Beth Lapides

Don’t live in fear!

1.    Stop thinking about how nervous you are! Remember that almost everyone is nervous almost every time. So what?!

2.    Start thinking about something specific you want to say that you really want to communicate.

3.    Have a conversation with someone else. The bartender, someone in the audience, another person who’s going onstage. This gets you out of your head and into your voice.

4.    Do some deep breathing. This is very calming and centering. If you don’t know deep breathing techniques, go to a yoga class, search it online, or watch this space for future tips.

5.    If your hands are shaking and you have to hold paper onstage, hold your paper on a stiff notebook or clipboard, which will mask the shaking.

6.    Steady yourself by touching yourself (not like that!). Hands in pocket, or on hips etc. This reminds you that you are still in your body – not floating outside it!

7.    Look for (or imagine) the friendliest face in the crowd and direct your material to them.

8.    Run through the bullet points of your material in your head, remembering that you know what you are saying.

9.    Remember that the physical symptoms of excitement are exactly the same as nervousness. Nauseous, lightheaded, tight in the chest, full of adrenaline. Try to convince yourself you are excited not nervous.

10.    Focus on your opening line. If you don’t have a good opening line, look at your environment. Maybe you have something to say about the person who’s onstage before you, the news of the day, how hot/cold/dark/light the room is. This remark will bring you and the audience together in the present moment – and that’s what live performance is all about!

11.    As soon as you get onstage, hold onto the microphone and/or mic stand like you mean it. It literally grounds you – and makes you feel more like a rock star.

Feel free to pass this along to friends or re-post it online as long as you include a link to this page. This wisdom is distilled from years of being onstage, producing live performances and teaching at the Un-Cab Lab, comedy writing  & performance workshop.