Frozen Aspie

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I did my first lesson in a beginners magic class at our local Performing Arts Centre (Devonport, Tasmania).

Part of it is learning the mechanics of the trick, but part of it is presenting the routine before an imaginary audience. I couldn't present it before imaginary strangers any more than I could do it before real strangers. I believe there are several reasons.

1. I don't do spontaneous/ad lib unless I know the material VERY WELL. Certainly not two seconds after learning the trick.

2. I fear negative feedback/criticism. And that's what I'd get if I tried performing a routine that I hadn't perfected.

3. I just fear crowds focusing on me.

Which is why I've taken the course, as a way to deal with some of these issues. The course eventually leads to performing at whatever gigs the Performing Arts Centre can line up.

Does anyone who has had to confront and overcome fear and freezing, have any advice?

Appreciated.

D

I'm currently in a film making program that forces me to do a little bit of everything, from acting to directing, to writing, to pitching ideas to 'executives'. It's caused me to get over much of my fear of failure and rejection, at least in some ways.

My best advice: Don't think, just do. Don't focus on what could go wrong; just focus on what you're dong or saying right then and there, and nothing else. Whether that goes wrong or not, whether you slip up in some minor way or not, don't stop. When I'm in front of an entire studio crew, acting, I don't think about what I'm doing or saying, I just go into creative autopilot, so to speak, and I'm fine; the performance turns out fine. Same with pitching ideas and scripts; I don't think too much about what I'm saying while I'm saying it- I'd just end up stumbling over my words, otherwise, and end up sounding indecisive, unenthusiastic, or just plain scatterbrained (which I kind of am, really).

Thanks Zokk. I can see the wisdom in it. Sometimes I do over-think myself out of doing stuff.

How do you go performing before a crowd of strangers off the street that have nothing to do with production or the film industry in general?

D

It's kind of the same thing, in the end. Most of the people I end up working with on set, or pitching ideas to, are strangers to me; the actors, the crew and the executives. Most of the time I've never seen them before having to work with them (or trying to convince them to work with me, in the case of pitching) and there's a good chance I won't see them again after it's all over, either. And I'm expected to perform well in front of them; make a good impression, regardless of the fact that most of them are strangers. Friendly strangers, most of the time, but still, strangers none the less.

when i was younger i tried a lot of things for the very reason that i wasn't good at them/felt repulsed by them (hang gliding, scuba diving, among others); & i took a class in improvisation, too. i enjoyed it, had some insight into human interaction that i wouldn't have otherwise--but i don't think i would do that on a stage, even if they paid me.

m.