stage fright is normal. Everyone has the jitters before a big performance. Even experienced campaigners have a few. Here are a few basic tips that might help you overcome stage fright.
Practice, Practice & Practice Some More
Learn your lines. There is no substitute for being prepared. If it is a speech and you have a leeway of looking at your script, practice nonetheless. If you’re part of a play, learn the lines of your fellow actors as well so that you’re not caught by surprise in the thrill of the moment. Get together friends and family as your audience. Try performing in front of the empty auditorium. Perform your lines in front of a mirror.
Weather the “Storm” of First Few Minutes
How often have you felt jittery when you’ve ventured into something new? Do you remember when you decided to give your bicycle a spin without the practice wheels? Or that time you decided to plunge into the deep end of the pool to test out your newly acquired swimming skills? It is the same with being on stage. The first few minutes can seem like an eternity. You tend to blurt out lines and rush through your performance, almost as if you can’t wait to get done with it. The trick is to relax, breathe, and concentrate on getting through the first five minutes.
Don’t be too Hard on Yourself
After getting off the stage completely disoriented, starring in my first ever college play, all I thought about was how terrible I was and how I must have been the worst actor to have graced the stage. I avoided looking at people in the eye and stood off the congratulatory crowd all by myself. This was until a couple of girls walked up to me and told me how they loved my performance. I could not believe it! A friend, who I spoke to later, also thought that I was decent. You are often your own worst critic. You have to get yourself to understand that time won’t freeze and masked men aren’t going to grab you and tackle you to the floor if you make mistakes. You’re allowed to make mistakes.
Work on Accepting yourself Unconditionally
This works better than self-esteem. Self-esteem is based on you being accepted and commended by your audience. Rather than rating your performance based on other actors, performers or orators, it is a lot better to accept yourself for who you are. We’re all flawed human beings, prone to regular bouts of sheer stupidity and prone to making mistakes, but we’re also living a life that can be quite enjoyable, and at certain times, exhilarating. Your capacity for being happy mustn’t hinge on a single performance.
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