Books by Michael Kostroff

The Stage Actor's Handbook is an invaluable guide to theatre's traditions, protocols, etiquette, and best practices for current and aspiring performers. Spanning from first rehearsal to final curtain, it details the well-established, often-unwritten rules of theatre and includes insights from a host of well-known stage actors.

Based on the popular workshop of the same name, Audition Psych 101 takes a detailed, unvarnished look at the mental gremlins that can make auditioning stressful. With frankness, humor, and a pro-actor sensibility, professional working actor Michael Kostroff (The Wire, The Deuce, Luke Cage, The Blacklist, Law & Order: SVU, etc.) explodes commonly accepted mythologies and offers a fresh, more logical, and more effective approach to the whole process. Speaking directly to other professional actors, Kostroff pulls each step into slow motion, shining a light into the dark corners in search of those little snags that can screw us up."It has completely changed the way I view auditions." - Chad Manuel, Chicago"Want to learn why we constantly get in our own way before we even set foot in the room? Michael has made a detailed, brilliant study of the most common traps, and how to avoid them." - Peter Van Norden, Los Angeles"Michael's expertise, sense of humor, and just old-fashioned good sense does the impossible: It actually makes the actor comfortable with the audition process." - J. R. Orlando, San Jose"I'm a psychotherapist who specializes in working with creative artists. Among many other issues, we always talk about their audition anxiety. In Audition Psych 101, Michael Kostroff has validated everything I believe about the audition process. Let him save you a lot of disappointment and frustration." - Lee D. Kassan, psychotherapist/psychoanalyst"It brought the joy and fun back into the audition process, which ultimately has allowed for more callbacks and many more bookings." - Mick Guire, New York City"I can't wait for my next audition. (Holy mackerel, did I just write that?)" - Deborah Linehan, New York City