June 03, 2007
If you only know my blog persona, you may be surprised to learn that I suffer from glossophobia, better known as stagefright. Stagefright is an awkward phobia for a law professor. After all, we have to stand up in front of a large class four times a week and command the stage. We present papers to (occasionally hostile) audiences at conferences and job talks. Speaking up at faculty meetings remains especially difficult for me.
Back when I was practicing law in New York, I knew I had to work on my public speaking skills if I was going to get a teaching job. So I decided to face my fear head on: I enrolled in an acting class. First, an intro class at NYU. Then another class at the Atlantic Theater Company, and then a Shakespeare class.
Moment to Moment. Acting never got easy -- don't look for me on a real stage anytime soon -- but the classes definitely helped with managing the stagefright. My teacher emphasized intention and working moment-to-moment. (The school, based on the work of Mamet and others, was sort of the opposite of emotion-based method acting. The idea is that the audience percieves your intention on stage, not whatever you feel inside.) Very useful for the classroom, where working moment-to-moment is the key to the quasi-Socratic teaching method most of us use. And besides, it was fun: my classmates were serious wannabe actors, and after a few months some of them were heading off to do auditions for soap operas or Law and Order.
Broadcast News. It's surprising how many lawprofs have trouble with public speaking, and it's shameful how rarely we acknowledge or address the phobia. One tell-tale sign is a quiver in the voice. Most of us don't sweat like Albert Brooks in Broadcast News, but a shaky voice is hard to hide. The most useful tips I picked up from acting class: (1) don't fight the nervous energy - use it to your advantage by channeling it into enthusiasm for what you are trying to accomplish on stage, and (2) release the nervous energy by projecting your voice and allowing yourself to gesture. This second point is tough, because your instinct when you get nervous is to speak more quietly and swallow your words, which only bottles up the energy, making your painfully self-aware of the awkward moments in the performance ... making your voice shake all the more.
Acting for Lawyers. Given the importance of public speaking to the legal profession, why don't we teach public speaking as a one or two credit pass/fail skills course? Someday I'll work with an acting coach to design an "Acting For Lawyers" course. All the world's a stage, after all.
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1. Posted by Cathy on June 3, 2007 @ 22:08 | Permalink
Given the importance of public speaking to the legal profession, why don't we teach public speaking as a one or two credit pass/fail skills course? Someday I'll work with an acting coach to design an "Acting For Lawyers" course. All the world's a stage, after all.
Talk to Prof. Gordon at Boston University. I took her workshop, which was co-taught by a Shakespearean actor.
2. Posted by Jeff Lipshaw on June 4, 2007 @ 0:04 | Permalink
Vic, it's courageous and an act of inspired leadership to make a vulnerability public, and you will no doubt help many people. Good for you! (BTW, I suffer from the opposite malady, which is that others get frightened when I speak publicly.)
3. Posted by Fred Tung on June 4, 2007 @ 8:07 | Permalink
One summer when I was a summer associated at a big LA firm, the firm had a day-long public speaking workshop for all the litigators in the firm. It was run by two LA actors who had a little business doing these workshops for law firms. I couldn't agree more that acting instructors have something to contribute to lawyer education.
4. Posted by Harry Gerla on June 4, 2007 @ 8:20 | Permalink
Last month we (at the University of Dayton School of Law) approved a one credit experimental intrasession (a one week period where students can take specialized 1 credit courses) course in...the use of stage techniques to improve oral legal communications skills. It is scheduled to be offered in the Fall intrasession and taught, in large part, by professional stage actors. Not unexpectedly, some of my colleagues have criticized the course as unworthy of the grant of academic credit. It will be interesting to see how it goes.
5. Posted by Gordon Smith on June 4, 2007 @ 9:28 | Permalink
This is a great post, Vic. I agree with Jeff that it's courageous of you to post it. Having seen you in action, however, I can testify that you have learned to deal with your phobia well.
6. Posted by Christine on June 4, 2007 @ 10:57 | Permalink
Last Fall at UIUC, someone from the theater department had something similar to an Acting for Lawyers workshop. I thought it was a great idea.
7. Posted by Anon on June 4, 2007 @ 12:10 | Permalink
Thanks for this post. I have been reluctant to go into teaching for this very reason.
8. Posted by Anonymous on June 4, 2007 @ 12:13 | Permalink
UVA has a semester-long course and an abbreviated two or three week mini-course that are taught by a retired Covington litigator and a drama teacher working together. Almost every class requires a presentation, which is taped and then critiqued. They are excellent courses.
9. Posted by Francine Lipman on June 5, 2007 @ 13:50 | Permalink
Last night watching a PBS special on the Six Day War I was reminded how critical public speaking can be . . . Prime Minister Levi Eshkol trying to instill confidence in the frightened and concerned people of Israel spoke publicly in May of 1967. During his speech he stumbled over a word and never regained his composure. As a result of his bumbling performance the people of Israel grew even more concerned and vocal about Levi's lack of leadership . . . Moshe Dayan, a brilliant general, was soon appointed as the Defence Minister and Levi was relegated to a back seat in the public face of the war effort and Israel's amazing victory.
10. Posted by Elizabeth on June 26, 2007 @ 22:17 | Permalink
I am just entering the legal profession (actually studying for the New York Bar right now) and have thought a lot about teaching acting to lawyers myself. I grew up in theatre. I went to a performing arts high school (Specialized in musical theatre), and performed extracurricularly in college, all the while studying political science and international law. Strange combo, I know. Then, I went to law school and saw how petrified people are of even stepping in front of a crowd in a court room. I always found myself coaching fellow students through their fears of delivering a closing argument, and loved doing that. Anyway, I am extremely interested in doing some consulting work, maybe checking with firms to see if they may want to use me (since I am the actor and the soon-to-be lawyer all in one) for training seminars. Any feedback? Ideas? Am I crazy to want to do this?
