Stage fright is the scourge of many performers across all disciplines. Performers who suffer with it can at least know they’re in good company.
Barbra Streisand flubbed some lyrics at a 1967 Central Park concert and didn’t perform live again for nearly 30 years. Laurence Olivier, the actor’s actor, became so rattled playing Othello that he requested other actors on stage not look him in the eye. He had to be pushed onto the stage for each scene.
Opera great Renee Fleming also has had to be pushed onto the stage by her vocal coach. Adele’s stage fright has led to pre-show nausea and once had her leaving the venue via the fire escape. The phenomenon cuts across all levels of arts and entertainment. Heavy metal howler Ozzy Osbourne (“To say that I suffer from pre-show nerves is like saying that when you get hit by an atom bomb it hurts a bit.”) and punk provocateur John Lydon (“Before a gig, I’m a bag of nerves, something wicked. Can’t eat, can’t think, can’t talk, just stressed out to the max.”) both know the fear well.
Despite its prevalence, stage fright, or performance anxiety, often goes unaddressed, perhaps because of performers’ embarrassment or a determined “the show must go on” mentality. Knowing that Olivier and Streisand have dealt with it is slim comfort to a performer in the spotlight struggling to remember lines.
Pianist and composer Robin Spielberg, though, does address performance anxiety head on. Robin will present a workshop, Overcoming Performance Anxiety, on May 20, prior to her performance that evening in TECO Theater.
Robin is a founding member of the Atlantic Theater Company. Her approach to performance anxiety incorporates methods she learned from fellow ATC members David Mamet and William H. Macy.
Robin’s performance that evening will feature a program of compositions chosen to promote relaxation, mindfulness and emotional well-being.
Robin’s workshop and performance are part of Straz’s Kaleidoscope Arts and Health Series, integral to our commitment to promoting and utilizing the arts as a tool for healthy living. The class, 11 a.m. May 20, is free but registration is required.
Another arts and health event is scheduled the following day when Straz presents the Third Annual Arts and Mind Village Convening, which will bring together scientists, researchers and community members to discuss ways to actualize the arts and healing. It’s an in-person offshoot of our virtual Arts and Mind Village chats. The event is May 21 and costs $30 to attend. You can register here.
