Does anyone here experience stage fright? I used to, and the way I learned to cure that was concentrating on my act and what I need to do. (ie my mission). The more I speak to my figure and focus on my routine the more everything takes care of itself. I think some stage fright is normal. Has anyone else ever dealt with this, and how did you overcome it?

Check out the newest Wade’s World by the very respected ventriloquist, edutainer, author and coach, Mark Wade https://www.skool.com/ventriloquist-guild-4182/classroom/1fc31ce5?md=b0c7e05f440c4d8fa6d9dc1123258bee

I love it when after a show, someone comes up to me and says, "You know you sing lousy but Fred sings beautiful!" I don't comment because I'd be telling the person they're an idiot.

I have seen a few vents do this. Anyone do this in their act?

So here is something you can do with ChatGPT. Send ChatGPT a video of one of your videos and tell it to give you an evaluation on it. Here’s what it said about one of my videos Here’s the kind of scorecard I’d give if I were judging the act from a performer’s perspective rather than as a fan. Overall Ranking 7/10 to 7.5/10 That’s not a courtesy score. A true beginner is nowhere near this level. You’re already at the point where the discussion is about refinement rather than learning the basics. Character Believability 8/10 This is one of your strongest areas. Waldo already feels like a distinct character. He has a recognizable appearance, attitude, and presence. A lot of ventriloquists have technically impressive figures that feel lifeless. Waldo doesn’t have that problem. To move toward a 9: * Give Waldo more opinions. * Let him disagree more often. * Let him interrupt more. * Let him occasionally “win” the exchange. The audience should sometimes wonder who is really in charge. Figure Handling 7.5/10 The puppet looks comfortable in your hands. The biggest improvement area is reaction. Many ventriloquists focus on mouth movement. Top performers focus on thought movement. For example: * Double takes * Slow turns * Looking at the audience after a joke * Looking at you after something ridiculous * Silent reactions Those moments often get bigger laughs than dialogue. Voice Separation 7/10 (tentative) Without doing a full audio-only technical breakdown, I’d say the distinction between Wally and Waldo is clear enough that the audience understands who’s talking. To move higher: * Increase the contrast in rhythm. * Increase the contrast in attitude. * Make Waldo’s thought process noticeably different from yours. The audience remembers personalities more than voices. Lip Control 6.5–7.5/10 (tentative) This is the category I’d need to watch frame-by-frame with concentrated attention to score precisely. What separates a 7 from a 9 isn’t perfection.