How to Prevent Stage Fright When Acting
August 19, 2010 by Improv Site
Filed under acting techniques
Many people experience stage fright when acting and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s normal to get butterflies in your stomach and feel nervous when you know that you will be performing in front of an audience. Different people experience stage fright for different reasons. The main thing that causes a person to feel this way is being inexperienced and not sure of your own abilities.
In some people, the emotional state that accompanies acting such as anxiety can cause a chemical imbalance that can cause feelings of inferiority and nervousness. A deficiency in certain vitamins can make you feel weak, dizzy and out of control. The first step is to find out why you feel the way you do and then you can take steps to eliminate this problem and move on with your career.
So if you suffer from stage fright, don’t worry. There are a few tips that can help you get past your fears and have a great acting career. You may be surprised to learn that some of the greatest actors and actresses suffered from stage fright early in their careers. It’s normal to be nervous as long as you can keep it under control.
• The first thing that you need to do is have confidence in yourself. Know that you can do the job at hand and do it well and you will. Self-esteem builds good stage presence and frees your mind to concentrate on what you need to do instead of thinking about how nervous you are.
• Practice and repetition makes perfect and the more you practice acting the more confident you will become. The more rehearsing you do, the more natural it will feel and the less you will think about it. Be prepared and you will feel better and not worry so much once you get on stage.
• Before you begin, take a deep breath and relax. The more you stress over the task at hand the harder it will be. Many performers thrive on stress as long as it doesn’t get out of control but you can’t let it take over.
• Keep in mind that you are always your own worst critic and if you make a mistake it will be ten times worse in your eyes than with the audience. If you make a mistake, move on as if it never happened and chances are most people won’t even notice.
It’s harder for people to overcome stage fright if they are shy and quiet by nature. First, your heart may start beating rapidly. Then it becomes hard to breathe. Your palms may start to sweat and then a sick feeling will come over you. These are signs of stage fright. It makes it harder to overcome the fear of standing in front of people and act but it can be done.
Follow the tips above to help you get past this very common obstacle that must be overcome in order to further your acting career. Don’t let stage fright ruin your chance of becoming an actor. Be humble but confident and you will conquer your fears.
