How did you escape the annual school play?

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Every Christmas, we had some sort of religious school play, where everyone had to attend. Me being extremly shy and with extremly stage fright could not understand why we had to do these things. Surely, the parents could see better plays at the theater or tv!?!
But no, every year it was the same terrible task to perform. Maybe my teacher understood me because each year, I was allowed to play a silent guard or diciple. Still, I was very scared and based on what I know today, I had ulcerus each Christmas time because of this.

I guess stage fright is unknown or unheard of in USA, it seems like all of you enjoy being on a stage or in the spotlight. In scandinavia, we are a bit more reserved.

But did any of you feel the same way as I did? If so, how did you escape your school play?

Never been bothered by acting in front of a crowd; it's nothing social after all (it's an act).

In my school, we all had to attend. We couldn't choose.

I wish my schools would have been like that! I was just in one crappy school play my senior year and it sucked because there were only like 5 or so other people in the drama club, and it was led by the young stoner French teacher who provided little direction/instruction. I tried a dinner theatre thing my first semester at my uni, but that was also a bit pointless as I just had a few lines.. so my forays into acting were frustrating without good direction. I imagine a good director could help with things like stage fright/confidence, though school plays aren't really the place for teaching that as it usually only consists of herding around a bunch of little kids and trying to get them to remember lines.

I was in a school play once. Someone told me to talk louder, so I yelled all my lines as loud as possible.

My stage fright is massive and I blame Asperger's for it.
I get nervous if there are more than 3 persons listening to what I say. Even if it is friends!
This fright is so deep in me that I know it is untreatable unless I take drugs for it.
If I drink alcohole, I get braver, but then I often forget what to say and gets really unfocused. Alcohole is never the solution to anything and even though I had fun partying during my youth, I almost never touch the stuff today. (Even though it was thrilling to let my anxiety go.)

I'm over 40 years old and have settled down with the thought that my stage fright is uncurable. No psychologist is ever going to talk me out of that fright!

I liked performing in plays, but I only got to do so once around Christmas in Grade 4 or 5. I played Mary. And my bald boy Cabbage Patch doll was baby Jesus. I was a little uncomfortable by the thought of playing a woman "heavy with child" at the age of ten. but all I had to do was remember my lines. I also remember caroling on a big stage at the mall with other kids from my school. I don't remember ever having stage fright for some reason and I think it's my Asperger's although other people say it's what makes them afraid. I don't need to socialize at all and get immersed in the performance and almost become unaware of the people watching.

I was so out of control everyone was praying I wouldn't want to be in it.

I suppose I might have had some issues with socializing, but I never had a problem with performing. It wasn't that I loved the spotlight; I just loved music so very much that I naturally ended up in musical performances wherever I went.

I liked acting and singing in plays. I had my first solo part when I was about eight or nine; by ten years old I was given an entire song in a Christmas program; later on I had a solo part that was in harmony to the rest of the children's choir, and all through my teen years generally liked to sing in choirs. I had a little nervousness but not very much stage fright and what I loved about it was not the performance, but the music itself. I am not an outstanding singer, but I'll sing the notes that are on the page with good accuracy and on pitch, which makes me more suited for being in a choir than being a soloist. I am sure I was chosen for solos mostly because I wasn't afraid of singing them. I would practice for hour upon hour at home, not just with the music we were singing but with everything I could get my hands on, from books of folk songs to an old hymnal from the family's book collection. I started improvising harmony and making up my own tunes, as well. I'm not really creative or original, and I'm not highly talented; I have very little musical style of my own. But it's just so much fun. It's not my fault that so much singing goes on when you're on a stage.

I had a teacher that was a pro theater actress, she signed up the class every chance she had. I requested a short non speaking role and often out right bailed on the perormance, helped with decorating etc. Having an IEP helped. I have bad stage fright thanks to AS and I do better when I don't know the people watching. I enjoy playing guitar with people but won't ever sing or lead.

I didn't, but it wasn't any big deal, since I was mostly in the background for the whole thing.

I did one.

I was a reluctant joseph - after that i escaped every single lead role thereafter

in fact i usually dodged the whole thing.

Whenever I had to do a play, once in 5th, 6th, and 7th grade. I just sucked it up and did it essentially. My roles were always very small. Teachers all knew I was super quiet and didnt expect much out of me. They were glad enough that I just did the small role i was given even though I probably sucked at it.

I don't remember them having us do plays at all in school. The last normal school I was in was in sixth grade. I'm glad I avoided that because I would have hated it.

I vaguely remember them having us sing as a group a few times around the holidays in grade school maybe but I got to stand in the back because I was tall and faked it like I did in music class. I just moved my lips (if even that) and never sang.

Stage fright isn't unheard of in the US, amongst the young, or any other age group. I've come across many with it .

I just didn't go in when we had to perform, my mum would often let me not go in even though she didn't know I had Aspergers, because she thought I was excessively shy .