Summer Shakespeare in the City
Al Pacino will play Shylock in "The Merchant of Venice" in a production directed by Daniel Sullivan that will run at Central Park's Delacorte Theater alongside "The Winter's Tale." More »

Something to Not Think About
Whether it's for a play, a commercial, episodic television, or a feature film, how you approach a role is the most essential decision you can make as an actor. More »

When Women Age
How do older women relate to the ages of their characters? And what do they know now about the craft of acting that they didn't know when they were younger? More »

When Men Age
There is much to be learned from playing characters older than yourself when the chance arises. More »

Auditioning for Pilots
Reality-check time: As Los Angeles acting teacher Doug Warhit reminds us, most pilots don't go beyond the pilot stage. Of those that do, most are canceled within the first four weeks. More »

Everything Matters
Speaking with Back Stage, Olympia Dukakis and Marco Barricelli touched on many subjects related to the craft of acting. More »

Quiet! Someone's Getting the Job
Film and television are reactive media. The next time you're watching a TV show or movie, notice that the actors listen and react more than they talk. More »

Playing Iconic Roles
Shakespeare, Ibsen, Chekhov, Williams, Miller—all these playwrights and many more wrote memorable roles that over time have become iconic. More »

The Root of Good Acting (Pt. 3)
What are you doing when you act on the line?  You read the script and think, "This is what the line is telling me to do." More »

The Root of Good Acting (Pt. 4)
The first common mistake that will lead you down a very bad path is judging the character.  To me, the root of all prejudice stems from our inability to see ourselves in other people. More »

The Root of Good Acting (Pt. 2)
If you are emotionally blocked, please be aware that such blockage is not your natural emotional state.  The natural state of every human being is the way the baby is in the crib. More »

Stop Acting and Live the Life
When I first meet actors at my studio, I notice one thing they have in common: a disease I call "classitis." More »

The Root of Good Acting
Personalization is the foundation upon which the house built. Step number one of my eight steps is phrased, "Who am I?"—think of that "I" as standing for identification. More »

Technology and Imagination in the Acting Process
At first it was subtle, a few students expressing their frustration at not being able to come up with a new idea in acting class. Then the dissatisfaction of some became more open. More »

The Technique of Process
What inspires you? What blocks you? What rocks you? What delights and repels you? More »

Crying on Cue
12 techniques to help you explore other ways to release your character's pent-up emotion. More »

Playing Drunk
Playing drunk is a very difficult thing to pull off. Even though you may be eager to conduct some firsthand research on this project, I'm afraid that it requires a clear head and great skill. More »

Playing Farce in the 21st Century
Have the excesses of reality TV and the distractions of the digital age upped the ante for farce, a time-honored type of comedy usually characterized by slamming doors, mistaken identities, broad characterizations, and physical mayhem? More »

'Improvising' in Scripted Comedy
I'm often asked by people who have seen "The 39 Steps"—in which I'm performing on Broadway, along with Jill Paice, Jeffery Kuhn, and Sean Mahon—how much of the show is improvised. More »

10 Top Monologues for Actors
Let's be clear: There is no such thing as a perfect list of the best monologues for actors. More »

The Top 10 Tips for Becoming a Successful Comedy Actor
In what way are you funny? What's funny about you? Being aware of what makes up your personal "funny"—finding the comedy in yourself and your everyday life—is the first step to becoming a successful comedy actor. More »

A Star is Born -- or Made
In  the years I've been writing this column, I've always assumed that acting training is an absolute necessity if you want to be an actor. More »

Gotta Be Me
Remember that old Army recruitment ad, "Be all you can be"? One of the ways to be all you can be when acting is to blend your own behavior with that of your character. More »

What Is This Thing Called Craft?
Lee Strasberg once said, "Every actor needs a craft which is commensurate with his talent." Stella Adler said, "Without craft there can be no art." More »

Thought Control
Recently I found myself thinking about…well, about thinking. What should or shouldn't be in your mind when you're acting? How do you control your thoughts? How do you not think about a pink elephant? More »