Stage fright. And you?

[lindalove]

Tomorrow is the day we perform our "teaser" for class. I am Queen Aggravain in the musical Once Upon A Mattress that our school is putting on this upcoming weekend, and tomorrow is our school performance. I'm petrified. I'm also nervous. I love theatre - I love the thrill of performing, of entertaining. I love the feeling of the control over people's attention and emotions - the gasps, the laughter... but I hate - loathe - being nervous! It is the ultimate love-hate relationship.

What makes you nervous?

[ratbastid]

I used to get stage fright really bad. Actually, once the show was happening, I was fearless, but thinking about the show during the rehearsal period was absolutely terrifying. The last few rehearsals, right down to final dress, were miserable. Then once the show was rolling, it felt just like another rehearsal, except that there was an audience out there breathing life into it.

Here's what I finally got about nervousness. The physical sensation of nervousness is exactly like the physical sensation of excitement. The ONLY difference is what you call it. So I stopped saying I was nervous and started saying I was excited. Presto: I had no more stage fright.

[Rodney]

Same as you, more or less -- performing for a crowd. Everybody tells me I'm a great public speaker, eloquent and humorous and quick to improvise. They don't know that my nerves are screaming -- and they never will.

That, and large dogs running loose. Had some bad experiences as a kid.

[Ustwo]

I get this, but it quickly fades with a little experiance.

Trick is making it past the first time jitters, after that its pretty easy like anything else in life you have experiance in.

[maleficent]

the biggest thing that makes me nervous is having to meet people I haven't met before-- Performing for a crowd is pretty easy... because it's anonymous and you can be whomever you want to be... Peforming one on one-- where the real you comes out - is near impossible for me.

[Charlatan]

My stage fright would come on gradually the day of the performance (especially opening night). It would climax at about two minutes to curtain (or my entrance on stage), then it would disappear. It was like a switch was being thrown.

Before the switch I would be sure I couldn't remember a single line of diaglogue. Then it was all clarity.

Oddly, when I did radio I rarely had this happen despite having a much larger audience.

[Poppinjay]

That's because in radio, you're talking to one person at a time.

I got sandbagged on a grade in college where we had to make a speech about a career we were pursuing. It was a peer graded assignment, and one bonehead gave me a D because he thought I should be all wacky morning-drive like.

But I always get a little nervous making speeches, and I very much loathe being in unfamiliar situations.

[snowy]

I get a little anxious, yes, but I think it's mostly due to the excitement. I love performing.

Notably, when I wrote my 10th grade writing assessment in high school, I addressed the topic of stage fright by writing about a choral performance we did in front of the entire school. Writing it made me realize it wasn't about the anxiety beforehand, but all about the high afterwards. Nothing beats giving a great performance in front of an excited, enthusiastic audience.

[little_tippler]

I used to get pretty bad stage fright, when I first started participating in "public events". I did some amateur musicals, theatre, and also played in a few bands. I was the singer, which is always the most exposed member! I get more stage fright in theatre than playing in a band. The crowds are bigger, and I actually shake. I just can't help it. After I get into the spirit of it, it goes away. Also with singing, the more experience I get, the less scared of exposing myself I get also. I become more confident in what I do. The funny thing is, you'd never think I'd like to do these sorts of activities, because as I have said on TFP before, I am an introvert. On that personality test that's on the board, I'm an INFJ, and recently I retook the test and got 100% introverted. But I still love to perform. Weird...but good. The best part of feeling nervous is once it starts to subside and you feel that it's all going to be great.

[aberkok]

This still happens, but mostly in proportion to how well prepared I am. Two things that help me guard against it now are:

1) Know the material: Now that I am out of school, I need to be well prepared enough to be able to say to myself "there's nobody in the audience that knows your stuff as well as you."

2) Get used to the feeling: probably like a fighter pilot, performing anxiety manifests itself in physical ways sometimes. The more practice I get, the more I just get used to these feelings and they are easily ignored. Kind of like exercising, where you train a muscle. My stomach starts to sink and I say to myself: "ehhh... big deal..." This took a lot of experience!

