Joby Harte - How to Cope With Stage Fright During Your Audition?

Fear of the stage is very common and it is very rare to find an actor who is completely unaffected by it.  Joby Harte offered a few tips to aspiring actors on how to conquer their fear, and hopefully do brilliantly in their auditions.

Stage Fright:

After a long wait in the lobby, you are very thirsty, have not been to a restroom for a while, and are tired of the constant back biting and gossiping by the other actors called for the audition. So, finally, your turn arrives. You go to the stage, watch the casting director and the rest of her team, and you see them stare at your, fully expecting you to fumble and embarrass yourself.

Then suddenly, as soon as you are given the signal to do your piece, you feel your muscles contracting, your breathing becomes harder and faster, you start feeling a squeeze in your tummy, you can almost feel your heart banging against your chest, and you are so nervous that you lose your capacity to think clearly as well as your current awareness of the situation. Welcome to Stage Fright. It happens to the best of us.

If it is of any consolation

You are not alone. Joby Harte says Stage fight is something very common and every actor, young and old, famous and obscure has gone through this during his or her audition for a role.

1. Sleep well.

You shall require at least 8 to 9 hours of sleep before your audition. Wake up after a blissful sleep, fully refreshed and ready to take on the world.

2. Eat well.

Avoid having too much protein in your last breakfast or lunch just before the audition as protein is difficult to digest quickly. Have simple cereals, bread, barn, rice and lots of milk. Whatever you take has to be very easy to digest. And eat in moderation, do not gulp down food.

3. Exercise well.

Go for an early morning jog or run, have a great workout in the gym, exercise those muscles. Keep your body busy, fit and warmed up.

4. Prepare well.

You will probably be asked to say a monologue in your audition. Hopefully you will have prepared well at it long before the audition. Practice your monologue with friends and family and ask them to rate your performance. Perfect your delivery as much as possible.