Thing About Episode 2: PUBLIC PRESENTATION

We've all been in a position to present or perform publicly. Do we love it or hate it? Does it make a difference if you're performing your own material or someone else's? Or who the audience is? Around the circle, people confessed to the full spectrum of feelings from "born performer" to beta-blockin-n-poppin in sweaty anticipation of the spotlight. 

Sharing first, I found out through baby steps into the stand-up sphere that my stage fright activates at max force when I'm about to perform my own material in front of people. That oh-this-is-a-panic-attack sensation. Recreating an exercise from stand-up class at Second City, we did a round of improvised talking about a cue for 30 seconds and then 1 minute 30 seconds to warm ourselves up and to notice our feelings and tendencies while speaking in front of a group.

Emily shared tips from her experience as an actor and musician focused on grounding through a physical object or meditating on a physical object that grounds you. Imagining your "morning drink" and the good feelings you have in anticipation of that calming moment of your day. Bringing a familiar object to stay anchored to yourself and your intention. Putting a chair in the middle of the room (!) as a power tool to have the option to prop or not to prop in a new situation. Sit in the chair if you need to stabilize again!

Last, Abbey gave us a body wave exercise, running hands and arms up and over a mountain. Rising and falling and rising again. Another deeply grounding way to get back into the body and out of panic mode. 

Hottest takeaways from the evening:

- Remembering that an audience is on your side and wants you to do well (with the potential exception of stand up comedy, which is waiting to have the tomatoes thrown at you/throw tomatoes)

- Everyone is an expert at something. Everyone is a novice at something. You are giving the crowd a gift by sharing your expertise, and they want to receive what you're sharing.

- Adrenaline strategy: Have a tactic or tactics that work for you to practice before presenting. Repetition, writing it out, meditation, physical motion, a touchstone object, drugs, etc.

- The reminder that this all existed before your performance and will all continue to exist after your performance. 

- Use tools! Have a script/bell/timer/chair/prop to facilitate you. You don't have to do it all on your own.

- Say that you're nervous aloud. No one will boo you for being honest! And it might give them a window into where you're at so that they can empathize. 

- Try sharing in a small group/in front of someone who can give you honest, compassionate feedback, before sharing with the larger masses