Acting school NYC: Technique #1: harness the fear

  NYC Acting School Teaches How to Overcome Stage Fright

We are running a series on our blog of techniques used to combat the common experience of stage fright. Since stage fright is a common (dare I say inevitable?) part of the actor’s experience, we are often asked what we suggest in terms of how to manage this fear.
Different techniques work well for different people, so you are encouraged to practice these techniques and see what works for you, in our acting classes or another good environment for practice.
Technique #1: harness the fear.  Even if you haven’t played football, you probably remember at least hearing the wisdom in football movies: “Get angry.” This wisdom can also apply for the actor. ("Get nervous!") Embrace whatever emotions you have access to in this moment, focus them, and use them as energy for your performance. Some actors find it helpful to think of the butterflies in their stomach as excitement, preparing them for the job, as opposed to “anxiety” or another negative interpretation.

What approaches have you used to overcome stage fright?  Have you tried embracing it?  Did that work for you? 

Be sure to visit our main website at http://www.ActingClassesforFilm.com to learn more about our school and our class schedule.