by Delaney Tufts, Features Editor
Whether it is performing a production on stage, giving a speech or talking to different people, presenting yourself in a confident way can go far. Nick Martinez, a member of the Vindicated class, has some advice on tackling this task:
BOOSTING YOUR CONFIDENCE
I get really nervous in front of crowds in general. One way I’ve learned to combat that is to do different relaxation exercises like breathing and stretching. I want to take that nervous energy and turn it into positive energy to give to the audience. One way to boost yourself up is what’s called a “power stance,” which is where you place your body in a posture of con dence (for example: standing with a wide base and raising your sts to the sky) and holding that pose for about two minutes. It somehow chemically alters your brain and gives you more con dence. I did it before I walked out on stage once and it actually helped! You also want to remind yourself that the crowd usually wants you to succeed in your effort to entertain/inform/inspire them because if you do, that means they’ll be able to take something away from it. They’re supportive of you. So go out there and connect with them.
GIVING GOOD VOICE PROJECTION/INFLECTION
I’m no vocal coach, but I consider it good in ection when someone can put proper emphasis on his or her words. When you use your words to paint a picture and add color to your phrasing, it adds more meaning to what you’re saying. To me, good projection is when someone can speak loudly and clearly without shouting. We practice this by doing vocal warm-ups before a show. We’ll usually pick one of our lines from the play and try to push our voice to the other end of the room. We want the people in the back to be able to hear us loud and clear.
GIVING A SPEECH
First, you need to know your audience. Know whom you’re speaking to and what you can do to make them want to listen to you. Depending on how well you can come up with stu on the y, you might need more or less prep time. But generally speaking, you should try to spend a bit of time practicing what you’d like to do or say. Memorizing a speech is de nitely a good thing, but don’t let it sound insincere or like you’re reading off a page. That’s boring.
Use humor sparingly when you’re dealing with more serious subject matter to avoid making your audience think you are making light of a heavy situation. However, de nitely try to use it when you can. Comic relief in a speech, if used tactfully, can be extremely useful. Humor can also help illustrate points that you’re trying to make.
Overall, don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone! at is where growth happens! Be bold!
INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE
At everyone’s core, there is a deep underlying desire or need that they have. ose needs drive them to make the choices they make. eater has taught me how to look deeper into someone’s life and circumstances to gain a better understanding of who they are before judging too quickly. In a way, I would say character development in theater (or lm) can also help me cope with my own circumstances by showing me how these people I’m becoming handle life. Sometimes they do a better job than I do and that makes me want to mimic their behavior in real life.
Photo from Nick Martinez
