| Foreword | xvii |
| Audition Story | xix |
| Acknowledgments | xxi |
| Prologue | xxiii |
Part 1 | Getting Out of Your Own Way | |
Chapter 1 | You Are Your Own Worst Enemy | |
| Audition Story | 4 |
| Your Friend, The Casting Director | 6 |
| The Success/Failure Syndrome | 6 |
| It's a Numbers Game | 9 |
| It's Out of Your Control | 11 |
| Commitment, Commitment, Commitment | 11 |
Chapter 2 | How You Present Yourself | |
| Audition Story | 14 |
| First Impressions | 16 |
| Should You Enter as the Character or as Yourself? | 17 |
| Audition Story | 19 |
| Photographs (Head Shots) | 19 |
| Resumes | 20 |
| Resume Layout | 22 |
| The Big Taboo--Don't Touch The Casting Director! | 23 |
| It's Never How You Expect It To Be | 23 |
| Use What You're Not Given | 24 |
| Stop Apologizing for Yourself | 25 |
| Coming From the Character's Point of View (POV) | 25 |
| The Actor's Barometer | 27 |
Chapter 3 | The Interview | |
| Audition Story | 30 |
| Audition Story | 32 |
| The Interview | 33 |
| Taking in the Room | 34 |
| What They Really Want To Know | 34 |
| Audition Story | 40 |
Chapter 4 | Guide to a Healthy Instrument | |
| Audition Story | 44 |
| Audition Story | 46 |
| A Healthy Instrument | 47 |
| That Old Backpack | 49 |
| The Five Ego States | 49 |
| Turn Up the Volume! | 50 |
Part 2 | Breaking Down the Scene | |
Chapter 1 | Relationship | |
| Audition Story | 56 |
| Types of Relationships | 59 |
| Scene Excerpt--Thelma & Louise | 60 |
| Relationship Q&A | 62 |
| Changing Relationships | 64 |
| Scene Excerpt--Thelma & Louise | 64 |
| Relationship Contract--Hannah and Her Sisters | 66 |
| Scene Excerpt--Hannah and Her Sisters | 66 |
| Applying the Relationship Contract | 76 |
| Siblings: Where is Your Character in the Food Chain? | 77 |
| Love Relationships | 77 |
| Stages of a Love Relationship | 77 |
Chapter 2 | Intention | |
| Audition Story | 82 |
| Second Read-Through | 84 |
| Scene Excerpt--Thelma & Louise | 84 |
| Action Verbs | 86 |
| Opposing Adjectives | 87 |
| Physical Behavior | 88 |
| Obstacles | 88 |
| Types of Obstacles | 89 |
| Scene Excerpt--Julia | 91 |
| Adjustments | 95 |
| Scene Excerpt--The Silence of the Lambs | 96 |
| Key Phrase | 104 |
Chapter 3 | History | |
| Audition Story | 108 |
| Creating the Past | 111 |
| Scene Excerpt--The Goodbye Girl | 112 |
| Different Histories | 114 |
| Scene Excerpt--In the Line of Fire | 116 |
Chapter 4 | Personalization | |
| Audition Story | 120 |
| Personalizing Thoughts and Feelings | 122 |
| Senses and Imagery | 122 |
| Blood and Guts | 123 |
| Stanislavski's Magical "As If" | 124 |
| Substitution | 125 |
| Scene Excerpt--Thelma & Louise | 127 |
Chapter 5 | V.I.P.S. | |
| Audition Story | 130 |
| Scene Excerpt--Beaches | 134 |
| Scene Excerpt--Beaches | 139 |
Chapter 6 | Opening Beat | |
| Audition Story | 146 |
| The Five "W's" | 149 |
| Where Am I? | 149 |
| When Does the Opening Beat Take Place? | 150 |
| Scene Excerpt--Kramer vs. Kramer | 150 |
| Who Else Is in the Environment? | 151 |
| What Am I Feeling? | 152 |
| What Is My Physical Action? | 153 |
| Scene Excerpt--Thelma & Louise | 155 |
