For those of you interested in studying more about "Method" acting, Lee Strasberg and the Actors Studio,  I have included the following list of my favorite books on the subject, as well as a book or two on the business end of acting.  If you would like to purchase one or more of these books online, please click on the title of the book(s). If you order from this page, TheatrGROUP will receive a small commission, which will help defray its internet costs.

by Judy Kerr

This really is the ultimate guidebook for actors who are determined to initiate and sustain a successful acting career in Los Angeles or in their hometowns. Filled with practical advice, Acting Is Everything helps beginners avoid scams so they can get down to the business of getting work. Written by a renowned acting coach, it helps actors do it right the first time, saving them time, money and heartache.

by Ron Gorow

This book is designed to help you develop and refine your perception and your ability to communicate with music—to know what you are hearing and to express your thoughts through music notation or performance.

by Constantine Stanislavski
(translated by Elizabeth Reynolds Hapgood)
Theatre Arts Books

Stanislavski wrote this book to leave to the world a record of his approach to the actor's art.  Basically, Tortsov, Artistic Director of a theatre, patiently guides his actors through an understanding of the many hidden resources at their disposal.  It's obvious that "Tortsov" is actually Stanislavski, and the "students" are the company members of the Moscow Art Theatre.  Very well written, easy to understand,  laced with humor and humanity, every actor, regardless of his "method" owes it to himself to read this book.

by Foster Hirsch
Da Capo Press

A most brilliant history of the Actors Studio, by one of the world's foremost theatre historians, with detailed chapters on the "life before the Studio", when Konstantin Stanislavski started his lifelong quest for the answers to the questions that started it all. This is one of the best books of its kind in print. If you're interested in the history of the Actors Studio, you'll find this book salted with rich detail, peppered with intuitive insight and sweetened with crystal clarity. Highly recommended.

Edited by Robert Hethmon
Theatre Communications Group

As the title implies, this book is transcribed from actual tape recorded sessions at the Actors Studio.  It is a valuable resource for those interested in "hearing" Lee Strasberg critique scenes in his own distinguished way.  The drawback, of course, is that the reader does not have the advantage of having seen the scenes Strasberg critiques, but anyone with a basic understanding of Strasberg's approach to actor training will gain invaluable insights into problems that have plagued actors throughout the history of the art.  To help with that basic understanding, editor Robert Hethmon has included his own descriptions and analyses of the basic elements of Strasberg's "Method" with such clarity that the book is worth reading for that reason alone.

by Richard Boleslavski
Theatre Arts Books

Richard Boleslavski, with whom Strasberg studied (saving his notes from class his entire lifetime) assumes a fictional role in this book as a teacher helping a young student address the problems encountered by actors in their life in art.   A beautifully written book, laced with humor and invaluable insight.   After reading this book, actors might wonder if they need any more than these "lessons" to accomplish their goals onstage.

by S. Lorraine Hull
Ox Bow Press

The best technical manual available for an easy to read understanding of those techniques and procedures used in "Method" acting.  Extremely rich in detail, laced with dozens of examples and personal anecdotes, this book leaves nothing out as it takes the reader through practically every element of the "Method" and its vocabulary.  Relaxation, Sense Memory, Concentration, Imagination, Substitution, Justification, Animal Exercise, Personal Object, Private Moment, Affective Memory, Song and Dance, Inner Monologue, Narrative Monologue, Speaking Out, Moment-to-Moment, and Subtext are just a few of the terms which Ms. Hull explains with crystal clarity.   The book also includes advice to Directors, an exhaustive scene list, a glossary, suggested reading and tons of other valuable information.  Indispensable.

Introduced & Translated by David Magarshack
Faber & Faber

Long out of print, this book has been reissued.  The introduction by David Magarshack is one of the best (and longest) narratives about Stanislavski and his work.  It alone is worth the price of the book.  In the book, Stanislavki shares his genius with the reader as he writes about "The System and Methods of Creative Art".  This is also a great book for students and professionals in Opera, as the master teaches acting for that discipline here.

by Edward Dwight Easty
Ivy Books

This book covers the basic fundamentals of the "Method": Relaxation, Sense Memory and Concentration, as well as briefly touching on a few other procedures (Affective Memory, Animal Exercise, Justification, etc.)  It is recommended as a quick-start primer for those who don't have enough time to spend weeks reading the other books listed on this page.