Audition
The industry bible for mastering the audition process
Overview
Audition by Michael Shurtleff is widely considered the definitive book on auditioning. Written by the legendary casting director for Broadway producer David Merrick, it introduces twelve guideposts that actors can use to bring any audition material to life.
The twelve guideposts — including relationship, conflict, the moment before, and humor — provide a practical framework for analyzing and performing audition scenes. Shurtleff illustrates each guidepost with vivid examples from his decades in casting.
How It Works
Essential reading for any actor who auditions, which is to say every actor. The guideposts are universally applicable across theater, film, and television, making this one of the most practical books available.
Available in paperback and digital formats, typically priced between $14-17. A perennial bestseller that has been in print for decades and shows no signs of going out of print.
Who Uses It
Perhaps the single most useful book an actor can own for improving audition performance. The twelve guideposts will fundamentally change how you prepare for and execute auditions. Generations of actors have relied on Shurtleff's framework to transform cold readings and unprepared audition material into compelling, fully realized performances in a matter of minutes. The guideposts function as a universal toolkit that applies equally well to Shakespeare, contemporary drama, sitcoms, and commercial copy, making the book relevant regardless of what genre you audition for. Many casting directors have confirmed that actors who clearly apply Shurtleff's principles consistently deliver stronger, more memorable auditions than those who rely on instinct alone.
Pricing & Plans
Audition is available in paperback from Walker & Company, typically priced between $14 and $17 at major retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and most independent bookstores. The Kindle edition is generally available for $10 to $13, and used paperback copies are extremely easy to find for as little as $3 to $6 given the book's massive print runs over the decades. An audiobook version narrated by the author is available through Audible and other platforms, which some actors find particularly useful for absorbing the conversational teaching style. The book has been in continuous print since 1978, a testament to its enduring relevance, and new editions have been released with updated introductions. For the price of a single acting class, actors gain a permanent reference that they will return to throughout their entire career.
Pros & Cons
What's Great
The twelve guideposts are brilliantly designed to be both simple enough to memorize and rich enough to yield new insights with every application, making Audition a book that grows with the actor over years and decades of use. Shurtleff's writing is engaging, opinionated, and filled with vivid anecdotes from his years casting for Broadway that make the principles memorable and easy to recall under the pressure of an actual audition. Each guidepost addresses a specific aspect of dramatic storytelling — relationship, conflict, the moment before, humor, opposites, discoveries, communication, competition, importance, finding events, place, and game playing — creating a comprehensive lens through which to examine any piece of material. The framework is remarkably versatile, working equally well for a two-line commercial audition and a ten-page dramatic scene, which is why it remains the standard reference for audition preparation across the industry. The book demystifies the audition process by giving actors concrete, repeatable steps rather than relying on vague advice about relaxation or being in the moment.
What Could Be Better
The book's primary limitation is its age — written in 1978, some of the cultural references, casting anecdotes, and industry assumptions reflect a Broadway world that has changed significantly in the intervening decades. Shurtleff's perspective is rooted in theatrical casting for the stage, and while the principles translate well to film and television, actors working primarily on camera may wish the book addressed screen-specific audition dynamics more directly. Some of the guideposts, particularly game playing and competition, can be misapplied by actors who use them to push for excessive intensity rather than authentic human behavior, requiring careful reading and ideally coaching to apply them with nuance. The writing style is occasionally repetitive, as Shurtleff circles back to favorite themes and anecdotes across multiple chapters, though this repetition also serves to reinforce the core principles. Actors seeking guidance on the business side of auditioning — self-taping setup, finding the right agent, navigating casting platforms — will need to supplement this book with more contemporary career resources.
Our Recommendation
Every actor should own a copy of Audition, period — it is the single most practical and widely applicable book on audition technique ever written, and no serious performer's library is complete without it. Begin using the twelve guideposts immediately on whatever material you are currently preparing, and you will notice a difference in the specificity and energy of your work within the first application. The book is particularly transformative for actors who have been auditioning for years without a consistent preparation method, as the guideposts provide a reliable system that eliminates the anxiety of not knowing where to start with new material. Pair Audition with a strong on-camera technique book like Michael Caine's Acting in Film if you are focused on screen work, as together they cover both the preparation and execution sides of the equation. We cannot overstate the impact this book has had on the careers of working actors — it belongs on your shelf, in your bag, and in your preparation routine for every audition you ever walk into.
Pro Tips
Memorize all twelve guideposts so thoroughly that you can run through them mentally in the waiting room before any audition, using each one as a lens to examine the material and make bold, specific choices. Create a personal audition preparation checklist based on the guideposts and physically check off each one as you work through new material, ensuring you never skip steps in your preparation process. Practice applying the guideposts to material you are not auditioning for — scenes from plays, film scripts, even novels — to build the analytical muscle so that applying them under pressure becomes second nature. When you receive audition sides with minimal context, use the guideposts to generate imaginative choices that make the material come alive without relying on information you do not have about the full script. Revisit the book every six months and focus on a different guidepost each time, as deeper mastery of each individual principle will compound into dramatically improved overall audition performance.