Act Natural
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 fright. In fact, most actors dread stepping into the lights as much as you do, probably even more, because their careers are riding on it. The great American actress Helen Hayes claimed she used to routin ... read full excerpt from Act Natural ebook
