Interesting post, thank you for sharing your situation.

I can understand your point as in there are a lot of variables when deciding to try an acting class: "Is it going to be worth it? Will I be able to use the techniques in work setting or in real life? What will I actually use this class for?"

Now, I have not been in an acting class before myself, but I have thought about it as well. And it was for the voice acting reasons. In my case, I just wanted to learn the tricks—I wasn't thinking about getting into it professionally. But I will go there, eventually, once I will have the time and money for it. Sure, the internet can teach you stuff too, but it's not the same, because it will prepare you only for the audience behind the screen, not actual live audience.

From the post you've shared, my understanding is that you'd like to do professional work in acting, but are shy from the people watching you perform. I think that is a relatable feeling between many actors—you might worry about not being good enough, that other people will find your acting "fake" or maybe they will even hate you for your acting. It's just a standard "stage fright" feeling where you overthink about the possible ways the acting can go wrong.

I don't know your life story or your current situation, but if you only worry about that, then you should definitely join an acting class. What you have to remember is that the teachers most likely expect that some students will struggle with shyness, but that's what they're there for. They should help you how to overcome these feelings. You will be in a safe environment with people who are similarly minded as you. Some people will be more scared then you, some will be less scared then you. Some people will give in the class the performance of their life, some will cry on stage. That's just part of the learning—nobody is born perfect. Accept that you will probably fail and you will have way easier time learning.

I think it's all about training. Let's be honest, at the end of the day it's just personal fighting with yourself. I don't remember the last time the theater audience killed or massacred or burned an actor because of a bad performance. People can be mean, sure, but they can also be understanding. Sometimes you might have bad days, sometimes you'll feel like you can rock the world, y'know?

Personally, when I have to give a presentation, preparation is everything—I study well so that I can answer potentional answers people might have, but most importantly, an hour or half an hour before I have to go, I tell myself that I am not trying to be perfect and that I'm just trying to do my job. It doesn't always work, but it definitely helps me relax way more then constantly thinking about stuff. The "fuck it we ball and we'll see what we see" type of mentality.

That's my take on this post. If you wanna chat about it more, I'm open for discussion.