FEAR - What can you do?

I find there’s nothing like being on stage and acting your little heart out, it is the most fun I have ever had, just the thrill of it all is an exciting feeling, except of course the “After party” but that I feel would be another post!!

But my post today is about fears! “Stage fright” the many ways it interferes with each of us.

Well it affects me ALOT!!, now I have been around the traps for a number of years so the stage is not a scary place, nor am I afraid once I’m up there, but the lead up is a terrible display of nerves, anxiety and just plain old OH MY GOD  fear.

I still remember my first time on stage, The High School play, I had a fairly big part, but that opening night I stood on the side of the stage with the world spinning, feeling sick and as if I was going to pass out, then I took that step, you know the one where you look down at the back of the wooden flat where you limb passes the edge and is hit by the burning beam of the stage lights and for that split second everything slows down and you watch as your whole body enters through the beam edge. Or maybe that was just me!! LOL

Well from that day I never looked back play after play I could do without problem, I had discovered the ability to suppress my stage fright and it left me alone!!

Until recently anyway, I don’t know if trying to ignore my stage fears has caused it to come back with a vengeance, now whenever I try and take to the stage or even audition for a role, my body goes into spasm, the whole works, dry reaching, puking, you name it my body creates these events that you just can’t ignore.....

So my question is this, what can I do? Just keep pushing through, leave the stage?

Also interested to hear what other people experience and do before they get into their stand-by positions?