Chapter One

1

MAKING FEAR YOUR ALLY

Personally, I am always very nervous when I begin to speak. Every time I make a speech I feel I am submitting to judgment, not only about my ability but my character and honor. I am afraid of seeming either to promise more than I can perform, which suggests complete irresponsibility, or to perform less than I can, which suggests bad faith and indifference.—Cicero*

Fear is, perhaps, the ultimate proof that all of us are created equal. Your turn to speak, and suddenly your mouth turns to cotton, your throat is a desert, your voice cracks, your armpits are dripping faucets, your legs are concrete blocks, your heart is running a marathon. In study after study, decade after decade, when people are asked to rate their biggest fears, number one is always speaking before a group of people. You, too, get scared? So what: Everyone does. Even Cicero!

Most people assume that professional actors and lecturers have built up an immunity to stage frig ... read full excerpt from Act Natural ebook