Exercises for loosening up (on stage)?

Question:In one week I am going to be playing the lead in my first play, for which I am very nervous. It's Shakespeare's Macbeth, I spent a long time learning the proper way to do lines and working on my voice, and now I have been developing the character and my stage presence, which is coming along, but I am still very stiff - I take very long, fast strides when walking, and the sword fighting sequences have been difficult for me to get into the choreography of - I find myself moving too quickly, or standing too stiffly.
"You have a body, use it," one person told me as I stood during one of my soliloquies nearly still save for some half-gestures. I still feel somewhat nervous and have a lot of trouble loosening up - what can I do, physically, to loosen myself up and get out of the habit of planting myself and being still in one spot?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: In one week I am going to be playing the lead in my first play, for which I am very nervous. It's Shakespeare's Macbeth, I spent a long time learning the proper way to do lines and working on my voice, and now I have been developing the character and my stage presence, which is coming along, but I am still very stiff - I take very long, fast strides when walking, and the sword fighting sequences have been difficult for me to get into the choreography of - I find myself moving too quickly, or standing too stiffly.
"You have a body, use it," one person told me as I stood during one of my soliloquies nearly still save for some half-gestures. I still feel somewhat nervous and have a lot of trouble loosening up - what can I do, physically, to loosen myself up and get out of the habit of planting myself and being still in one spot?

a simple fear of stage fright just act like the people arnt there just go out there and have fun, and to pratice i recomend having at the theater your freinds and cast sit out in the audience and all the lights and stuff going on and see how you handle that

Scotch.

hmm i don't know, but in drama classes at school, we have to do some really dreadful warm-ups to loosen up. eeevery time ._.
they involve sitting on people and massaging their shoulders and taking silly tai chi poses and stretching and all sorts of other useless stuff. hahaha

the other day the teacher made us do somersaults and flips and jumps all over the stage! i guess it looks mighty stupid, but you'll probably relax by the end of it if you try. x]

I know!!!!! Have someone massage your shoulders. You feel better physically, and you feel silly bacaue you don't believ it'll help. It was weird though. I had a friend massege my shoulders after a band performance (I know i know, you think just because it was over and done with that i wasn't nervous-buti'm the stiff, quiet type) once i stood up and walked around, my arms felt like they could just fly away without me knowing, i couldn't feel their weight. It was so cool. I felt totally loosy goosy and talkative, LOL-it honestly will help. Good luck on your play

1. jazzercise is a good loosening up exercise for the whol cast.
2. When you learn what acting is and stop just reciting the lines, you will not be stuck in one place. Didn't the director create blocking for you to do?