I can’t believe how many people are recommending alcohol or drugs! I would be seriously concerned if any of my actors had to use alcohol or drugs of any kind to calm themselves down. It really is not a long term solution.
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Quick fix I use when dealing with panicking students:
1. Make four fingers/thumb in with your L hand (palm down) / thumb + forefinger out in R hand (palm up)
2. Flip both hands and simultaneously, also swap the configurations so that now it’s thumb+forefinger on L (palm up) / 4 fingers on R (palm down)
3. Repeat, making the transitions as smooth as you can.
The challenge of the thing just takes their minds away from the show!
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I think also having a ritual / warm up practice to get you to a sense of “ready” in rehearsals is critical. Our ensemble has our own warm ups, where we systematically warm up body, voice and group-sense. We do this regularly in rehearsals so by the time we’re in the theatre, well it’s like the pebbles that Hansel and Gretel leave to find their way home. I strongly advise all performers to develop their own warm-up rituals.
I too, used to be terrified of performing, until one day, I realised that performance is really about communication. I think a lot of fear comes from ‘doing well or failing to do well’. But if you think of it as a message—like something you want to tell a friend in a conversation…
Once you understand why you are on stage, and have a purpose larger than “looking good”, then you will be calm.