Emerson Pieper, staff writer

For many students, the thought of standing in front of a crowd is enough to make their palms sweat and their minds go blank. On Oct. 17, Augsburg University’s Theater Department hosted a Stage Fright Workshop, opening its doors to students across campus to share techniques for managing performance anxiety, building confidence and finding comfort in front of an audience.

This workshop was organized in response to requests from different groups across campus, including Campus Ministry and Multicultural Life. The organizer was Dante Austin, a student at Augsburg and the Stage Manager/Assistant Director for “Much Ado About Nothing.” Austin wanted to create an opportunity for students to come together and learn practical strategies for handling stage fright, drawing on techniques that have helped him personally in the past.

The goal for this event was to bring the community together. To come together and share tips, tricks, skills, and grounding techniques with each other. Although the workshop was connected to the theater department’s production of “Much Ado About Nothing,” its intended audience extended beyond students involved in the theater setting. The techniques discussed could be useful for anyone who finds themselves speaking or performing just about anything in front of an audience.

Austin mentioned how learning to manage stage fright is an ongoing process rather than something that disappears with experience. “I still to this day struggle with stage fright, but I have learned to become better equipped to handle it when it happens through breath work and grounding in the space.” Becoming familiar with a space, staying present in one’s body and preparing for a presentation or performance are all part of that process. Austin emphasized the personal nature of performing, describing it as a way of sharing part of oneself with an audience.

For students who are new to theater, that vulnerability can feel intimidating. The advice given, however, is to remember that performing is not something an actor, or anyone giving a speech or giving a presentation, has to navigate alone.  According to Austin, “Fear is natural. Just know that you are not alone on stage. Not only do you have your fellow actors, but you have the audience rooting for you.” Rather than viewing an audience as something to fear, performers can learn to draw encouragement from the people watching them. The excitement in the room can help carry an actor through a show.

This workshop may be the beginning of something larger for the community. While there is not enough time in the rehearsal schedule for another workshop during “Much Ado About Nothing,” Austin hopes that there will be time to offer similar opportunities in connection with future theater productions. The longer-term goal is to make the workshops a more regular campus event, potentially offering one each month and keeping them open to the entire Augsburg community.

For students who experience anxiety when speaking in public or stepping into unfamiliar situations, that possibility could mean more opportunities to develop confidence in a supportive environment. Stage fright may not disappear entirely, but learning how to work through it can make the experience feel a little less overwhelming.