Audition

Good book

I read this book during my undergraduate studies, and it really influenced the way that I audition, and more importantly, my acting in general. I am a high school, drama teacher, and this semester I based my lesson plans around the 12 guide posts. This book is not just for auditioning! It’s great for acting advice in general! My students loved how his writing is short, sweet and to the point. They had to write responses, and all mentioned how applicable and enjoyable this read was

I'm taking an adult acting class for the first time and Michael Shurtleff's insights are practical and effectual in bringing out your best for an audition (reading). I can't think of another approach (the twelve guideposts) that would help me perform my best. Some people might feel a bit offended or have their toes stubbed but I've worked in sales for the past 25 years and his bluntness is spot on. You've got to sell yourself and to do that you need to grow up and take your mind off of you and unto your audience and material you're working with. Michael writes with a style like a friend sitting down with you in your living room and being very frank. You won't be disappointed. This should be your first book to read in your journey in acting. Thank you very much Michael Shurtleff for your very well-written book. It is both insightful and encouraging!

I think it is safe to say that most of the people who read this book are not doing so to directly make huge amounts of money on Broadway. Most of the readers are probably not professional actors. Rather, like me, they are more concerned with how to get parts in productions in little ponds like high school or community theater. When I first read this book, not long after it came out, I found its guidance extremely valuable. The big point I picked up was the question of where the love was in a scene. This was connected to his idea of what you are fighting for in a scene. This, I have found, is a huge key in auditions. After all this time, I was motivated to read it again to reflect on what I remembered from all those years ago. I don't know how things are in the professional theater, but in the community theater situations where I have found myself auditioning, you typically don't have a chance to see the script ahead of time, so you find yourself reading for a part where you don't have a very clear idea of what is taking place. The director may give some idea, but you really have to decide quickly and on the spot how you are going to approach what you will do for the time you have available. It is here that the author's points have provided me with invaluable guidance. While that guidance is the chief positive point of the book, the discussions of the points with actors from his classes do a very good job of illustrating his points. His stories from the theater are also a lot of fun. For those who are younger, many of the people his is talking about would not be known, but for those of us who remember those days, these are a lot of fun. The two places where I give the author a little less credit are in the later portions of the book with regard to the haphazard explication of random ideas and his insistence on the importance of competition. With regard to the first, after describing his 12 guidelines, the author seemed to mostly just jot down random thoughts. I think a little better organization would have been useful. With regard to the author's thoughts about competition, I wonder if he meant what he said. He clearly believed that competition was inherent in life and he believed that competition was good. He also believed that it was important to use competition as a motivation in audition situations, particularly between, for example, characters in a play who are friends. He also described his frustration at convincing many in his classes that competition is good. The problem is that while clearly competition is present in much that we do, and competition is a very useful motivation for characters in audition situations, where you want the most highly motivated audition and to make the most driving choices you can in your portrayal, that does not necessarily make competition a good thing in the world as a whole. He seemed to mix up its usefulness and importance in acting and auditioning with its value in the world outside of the theater. Now I grant that, in his mind, there was no conflict, but I think making the distinction and discussing the consequences of that distinction would have been helpful. Finally, I have found the book very useful as a community theater actor for creating roles after I got them. As he pointed out, many other factors go into doing a role on the stage, including such factors as rehearsal and what you receive from the director. But for an amateur such as myself, his pointers have been very helpful.

This book is well-written and contains all the information you need for anyone looking to get into theater.

For anyone searching for a book to learn all the ins-and-outs of auditioning for acting roles, then this is the book to get! The author has several years experience with auditions, and the book is written in a way that is easy to understand. "Audition" looks at the various aspects of preparing for auditions, dressing for auditions, and attending an audition. The author uses simple, easy-to-understand terms along with witty remarks to make the book light and fun. It was a quick and interesting read, even though I was required to read it for a class. It actually help me improve my acting, and helped me greatly with my courses! I would definitely recommend this book to aspiring actors who are looking for more information on auditioning, acting, and roles in theatre productions. It's also a great book for anyone who simply wants to learn and understand what actors and actresses actually do and how hard they work to get their roles. "Audition" was a great read overall and definitely makes the list of favorite required reading material!

If you're a theater actor or any kind of actor, just read this. It's essential. You won't regret it. ❤️

My acting class specified this text for class so it was a must purchase. Although somewhat dated the book is fantastic. The author is a long time casting director of note who has done a brilliant job of capturing the essence of acting and the pitfalls of most wannabe actors. His text is composed of his twelve guideposts interspersed with interesting examples and anecdotes to make this a provocative book that is an excellent read. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in acting for stage or screen and also for the aspiring writer as Shurtleff makes the case for proper character development.

初めて購入した演技書。 購入後に訳書も購入したが、この本は訳書に比べて小さい・軽いのでお薦め。 オーディションで本番と同じように演技をするために 自分自身へ問うための質問が、『The Twelve Guidepoints』として紹介されている。 例えば、『Guidepost1:Relationship』の項目。 『What is my relationship to this other character in the scene I am about to do?』 というような質問や例をあげ、それが必要な理由や仕組みを丁寧に説明してくれる。

Un imprescindible para los amantes del cine

Es el libro más increible de teatro, claramente te ayuda a comprender lo que significa el ser un actor y como hacerlo suceder

I love this book. Even though it’s directed at actors, I use it as a screenwriting tool. I’ve always remembered the phrase “Where’s the love?” and how important it is for a character to remain at the scene, literally! This helps me with my writing—what keeps characters who are in conflict stay in the space they are occupying at any given moment? I believe playwrights and screenwriters can help actors by providing subtle clues that will promote readings that deliver well on subtext.

I loved the book, read it at once. It has so many useful tips, I cannot recommend it enough. A must-read for everyone interested in acting and public speaking and performing alike. It has a lot of good general advice as well.