[roachboy]

i have some stage fright before piano performances.
i deal with it via little routines that i have worked out.
the most important one is going blank. other peple call it meditating, but i prefer going blank because that is what it is.
the nervousness dissipates after i get to the piano onstage without falling down and make an initial sound.
the main consequence of all the above is that i dont interact with the audience if i can avoid it until after a set...
comrades i play with can hang out in with the audience, have a couple of beers, etc.: i cant.

i get nervous before academic conference presentations, but it is not the same thing. there is a script. it is in front of me. once i realized that there are no mistakes unless you signal to the audience by your reaction that there is one, i felt much better about this type of public appearance. now i can focus on what a waste of time most conferences are. that is much better.

[jth]

ah Stage fright.

I was only afraid to perform once in my life and it wasn't even my first time getting on stage to play. However I certainly can attest and know a lot about stage fright. Musicians deal with it all the time. I know people who pretty much refuse to perform anymore because of it despite how amazingly talented they are and rather record in studio settings or just teach students how to play.

You might be interested in reading a book called 'Effortless Mastery' by the great pianist Kenny Werner. It's sort of geared towards Musicians but it is quite valid to all forms of performing arts and art in general.

Most of stage fright is equated back to ego. "Oh my gosh what will happen if I forget a line, I'll look like an idiot" or "Oh man if I play a wrong chord, everything will fall apart". That book teaches people how to let go of the ego and let the art flow.

I get nerves time to time before a big performance exam or just gig with really great playes. But it's never something that is negative. Learning to just realize that "what will be," will be allows me to enjoy what I do as a musician.

[Redjake]

the only time I have stage fright or get nervous in front of an audience is like Aberkok mentioned:

Know your shit. If you know more than anyone in the audience, you can't screw it up. If you know the lines/lyrics/speech/discussion topics by heart, it's really hard to mess it up, and it also gives you a great confidence level.

The only time I "botch" things or studder or draw a blank is when I didn't know what I was going to speak about until 5 minutes beforehand.

[Carno]

Well, I have never been in a play or anything like that, but I imagine that I would be quite nervous beforehand. I have had two speech classes at my school, so I don't mind public speaking much anymore though.

[msh58]

public speaking, speaking in groups, actually speaking at all. I should just write to people.

[onodrim]

Originally Posted by Charlatan

My stage fright would come on gradually the day of the performance (especially opening night). It would climax at about two minutes to curtain (or my entrance on stage), then it would disappear. It was like a switch was being thrown.

Before the switch I would be sure I couldn't remember a single line of diaglogue. Then it was all clarity.

Generally, this is the same exact experience I have. I'll start getting nervous as I get ready for the performance regardless of what I'm doing (theatre, musical, opera, solo art song type stuff), then the last few minutes before I go out are the worst. But as soon as I'm out on stage and going through the motions it all settles down. The only exception really is if I'm horribly unprepared. Then the anxiety tends to stay a bit longer.

[mirevolver]

I used to have a problem with getting in front of a crowd of people and talking or performing. But then I got a job where I was required to give speeches and presentations in a room full of high school students. Honestly I would say that is the toughest crowd anyone can face. As part of this job, I (a 23 yr old guy) sometimes had to walk into a room full of high school girls and give a speech about cosmetology.

I don't get stage fright anymore.

[Gilda]

Originally Posted by maleficent

the biggest thing that makes me nervous is having to meet people I haven't met before-- Performing for a crowd is pretty easy... because it's anonymous and you can be whomever you want to be... Peforming one on one-- where the real you comes out - is near impossible for me.

Twins!

Gilda

[cj2112]

I've been singing with one group or another for 25 years now. (right about now I realize i'm getting old) I still get jitters before a show, I can't sit down, I am a bundle of nervous energy. Usually if I am well prepared, it goes away the moment the curtain goes up, the lights come up, or the I pick up my pitch from the first few notes of the band (or my pitch pipe if I'm performing acapella).

[Willravel]

Originally Posted by lindalove

What makes you nervous?

-other drivers: I can't stand the idea that someday when I'm driving with my daughter, obeying all the rules of the road, something as simple as a lane change without looking can take my and my daughters life. I fear the overconfidence and the easily distracted nature of other drivers.

