Magic!

J.T. Turner, Jordan Ahnquist, and Peter A. Carey in Lyric Stage Company's Big River


I was backstage recently in the Green Room of a theater in Boston. In this particular show, I have a late entrance (an hour after the show starts to be exact). As I was getting geared up to go on, I was excited, happy and anxious to get out there.I turned to my fellow actor that makes the late entrance with me and I said, "Who knows what's waiting out there!" He looked at me like I was crazy, and indeed I am.

And it made me think a bit about that unique moment, the moment before you throw yourself bravely before a crowd of hundreds of strangers, and show them your work. Will they be a great warm audience, or a cold distant one? Will all my lines go perfect, or will I stumble and forget? Will my fellow actors hit their marks, or miss things? Will stuff fall over, sound cues go awry, props be missing? Do I have my pants on?

So now you have 2 choices. To fret, worry and almost be paralyzed with fear, or to channel that excitement into POSITIVE excitement. You control how you think and approach any situation, and here is a prime example as you await a chance to go on the stage, or preform before people. You can let the shadows take over, and panic to the point of hyperventilating, or you can corral your emotions into excitement.As I often say to students, we all have butterflies, the trick is to get them to fly in formation.

You are about to leap into the unknown. Don't be scared, timid and preoccupied by it, let your inner self be positive, confident and strong. Treat it as you would the feelings of a special birthday, or Christmas morning, or any other big event that had you tingling.You have a chance that not everyone gets, to share your talent publicly, in a special, living moment in time. What a fantastic opportunity for you.

Make magic.

THE ACTORS SENSEI
Acting and Speech Lessons for All Ages


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