Q&A for How to Prepare Yourself Before a Performance

I'm a big fan of mantras for meditation. For example, a mantra of the phrase, "I am enough." I also think it's okay to feel nervous. Lots of people feel nervous. Focus on telling the story and focus on the character. Try to channel that energy somewhere, as opposed to trying to make it go away. Finally, the parts of our brain that fire when people say they're nervous, are the same parts of the brain that fire when we say we're excited, so part of it is reframing. Instead of telling yourself, "Oh, I'm feeling nervous," say, "Oh, I'm feeling excited." That can often help change the way that you approach something.

Give yourself as well as your cast/crew compliments to try to uplift and move them. Make them feel as though they will do a great job regardless. Remember, the point of theater is to enjoy the performance and to have fun being on stage, so nervousness is a given, but try to not give into it too much.

Yes. Braces should not affect your ability to act at all. It's possible that some directors might not choose you if you don't have the right look for the part, but it shouldn't make a huge difference overall. Besides, you won't be wearing braces forever.

Take deep breaths. Tell yourself, "I've got this". You may not be able to entirely get rid of the jitters, but, as in spots, a little adrenaline can fuel your performance if you don't let it overwhelm you.

Yes, it may be more difficult for you, depending on your particular circumstances, but there are many successful actors with disabilities.

Talk to do the costume managers about the situation and why these costumes are not appropriate in any way. If they refuse to change anything, go straight to your director.

Act like it never happened, and continue your performance.

You should be happy that your family wants to support you. Just do your best and everything will be fine.

You should go over your material more and slow down. You can also practice simple tongue twisters to help you get over your stuttering. And if you notice yourself stuttering or stumbling over your words, stay confident and don't let it ruin the whole show. Sometimes these tiny little errors aren't even noticed by the audience.

When you start to shake (or vibrate), take 5-10 long, deep breaths. Tell yourself that everything will be okay and go over you moves or lines before heading out on stage. Visualize yourself succeeding at what you are about to do. Be confident. You'll do great.

Just quickly fix your steps and pretend like nothing happened. To prevent walking into a performance half naked, make sure you are fully dressed and/or you know where your clothes are at all times!

The best way to overcome this is to realize that everyone is uncomfortable with their body, in one way or the other. Remember that the audience is here to watch a show, not to judge the people in it. Fake confidence if you don't feel it.

In this situation, the best thing to do is simply explain your condition to your audience and their parents so they know what to expect. If the children are young, use phrases that they’ll understand. You could even incorporate a bit of humor into it (if your routine is comedy) so they’ll feel comfortable. Remember, Tourette’s is nothing to be ashamed of—if something embarrassing happens onstage, just continue the performance like nothing happened.

Plays are intended to be seen by peers. They will judge you. That's part of the experience of doing performances.

You'll be fine. Your teacher can help you and, if you are asked to perform, that will give you another chance to shine. It's probably no big deal.

Remember that most of the people there are probably there to see someone else perform so just focus on playing to whoever came to see you. Take a few deep breaths before coming on stage and make sure your violin is tuned and ready to go. If you make a mistake in the music, don't panic, just keep going as it's likely the audience won't notice anyway. Although you may not want to do this, remain positive and enjoy the opportunity to show others what you have been working on.

Besides rehearsals, several times in your mind run through every detail of your part of the performance.

Try deep breathing exercises to calm those nerves. Remember not to eat too quickly, as this will cause indigestion. The audience is there to support you.