Key Takeaways
1. Audition as Your Authentic, Imaginative Self
The first change to undertake from your performing method in learning how to audition is to give up character and use yourself.
Use your unique self. Stop trying to be someone else or what you think they want. Your greatest asset is your unique self – your emotional life, your imagination, your dreams. Auditors want to see you reacting to extraordinary situations in a remarkable way. Don't limit yourself by trying to fit a preconceived "character" mold, especially with limited time.
Trust who you are. Actors often try to be someone else, but there is no one else like you. Learn to trust your own singularity. Your own emotional life is your primary source material. Don't let instant characterizations imprison you; allow anything to be possible and make choices that maximize your involvement.
Beyond everyday reality. While you use yourself, don't confuse it with your everyday self. Plays are about unusual predicaments. Your reactions should be out of the ordinary, fueled by your fantasy life and dreams, not just literal reality. This imaginative use of self is what makes acting interesting.
2. Relationship is the Heart of Acting
Creating relationship is the heart of acting. It is basic. It is essential.
Explore emotional connection. Go beyond the factual relationship (e.g., mother/daughter, husband/wife). Ask feeling questions: Do you love them? Hate them? Resent them? What do you want from them? How do you feel now? Emotional attitude is what allows you to function in the scene.
Every scene is a love scene. Always ask, "Where is the love?" This doesn't mean romantic love, but the presence, absence, or deprivation of love. Choosing love (in its myriad forms) as a core feeling provides a richer emotional involvement than choosing indifference or pure rejection.
Commitment creates belief. Full emotional commitment to the relationship, even if it's complex or contradictory (like loving and resenting someone simultaneously), is what creates good acting and makes the audience believe. Don't settle for superficial connections.
3. Know What You're Fighting For
The actor must find a positive motivation, since it will serve him in a more forceful, stronger, more emotional way than a negative choice will.
Find your positive drive. Instead of focusing on what you want to avoid or get away from, identify what you are actively fighting for. This provides a potent, forward-moving energy. Even if the character seems passive, find their underlying fight (like the sisters fighting to get to Moscow in Chekhov).
Make active choices. Always choose the most active motivation possible. There are no truly passive scenes; every character is striving for something. Your fight, combined with the other character's fight, creates the necessary conflict for drama.
Fight for your dream. Often, what you're fighting for is not just a practical goal, but a dream or fantasy of what could be. People are motivated by dreams (love, fulfillment, success), not just reality. Put that longing for the dream into the scene.
4. Embrace Opposites and Inconsistency
Whatever you decide is your motivation in the scene, the opposite of that is also true and should be in it.
Consistency is dull. What makes human beings and great actors fascinating is their inconsistency and use of opposites. Love and hate, desire and resentment, strength and vulnerability can coexist and should be present in a scene.
Create conflict. Opposites generate conflict, which is the essence of drama. Don't iron out the conflict; heighten it. The more extreme the opposites you choose (e.g., "I love you" vs. "I could kill you"), the wider the emotional range you can explore.
Subtextual opposites. Often, the opposite isn't explicitly written in the dialogue but exists in the subtext. It's the actor's job to find and inject these hidden feelings. For example, a character saying "Go away" might secretly desperately want the other person to stay.
5. Enter with a Powerful "Moment Before"
Every scene you will ever act begins in the middle, and it is up to you, the actor, to provide what comes before.
Prime the emotional pump. Before you even step on stage, create a specific, emotionally charged "moment before." What just happened? How are you feeling right now? This isn't just intellectual; you must immerse yourself in the feeling.
Avoid starting cold. In auditions, you have limited time to warm up. A strong moment before propels you into the scene with immediate emotional investment, capturing the auditors' attention from the start.
Specificity is key. Don't rely on generalizations about the character's life. Connect the broader context (like a long marriage or a difficult past) to the specific feelings and fight of the immediate moment before the scene begins.
6. Find and Use Humor in Every Scene
Humor is not jokes. It is that attitude toward being alive without which you would long ago have jumped off the Fifty-ninth Street Bridge.
Humor is a survival tool. Humor exists in every life situation, even the most serious, because humans use it to cope with heavy burdens. It's not just for comedies; it's crucial in drama to make characters lifelike and relatable.
It's an attitude. Humor isn't about telling jokes; it's an attitude, a way of seeing the absurdity of a situation or oneself. It reveals intelligence, perception, and a heightened awareness of others.
Adds dimension. Humor adds complexity and charm. Actors who omit humor, even in serious roles, often come across as one-dimensional or dull. Great actors, like Hepburn, Bogart, Pacino, and Olivier, all possess and use unique humor.
7. Make Discoveries and Events Matter
Every scene is filled with discoveries, things that happen for the first time.
Acting is a series of discoveries. Don't treat scenes as routine. Find what is new, different, or particularly at stake in this specific moment. Discoveries can be about the other character, yourself, or the situation.
