Stage Performance Manners

by Jeannie Deva

You wanted to know about stage manners, so here it is.

Point of View

To understand stage manners, it helps to assume the point of view of the audience. In doing so it is easier to recognize what works and what doesn't as performer conduct on stage.

When you have been an audience member, what has a performer done that has made you feel: uncomfortable, put off, bored, ridiculed or ignored? What has the performer done that has detracted from your image or impression of him?

Okay now let's look at the flip side. What have you seen a performer do that has made you feel: excited, appreciated, important, amused, happy or interested to hear the next song.

There are other reactions you may wish to add and explore. The point here is to correlate your experiences as an audience member to the specific things done by the performers. What you have experienced as an audience member, you can use as a performer to develop good stage manners.

Traditional Rules

1. Accept applause. It is the audience�s acknowledgement of you and their way of giving back. You can bow, use hand gestures or other motions as long as you accept the applause without cutting it off, dodging or diminishing it.

2. If you or another performer goofs, don�t call attention to it. Ride over it and carry on. Very smooth performers, especially comedians, often spontaneously incorporate the goof into the routine. You don�t have to do that as long as you don�t look helpless or foolish and just ride over the error.

3. Maintain poise even when you feel stage fright or jitters. Don�t fidget or twist your hands. Physically assume a posture of confidence. You should always appear to be in control even if you aren�t at times.

4. During breaks or instrumental solos, try different postures that show you are still in control while letting the attention go to the soloist. Even while someone else is soloing, you are still part of the whole stage scene and what you do will either detract or compliment. You can gesture toward the soloist, you can clap or dance unobtrusively or simply stand quietly. If you don�t know what to do with your hands, let them hang comfortably at your sides. Don�t fidget or move about nervously.

Exercises

You should practice doing all of these things in front of a mirror. Practice walking onto stage, greeting the audience, accepting applause, riding over a goof, and being on stage during a solo without detracting from the instrumentalist�s performance. While watching yourself in the mirror, smile, bow, laugh, accept a standing ovation, do some dance steps, move your arms around as though conducting the audience and so on.

When you can do these things easily, comfortably and in a way that is natural for you, you will be well on your way to good stage manners.

Have a wonderful month,
Jeannie Deva