-I am nervous that I am usually the only one who asks why. TFP is a rare community, and is not reflected in my communty. Jee, how did the mayor score that great deal with the garbage unions? Oh well, who cares. Well, actually the mayor gave them a sweet deal and lied about it in the budget, to the detriment of the whole city.

-Religous zealots make me very nervous. To devote one's self to morality and living right by God is one thing....going ape shit on members of another religion with automatic weapons is scary.

-I'm nervous when trying to communicate with someone with which I share no common language.

-I never get stage fright, but I get second hand stage fright like no other. If I had to play a violen (my worst instrument) in front of an audience of 800 people, I'd be cool. If I'm at a concert for someone I know...I'm a nervous wrek.

-The water in Central and South America makes me nervous.

-Not having a vacation at least once a year makes me go crazy, and I get nervous when my vacation is in jeopardy.

[quadro2000]

I always feel that butterfly feeling of nervousness/excitement before a show starts. It happens when I hear the audience taking their seats, having conversations...that constant murmur that fills a theater before the show starts. I just wind up pacing nonstop. It reaches its pinnacle when I'm the first one onstage, and I'm standing in the wings, watching the lights go to black and hearing the audience quiet down.

Once I'm on stage, it disappears. I don't know where it goes, but it's gone.

As long as I'm fairly confident in what I'm doing, I'm fine. I get "stage fright" in small, classroom situations when I'm performing something for the first time, and will be taking critique from a teacher, in front of my peers. For example, I'm taking a monologue class now, and I'm dreading having to stand up in front of the class and give my first stab at it. I don't like people seeing my vulnerable side, the side where I'm pretty much acting badly because I haven't done much with the material before and need help from somebody - especially when they're either people I've just met, or people I compete with (fellow actors). Shudder.

[Charlatan]

Quadro... great description. I started getting nervous just reading it.


You make a very good point about the intimacy of the classroom and the vulnerability of trying something new. I have signed up for an improv workshop (it starts soon) and have started to get the waves of nervousness associated with doing something new (it's been so long that it might as well be new).

[Pip]

I get stage fright sometimes. Sometimes I just step out and do my thing without a trace of fear, but sometimes it sneaks up on me and pounces! If it hasn't happened after say a minute on stage, I'm safe, but I can go from 100% on top of things to "Whoops where did my brain go?" in the blink of an eye. It happened today, when I was supposed to speak in front of the class. I had the speech outlined in my head, had made a mental image of myself giving it and all, but when I stepped up and started talking everything just... dissapeared. The professor (a bona fide English gentleman) saved me from total humiliation by explaining about something while I got my brain back online.

Originally Posted by onesnowyowl

Writing it made me realize it wasn't about the anxiety beforehand, but all about the high afterwards. Nothing beats giving a great performance in front of an excited, enthusiastic audience.

Amen. Usually I don't "sense" the audience, it's like they're behind a glass wall, but there was one time when their response was so enthusiastic it broke through. It was like being washed over by a massive wave of love and admiration. Priceless.

[Fly]

Originally Posted by ratbastid

Here's what I finally got about nervousness. The physical sensation of nervousness is exactly like the physical sensation of excitement. The ONLY difference is what you call it. So I stopped saying I was nervous and started saying I was excited. Presto: I had no more stage fright.

i sorta see it/feel it the same way......i've played alot of live shows (albeit behind a drumset,where you can kinda hide).....and after awhile you just settle down........

then like ratbastid said........it ends up being a feeling of excitement


no problem playin' in front of people.

i say "bring it fucking on" baby....

[Fly]

Originally Posted by roachboy

once i realized that there are no mistakes unless you signal to the audience by your reaction that there is one, i felt much better about this type of public appearance.

so true.........this has worked wonders .........only the one making the mistake knows.


great piece of advice right here folks.........

[Exorcist]

As a singer, I try to be part of the audience as much as possible, or to make them share the performance with me. It really helps when they know the words, but even if they don't, things like clapping, jumping, and headbanging really help.

[mystmarimatt]

As a good little theatre geek, I know that the nervousness that hits me right before I step onto the stage is just another form of energy, and the best thing to do is just rechannel that energy into my performance.