Create the happenings. Events are what move a play forward. They can be changes, confrontations, or climaxes. Even in modern plays where events are subtle, the actor must actively create them and make them perceptible.
Invest with importance. Don't treat discoveries or events as minor. Make them emotionally important to you, a matter of life-and-death stakes in that moment. This elevates the scene from mundane reality to compelling drama.
8. Play the Game, Compete to Win
No games are any fun unless the participants compete.
Life is a game. We constantly play roles and games in life (teacher, student, lover, friend) as ways of dealing with reality. These roles and games are real and sincere, not artificial. Identify the game and your role in each scene.
Competition is healthy. We compete for everything in life – affection, jobs, recognition, even who has suffered the most. Competition is not inherently bad; it's a fundamental human drive and a source of stimulation.
Compete in every scene. Drama thrives on conflict, and conflict arises from competition – "I am right, and you are wrong," "You should change." Don't shy away from competing with your scene partner; play to win, even in friendship scenes.
9. Inject Mystery and Secret
After you've done all the eleven guideposts in your preparation for your audition, then add to it what you don't know.
Embrace the unknown. The most fascinating acting has a quality of mystery. Even when you know a lot about a character or relationship, there's always something unknown, something to ponder about the other person and yourself.
Add wonderment. Inject a sense of wonder about what is going on inside your partner and inside yourself. These mysterious feelings can't always be explained but can be felt and added to your performance.
Secrets drive action. Characters often keep secrets, either intentionally or even from themselves. Identifying what a character is hiding (like Mrs. Robinson's potential feelings for Benjamin) provides a powerful underlying motivation and adds layers to the performance.
10. Master the Practicalities
There are two important physical aspects of readings that actors tend to forget: being seen and being heard.
Be seen and heard. Ensure you are in the light and can be heard comfortably, especially on a large stage. Don't whisper; communicate with urgency. Ask if you're in the light and if you can have time to look over a cold script.
Handle the auditors. Don't ask who they are or what they want; focus on being interesting and talented. Don't show hostility or temperament. Be pleasant, open, and convey that you are easy to work with.
Preparation matters. Don't memorize the script for a reading; use it as an ally. Prepare your "What have you done?" response like a personal play. Dress appropriately and consistently for callbacks. If late, use the "another audition" white lie.
11. Cultivate Persistence and Take Risks
An actor cannot afford to [take no for an answer].
Persistence is essential. The acting profession is filled with rejection. You must be persistent, disciplined, and hardworking. Don't give up after one try; keep trying. Use mail campaigns, go to auditions, refuse to be ignored.
Take risks. Don't be afraid of making extravagant choices or being "melodramatic" (as long as there's relationship). Don't underact out of fear of overacting. Plunge in, be bold, be unpredictable. Risk-taking makes you memorable.
Luck favors the prepared. While luck plays a role, you must be ready when opportunity strikes. Hard work, discipline, and persistence increase your chances of being in the right place at the right time and being prepared to seize the moment.
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FAQ
1. What is Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part by Michael Shurtleff about?
- Comprehensive audition manual: The book is a practical, no-nonsense guide for actors, focusing on the audition process as the central challenge in an actor’s career.
- Focus on emotional truth: Shurtleff emphasizes using personal feelings and relationships to create authentic, compelling auditions rather than relying solely on technique or memorization.
- Industry realities: It offers candid advice on dealing with rejection, understanding the audition environment, and presenting oneself effectively to casting directors and producers.
- Twelve guideposts framework: The book introduces twelve key guideposts to help actors analyze and perform scenes with depth and vitality.
2. Why should I read Audition by Michael Shurtleff?
- Indispensable for actors: The book is widely regarded as essential reading for aspiring and working actors, praised for its clear, practical advice.
- Demystifies auditions: Shurtleff breaks down the audition process, offering actionable tips on everything from physical presence to emotional engagement.
- Broad life application: The book’s insights extend beyond acting, helping readers present themselves authentically in high-pressure situations like job interviews or first dates.
- Unique industry perspective: Shurtleff’s experience as a top casting director provides rare, insider knowledge not found in most acting books.
3. What are the key takeaways from Audition by Michael Shurtleff?
- Emotional commitment is crucial: Success in auditions comes from genuine emotional connection and risk-taking, not just technical skill.
- Relationship and conflict drive scenes: Understanding and playing the emotional dynamics between characters is at the heart of compelling acting.
- Auditions are games with high stakes: Treating scenes as competitive games with something vital to win makes performances vivid and engaging.
- Practical strategies for challenges: The book offers tools for handling nerves, bad readings, difficult partners, and unexpected audition situations.
4. What are the Twelve Guideposts in Michael Shurtleff’s audition method, and why are they important?
- Core framework for actors: The twelve guideposts are Relationship, Conflict, The Moment Before, Humor, Opposites, Discoveries, Communication and Competition, Importance, Find the Events, Place, Game Playing and Role Playing, and Mystery and Secret.
