Do You Have Stage Comfort or Stage Fright When You Perform?
One of the biggest battles most every comedian, comedy entertainer, or speaking professional faces involves stage fright—those uncomfortable feelings of impending doom and the exacerbation of self doubt.
These issues are compounded when a performer realizes that this condition is having an adverse affect on their level of performance.
Let me say this—you simply cannot have enough confidence when you stand before an audience. I’m referring specifically to confidence in your stand-up comedy material, confidence in your performing ability and confidence in yourself as an entertainer.
Stage comfort and confidence won’t give a person more talent—that is a gift that the performer must bring to the table first. But stage comfort and confidence are the ULTIMATE talent enhancements ANY performer can have.
So, here are the questions that cross every performer’s mind:
How can I get rid of stage fright? How can I develop comfort and confidence when I stand before any audience? Is there a solution for me or is this a condition I must learn to live with?
Let me answer the first two questions. Yes, you can get rid of stage fright. Yes, you can develop tremendous comfort and confidence for any audience.
As far as a solution goes…
Well, there’s really no need to discuss a solution unless you can understand that:
1. It is YOU and the mental processes that you continually use to reinforce issues with stage fright and lack of confidence that are the root cause.
The last person anyone wants to look at as the cause of a problem is that person in the mirror.
2. Unless you are aware of these mental processes and how they work together, your chances of overcoming stage fright and developing real confidence for the stage are greatly diminished.
3. Overcoming stage fright and developing confidence for the stage requires some work and effort. The good news is that it requires no more work or effort than you are expending now to maintain self doubt, anxiety, fear, and insecurity when you stand before an audience.
While I am no psychologist, I have studied how the mind works for years. It has taken me nearly half a century to thoroughly understand the mental processes involved that contribute to stage fright, lack of confidence, self-doubt and insecurity.
But when I try to explain how the mind’s “database” called the subconscious mind is the root of stage fright and discomfort, many folks roll their eyes in the back of their head and say “Yeah, whatever”.
No biggy. For those folks, I can only wish you the best in your suffering and hope you find a solution for yourself along the way.
For everyone else, here’s some basic information about how your subconscious mind works and how it provides the foundation for stage fright and uncertainty:
1. As I mentioned before, your subconscious mind is like a computer “database” or “library” of information. Not only does it store information, but it also stores your associated emotional reactions to the information stored there.
For example, folks who experience stage fright have fear, self doubt, and insecurity associated with performing for an audience firmly entrenched in their subconscious mind.
2. Information that is stored in your subconscious mind is established and reinforced by:
a. What you consciously visualize when you see yourself performing—whether you are at the performing venue or away from the venue.
b. The internal dialogue that you have with yourself when discussing your performances.
c. The external dialogue (speaking out verbally) that you have with yourself or with others about your performances and issues with stage fright.
3. As hard as it may be for some to swallow, folks who are grappling with stage fright and lack of confidence are responsible THEMSELVES for keeping their fears and doubts alive and well—whether they choose to realize it or not.
How? See #2 above. Ironically enough, people WORK on having stage fright, doubt, and a sense of impending failure firmly embedded on a subconscious level.
Your subconscious mind is not involved with critical thinking. It doesn’t make determinations on what is good or bad, right or wrong, or make decisions.
But your subconscious mind DOES influence your conscious thinking because it is your internal “library” or database of information and associated emotions that you have stored there. It can affect what you visualize, your internal dialogue and your external dialogue with yourself and others.
The same is true in reverse—what you visualize, the internal and external dialogue that you have on a consistent basis can have a direct affect the information and associated responses and emotions with that information stored in your subconscious mind.
I am working on a report that may turn into a book specifically for talented comedians, entertainers and speaking profession about developing confidence and comfort for the stage.
Does this topic interest you? If so, please leave a comment in the comment box below.
Cheers,
Steve Roye
The Professor of Funny for Money
About the Author/Founder of the SCP Blog
Steve Roye is the author of the Killer Stand-up Comedy System and is a globally recognized expert in the field of stand-up comedy material development and presentation strategies -- for entertainers as well as speaking professionals.Please check out the Featured Articles page for direct links to articles on this blog for pro comedians, comedy entertainers, and speaking professionals.
Last 5 posts by Steve Roye
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Tags: lack of confidence, overcoming stage fright, performance anxiety, self doubt, stage comfort, stand up comedy
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Yes, the topic of stage fright would interest me, and I would definitely read such a report or book.
(By the way, I was boo-ed by an audience of 150 people once during part of an auction I was the auctioneer at. They hated me, but I continued on when the booing quieted down. It didn’t kill me; and I didn’t dwell on it as part of the reaction was triggered by the people who were the sponsors of the auction. I’m hoping this experience will stay in my mind if people start heckling me in the future. I look at it as a POSITIVE experience for my future endeavor in stand-up.)
This is a great story to relay — especially the fact that you didn’t dwell on this less-than-favorable experience. That’s one of the keys to conquering fear, but easier said than done.
The Prof
Steve, Thanks for the article. I think you hit the nail on the head near the end, when you said, “what you visualize, the internal and external dialogue that you have on a consistent basis, can have a direct affect on the information, and associated responses and emotions with that information, stored in your subconscious mind.”
Too often those negative impressions were forced upon us as children, and we never get over them. While we have no control over what people do to us, we DO have control over our own actions and reactions.
I like the advice from the author, talking about hearing our mother’s voice in our minds: “Put a bag over her head!” Whoever told you that you were no good was wrong.
We can CHOOSE to ignore the inferiority messages that were drilled into our brains. And the sooner we choose to do that, the better off we’ll be.
If you know you’re funny, get on with sharing that gift with the world! They need a laugh, and you may be their only source of laughter today.
Thanks, again,
Ron
Thanks for your comment.
On the surface, it can easily appear that stage fright is a huge monster that difficult to fight. The reality is…
It takes no more “work” to get rid of it than it does to keep it alive, provided you understand how it manifests in the first place.
The Prof
After twenty years of doing this, stage fright only gets to me now when I’m not prepared. As long as I’ve rehearsed, know what I want to say and have confidence that it’s something that the audience will appreciate it, fear rarely gets the best of me anymore.
Shayne Michael´s last blog ..Bad Things To Hear From Your Chiropractor
Great article…It’s true and fully convincing about the stage fright.
I got excited reading at first. But kinda disappointed seeing that you didn’t share your experience on how to remove the stage fright from the subconcious database( interesingly put!),may be magically, I wish. !..
Nevertheless, the book will be awaited. Hope, I would stand infront of 500 with ease smile in my face after reading it..
Good luck!..
Actually, I share my experience on how I eliminated stage fright in chapter 9 of the Interactive Performing Guide — it’s called The Secret Weapon.
The report I am working on will incorporate that information, along with additional methodologies that enhance the process.
The Prof
Was on stage for the fourth time in my life Monday, Oct 26. I am better prepared now and take the stage with some confidence. The following day however, I reflected on the way my lack of total confidence led my performance to be robotic and forced. I need to develop more confidence to become a better performer.
Would be interested in advice that helps me do that.
Appreciate the blog,
David
Well said! When we focus on the questions we ask ourselves (such as, “What if I bomb onstage?” vs. “What if I nail it?”) we have the ability to change negative thoughts into positive ones, and thus transform ourselves into the powerful, engaging public speakers we seek to be.
Cheers,
Seymour
Seymour Segnit´s last blog ..Stage Fright. Are You Asking Yourself Questions that Help or Hinder?