Stage Fright: 40 Stars Tell You How They Beat America's #1 Fear

by Michael Edelstein, Mick Berry, Michael R. Edelstein

Never before has the problem of stage fright been so eloquently examined; 40 interviews with some of the most highly-accomplished public figures shed light on this affliction, offering tips from their... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1884365469
• ISBN13: 9781884365461
• Release Date: May 2009
• Publisher: See Sharp Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

This book was my own "A-HA" Moment

No matter if you are an actor, a public speaker, a professional athlete, President Barack Obama, or making that first important opening speech for your high school debate class, this book is for you. I was skeptical, when I first cracked this book open, on a friend's recommendation. You see I've been an actor since I was 12 years old. That year, I entered my school's talent show, and forgot the words to a song I was singing in front of the entire student body! Since then, I have grappled with intense stage fright, and throughout the years, many books have been recommended to me, on my irrational phobia of how to deal with stage fright. Nearly none of them resonated with me, though the closest I feel that came to this wonderful gem of a book by Mick Berry and Michael Edelstein, was one by David Mamet. Though, after reading Mamet's book, I still felt it simplified a fear that I share with much of the population. In many ways, when I compare STAGE FRIGHT to the book by Mamet, I feel that the time Mamet spent on stage fright was merely a footnote! And so, my hunt for a solid book that could provide me with REAL tools, to tackle my performance anxiety and stage fright, continued. Consider this: Three out of every four individuals suffer from speech anxiety: that's 75 percent! Up to 5 percent of the world population, yes, hundreds of millions aged between 18 and 54, experience the crippling fear of getting up to speak in front of others. In fact, it's people's #1 fear-even above death! In this book, it's like finding a treasure map to the core of understanding and combating stage fright. Inside this book are REAL, comprehensive tools you can use immediately, with incredible bits of personal history and coaching tips from some of our current performance stars and celebrities, who, just like we mere mortals, have suffered in silence with their own stage fright. What a gift this book is!

At Last...

At Last... one of my favorite songs. I used to sing it for my vocal teacher, my mom, around the house...but never in front of an audience, because I suffered from stage fright. People told me I had a really good singing voice, and I loved to sing, but I could not get over my performance anxiety. I forced myself to perform in front of audiences, and each time I performed I experienced a level of anxiety one could expect if she were being pushed out of an airplane at 3000 ft. I had panic attacks, complete with the full cavalcade of autonomic responses! I thought that I would never realize my dream of singing in public. This book provided me with the last missing piece in my puzzle. By reading the celebrity interviews (there are some amazing quotes in there) and doing the steps of REBT, I can finally have FUN performing! I have a degree in Psych., I should have known that cognitive therapy is the best treatment for unrealistic fear or anxiety. Now I perform regularly in the San Francisco Bay Area, and I love it! Wow, every time is a party! Thank you Mick Berry and Michael Edelstein!

What American Idols Are Really Feeling

The interviews are personal, revealing, engrossing, and sometimes astonishing. I was surprised to read Robin Williams still gets nervous. "Oh, totally", he says. Jason Alexander's most harrowing experience involved sleeping--yes, sleeping--on stage: "Lying on that bed, on that second story, on that Broadway stage--that combination literally scared me to death." There's more from Olympia Dukakis, Maya Angelou, Melissa Etheridge, David Brenner and others.

Not just for Actors!

I am not a performer, but my job does call on me to do regular and extensive public speaking, and this book was great! It gave me several practical tactics I could use when preparing for appearances before large crowds, and best of all, it was a fun read. The personal testimonies from various actors and comedians were a hoot. The commentary from the authors put it all into context. I recommend this for anyone who has to perform or get up in front of a crowd. Highly recommended!

Conquering Stage Fright

Mick Berry and Michael Edelstein have produced an excellent book in STAGE FRIGHT. It combines a straightforward presentation of the tools of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) with interviews of real comedians and actors, sharing their struggles and victories in the trenches of actual performances. This is a winning approach that allows the reader to see how real people have applied these principles in their own lives. It is enlightening and often very moving to hear how celebrities like Robin Williams, Maya Angelou and Olympia Dukakis have dealt with the fear that has the potential to silence even such huge talents. The goal of self acceptance is a worthy one, which the book emphasizes and shows how to achieve through specific REBT techniques. I can highly recommend this book.