How to combat stage fright, according to a ‘Hamilton’ star
As Thomas Jefferson in the hit musical, Bryson Bruce has dealt with stage fright using these tips.
For an essential guide to the city, sign up for How to Boston, Boston.com’s weekly culture and lifestyle newsletter.Bryson Bruce was last in Boston in 2017, when he appeared at the Shubert Theatre as part of the national tour of “Rent.” Bruce played Mr. Jefferson, the father of Maureen’s girlfriend, lawyer Joanne Jefferson.Bruce is back onstage in Boston, and this time, he’s playing a very different Mr. Jefferson. Bruce performs as both Thomas Jefferson and Marquis de Lafayette in the national tour of “Hamilton,” which will be at the Boston Opera House through Nov. 18.During the second night of the show’s run in Boston, Bruce gave a confident, winning performance befitting of an actor who has performed every year of his life since he was 6 years old. But even at the highest level on the biggest stages, performers like Bruce are capable of experiencing the same stage fright that many people face in board rooms or while giving wedding toasts.“I’ve definitely dealt with stage fright,” Bruce said. “I want to think that most actors have.”Bruce said he’s even dealt with stage fright during his time auditioning and performing with the “Hamilton” tour. Over the years, though, he has learned a few tricks to keep himself from being fully paralyzed by its power:
1. Let your body control your mind, not vice-versa
At the start of the second act of “Hamilton,” Bruce switches roles from the Marquis de Lafayette to Thomas Jefferson and is immediately thrust into the spotlight as he struts around the stage during “What’d I Miss.”“It’s just me popping out there about to do this song and dance,” Bruce said. “So for the first month of doing the show, right before I would walk onstage, my heart was beating so fast. Uncomfortably fast. It was one of those things where it was borderline unhealthy. Your body doesn’t want that. There had to be a way to quell that sensation.”Bruce said that once he’s out onstage moving and singing, his stage fright isn’t usually so bad. It’s the moment before that always gets him. His best advice to tamp down that feeling before you get going on what you’re scared to begin is to think of a time that you performed perfectly, or as close to perfectly as you can, and remind yourself that you’re capable of doing that. Remember that time you nailed your work presentation? You can do it again. “If you’ve done a show, a performance, or a song perfectly, your body knows it,” Bruce said. “In the end, your body has all of the tools it needs if you’ve learned the materials. Sometimes, getting out of your mind’s way to let your body just live in the moment, in the character, in the song, you can quell that stage fright.”
2. Don’t let perfect get in the way of pretty good
While Bruce did say that knowing in your head that you’re capable of performing perfectly can be a major asset to combating stage fright, being too rigid in pursuit of perfection can also be a bad thing.“If you’re close to nailing it, you can say, ‘Hey, this might not be perfect, but I’m going to do everything I can and I’m going to have fun,’” Bruce said. “For me, it’s that voice in my head, wondering if something’s going to go wrong, that gets my heart rate up. But there are so many ways to get around that voice and just perform a little more loosely.“With theater, particularly live theater, sometimes the little changes can impact your performance in a great way,” Bruce continued. “A little extra emphasis on a line, or catching your breath in a different place during a song can be exciting. If you can learn to welcome little changes and letting go of that fear, you can turn it to a positive. Instead of ‘What could go wrong?’ you can say, ‘I can’t wait to see where this goes.’”
So go ahead and improvise your wedding toast a little bit. (A little bit!)
3. Practice, then practice more — but also be ready for any curveballs
Another lesson Bruce has used to keep stage fright at bay came from his former “Rent” co-star, Andover native Katie LaMark. LaMark lives only a few blocks from Bruce in New York City, and has passed along some of her thoughts to Bruce in the past about staying flexible when onstage.Likening an actor to an ice cube doesn’t sound like much of a compliment, but that’s the metaphor LaMark used to describe her performance style to Bruce.“She compared herself to an ice cube in a warm room,” Bruce said. “She always wants to be pretty solid, but there’s a little bit of water on the surface. You’re a tiny percentage of liquid, which lets your performance be a little bit fluid onstage, but your core is still so solid.”Bruce said that the ice cube visual is one that helps him immensely.“I don’t ever have to be 100 percent a certain way, because what if someone I’m performing with comes at me with something I’m not expecting?” Bruce said. “How can I draw on that and use that? Being flexible can help you build yourself and your performance up so that stage fright becomes an afterthought.”