Mighty Wooden Arms

The stage might just be the scariest place in the theatre.
I remember my very first audition when I was a wee lass of only 13. Those three stairs up onto that alien platform nearly killed me. I was absolutely terrified. And then, in one moment, after it was over, I looked up at that tiny stage that had nearly done me in, and we became friends.
The stage was designed so that everyone in the audience could sit comfortably and have the actor in complete view. So, even when you are standing on an empty stage in a silent theatre, you still have 400 vacated seats staring up at you! It honestly gives me a rush, but I remember the first time: I was exposed and insecure.
But...the stage only exists so you can stand on it.
Every motion you make, word you say, or note you sing is amplified, and supported by the wooden stage beneath you. The stage is never your enemy, it is always your ally. On it, you face fears, and offer up the art that has been practiced for centuries. The stage doesn't coddle you, and there is no place to hide. So, the only solution is to conquer.
When you step on the stage, STOMP the first time!
While you are onstage, it obeys you. You create the world. You have the right to command the scene and take it along with you on a tangent. And the stage will hold you up with it's "mighty wooden arms".
The stage is yours. OWN IT.