stage fright?

Question

so i picked a drama class for my elective but i get scared to go in front of 23 people what can i do to stop this

Answer 1

i spent alot of time on stage in both college and high school. what worked for me was just to stop and take a deep breath and then continu with your lines. the drama class is all there to learn just like you. ask yourself whats the worst that can happen? you forget a line? no big deal it happens ALL THE TIME. if you have ever seen a play i garruntee! that NOBODY got every line right. starting in front of a smaller group like in your theatre class will give you the confidence to move up to larger audeinces. no matter how experienced the actor, they ALL get nervous in one way or another and they all have different ways of coping with it.

Answer 2

Get lost in the material. Know your script front and back. Take each line out to lunch, buy it a glass of wine and talk to it for hours. Know your script like you have known nothing else in your life. Study it, and study it. Build your character. Make it a part of you, and make your character a real life breathing, wanting, hurting person. When that character becomes as real to you as you are, you will no longer go on stage as your self playing a roll. You will be up there telling the story from the characters point of view. That character will not have stage fright, and neither will you.
Basically, work you *** off, it will come.
B

Answer 3

Coming from someone who took 4 years of dramatics classes. Instead of making eye contact with someone try picking out a couple of spots just above the audience's heads and focus on those spots, if you are giving a speech make sure you move your glance from one side of the room to the other, if you are doing a scene with someone else don't look them directly in the eye try looking at the bridge of their nose (this will help to stay composed if it is a dramatic scene). If you are doing a scene alone make sure you have a spot that you can look at instead of making eye contact with the audience. And the most important thing, practice, practice, practice especially in front of a mirror. Also, if you have a family member or a couple of really good friends or classmates you can practice with that helps too. Good luck, and if you learn to relax you will probably love it.

Answer 4

Before you go up just keep telling yourself that the people in the audience do not want to see you fail. They want to see you succeed. Just imagine that they are your cheerleaders. Once you get up there you should easily get lost in the character and it will become easier. Of course this is coming from an actor. It took me the longest to get over my stage fright. I still have it, but only 5 minutes before the "show begins" and then it goes away. I convince myself that they are on my side and that this is going to be over before I know it. It always works for me.

Answer 5

Really nothing but the more and more you do the easier it becomes. I sing and it took me the longest time to sing in public until I took a voice class as an elective I still get so nervous its ridiculous but once I get on stage and start to sing it goes away. All you can do is try your best to relax and focus and what you have to do/say. Good Luck

Answer 6

don't try to stop it ... use the adrenaline to get you through a performance. I'm a professional actor and I know colleagues who say the day they don't get scared is the day they know they've lost it.
the fear actually gives your performance an edge that is palpable. Obviously it's better if your legs don't shake and you remember your lines but the only thing you can do to conquor this is to step on stage and prove to yourself that you can do it.
All actors forget their lines sometimes though so if it happens once - keep going until it doesn't

Answer 7

Ignore the people and get lost in the moment on stage. You can use the nervousness to channel your energy and concentration into the character. It will also get easier the more you do it. Acting is scary for most people when they start.

Answer 8

you just have to not care about what people think. That will solve your problems. Most people are afraid of being in front of a lot of people because they are afraid what the crowd is thinking about them. But once you dont' care what they think then it doesn't really matter at all. If that doesn't work for you then don't even glance at the crowd, look above them at the wall or something.

Answer 9

Imagine them all in their underwear, or maybe an easier way is when you look out in the audience, only look at someone you know, like a friend

Answer 10

I have the same problem! I am in jazz dance!