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Recently,as a theatre major i have noticed a lack of confidence in ones abilities. this is natural as everyone strives to better themselves, but what i have seen is just plain ridiculous. there are some who attend my school who are phenomenal actors, they have come here to hone their skills and to learn new techniques, but they are so afraid of "letting people down" that they hold themselves back. they are so crippled by their self doubt, they let their anxiety ruin their performance. it breaks my heart to see such gifted actors cripple themselves. a little anxiety is good, it keeps you driven and in the moment, but what good are you if you are so worried about letting people down, or flubbing up lines, or missing a cue, or blocking, that you aren't focused and cant listen to the other actors?
the only thing i can say is something my drama coach drilled into us "when in doubt tell the story". there is something the playwright was trying to convey to an audience and that message is more important than the lines you rehearse and that is the story. the story is what the play is, it is what the audience came to see, and if you know that story then you can perform the play. so what if you miss a few lines or flub some up, if you know the story it shouldnt matter, just tell it. the words are merely the journey to the destination, it shouldnt matter what road you take the audience down or if you stray from the path a few times, as long as you get the audience to the destination the playwright designated.