- Scene analysis tools: Each guidepost is a question or concept actors use to deepen their understanding and emotional connection to a scene.
- Not rigid rules: The guideposts are flexible prompts, encouraging actors to use their own feelings and imagination for truthful performances.
- Foundation for all acting: While designed for auditions, these guideposts also enhance rehearsal and performance work.
5. How does Michael Shurtleff define "Relationship" in his audition method, and why is it fundamental?
- Heart of acting: Relationship is the most important guidepost; actors must understand their emotional attitude toward the other character, not just the factual connection.
- Emotional specificity: Exploring feelings like love, hate, resentment, or desire within the relationship creates a vivid, charged connection that drives the scene.
- Conflict and love coexist: Even in conflict, Shurtleff urges actors to find "Where is the love?" to add emotional depth and complexity.
- Drives scene dynamics: The relationship determines how lines are delivered and how the scene unfolds.
6. What does "Conflict" or "What Are You Fighting For?" mean in Shurtleff’s audition advice?
- Active motivation: Actors should identify what their character is actively fighting for, rather than passive goals, to energize their performance.
- Conflict as drama’s engine: Every scene is about struggle; knowing what the character wants and what stands in their way creates dynamic tension.
- Multiple strategies: Actors should explore various ways to pursue their goals, adding variety and interest to their performance.
- Keeps scenes alive: Conflict prevents scenes from becoming flat or uninteresting.
7. How should actors use "The Moment Before" according to Michael Shurtleff’s audition method?
- Pre-scene context: Actors must imagine and emotionally live through what happened immediately before the scene starts.
- Emotional priming: This primes the actor’s feelings and energy, ensuring they enter the scene fully engaged.
- Specific and personal: The moment before should be tailored to the scene’s circumstances and drawn from the actor’s own life or imagination.
- Prevents flat starts: It helps avoid slow or lifeless beginnings to scenes.
8. Why does Michael Shurtleff emphasize "Humor" in auditions and acting, even in serious scenes?
- Essential for realism: Humor exists in every life situation, even dramatic ones, making performances more lifelike and relatable.
- Balances seriousness: Humor prevents scenes from becoming dull or melodramatic, adding depth and variety.
- Often overlooked: Many actors neglect humor, but it is a vital ingredient for memorable and engaging performances.
- Endurance and connection: Humor helps both actors and audiences endure and connect with the material.
9. What role do "Opposites" play in Michael Shurtleff’s audition technique?
- Creates emotional complexity: Opposites—such as love and hate, humor and seriousness—add range and unpredictability to characters and scenes.
- Avoids monotony: Embracing contradictions prevents performances from being flat or one-dimensional.
- Subtext and depth: Opposites often exist beneath the surface, requiring actors to explore and express conflicting emotions.
- Makes characters human: Real people are full of contradictions, and so should characters be.
10. How does Michael Shurtleff define "Game" and "Stakes" in acting, and how should actors use these concepts?
- Game as competition: Every scene is a game where characters compete to get what they want, making choices vivid and dramatic.
- High stakes create urgency: Stakes must be emotionally vital—life-and-death or deeply personal—to make the game meaningful.
- Scorekeeping: Actors should track wins and losses in the scene, reacting emotionally to each outcome.
- Play to win: Always make strong, committed choices that show the character’s desire to win.
11. What is the significance of "Mystery and Secret" in Michael Shurtleff’s audition method?
- Adds depth and intrigue: Mystery and secret involve the unknown feelings and hidden motives between characters, making performances richer.
- Embrace the unknown: Actors should cultivate curiosity and wonder about their partner’s inner life and their own.
- Explore possibilities: Playing uncertainty and possibility, rather than certainty, makes scenes more emotionally engaging.
- Creates compelling subtext: Mystery and secret deepen relationships and add layers to the performance.
12. What practical audition advice does Michael Shurtleff give for handling scripts, stage directions, accents, and bad readings?
- Script as ally: Don’t obsess over memorization; use the script to stay emotionally connected rather than focusing on line recall.
- Selective stage directions: Ignore nonessential or limiting stage directions unless crucial to the action, to avoid being trapped by them.
- Accents only if required: Attempt accents only when necessary and well-practiced, as they can interfere with emotional connection.
- Rescue bad readings: If a reading is going badly, take bold action—blame or love your partner to create conflict and revive the scene, never stop or restart.
- Handle nerves and environment: Be seen and heard, control hostility, and treat the audition as a sincere game to increase your chances of success.
Review Summary
Audition is highly regarded as an essential book for actors, with many readers praising its practical advice on auditioning and character development. Reviewers appreciate Shurtleff's insights, anecdotes, and easy-to-grasp writing style. The book's 12 guideposts are particularly valued, offering valuable tips for both auditions and general acting. While some content may be dated, readers find the advice largely timeless and applicable beyond acting. Many consider it a must-read for aspiring actors, with some even recommending it to non-actors for its insights into human behavior and relationships.
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