| "Help, I'm Next!" | 157 |
Chapter 7 | Units and Transitions | |
| Audition Story | 160 |
| Scene Excerpt--Thelma & Louise | 164 |
| Scene Excerpt--The Prisoner of Second Avenue | 165 |
| Baby Beats | 171 |
| Adjustments | 172 |
| Scene Excerpt--The Goodbye Girl | 173 |
| Closing Beats | 176 |
Chapter 8 | Core and Masking | |
| Audition Story | 180 |
| Layers of Core and Masking | 182 |
| Period Pieces | 183 |
| Masking With Anger | 184 |
| Masking With Indifference | 185 |
| Masking With Humor | 185 |
| The Vulnerable Moment | 186 |
| Scene Excerpt--Thelma & Louise | 187 |
| Scene Excerpt--Ordinary People | 189 |
Chapter 9 | Sense of Humor | |
| Audition Story | 202 |
| Personality | 204 |
| Breaking the Stereotypes | 205 |
| Humor vs. Lightness | 206 |
| Action/Adventure Films | 206 |
| Buddy Films | 207 |
| Scene Excerpt--Thelma & Louise | 207 |
| Likability | 209 |
| Daytime Dramas (Soaps) | 209 |
Chapter 10 | Moment to Moment | |
| Audition Story | 214 |
| Tennis, Anyone? | 216 |
| The Coverup | 217 |
| Mistakes Are Your Friends | 217 |
| Crazy Things That Throw You | 218 |
| Audition Story | 218 |
| Audition Story | 218 |
| Audition Story | 219 |
| Audition Story | 219 |
| Audition Story | 221 |
| Audition Story | 221 |
| Audition Story | 222 |
| The Callback Syndrome | 223 |
| Making Adjustments | 224 |
Chapter 11 | Sample Scene Breakdown | |
| Audition Story | 228 |
| Meeting Gene Hackman | 230 |
| Scene Excerpt--I Never Sang for My Father | 231 |
| First Read | 234 |
| Second Read | 236 |
| Third Read | 242 |
| Scene Excerpt--I Never Sang for My Father | 243 |
Part 3 | The Haber Phrase Technique | |
Chapter 1 | Reading in Phrases | |
| Audition Story | 252 |
| The Trap of Memorizing | 254 |
| Developing the Phrase Technique | 256 |
| The Haber Phrase Technique | 256 |
| Putting the Technique into Practice-- L.A. Law Closing Argument | 257 |
| Scene Excerpt--L.A. Law | 258 |
| Put your Thumb into Action | 259 |
| "That Darn Paper" | 259 |
| Commonly Asked Questions Regarding the Technique | 261 |
Chapter 2 | Using the Haber Phrase Technique in a Scene | |
| Audition Story | 264 |
| Audition Story | 266 |
| There's No Such Thing as a Monologue | 266 |
| Working with a Partner | 267 |
| Landings | 267 |
| Resolutions | 268 |
| Comedy Resolutions | 268 |
| Scene Excerpt--Thieves | 268 |
| When Do You Get Your Next Line? | 269 |
| Scene Excerpt--I Never Sang for My Father | 269 |
| When to Turn the Page | 270 |
| Repetitive Phrases | 270 |
| Eye-Staring Contest | 271 |
| Throw It Away! | 271 |
| Joining Sentences | 272 |
| Putting It Together--I Never Sang for My Father | 272 |
| Scene Excerpt--I Never Sang for My Father | 273 |
| Don't Lose Your Life! | 274 |
| Silence is Golden | 275 |
| The State of Confusion | 276 |
Part 4 | Words from the Pros | |
Chapter 1 | Meet the Pros Seminar | |
| Audition Story | 284 |
Chapter 2 | Do's and Don'ts | |
| Audition Story | 308 |
| Pictures and Resumes | 311 |
| Agents and Managers | 311 |
| Getting in the Door | 311 |
| Preparation | 311 |
| The Audition | 312 |
| Callbacks | 313 |
| Screen Tests | 313 |
| Feedback | 313 |
| Afterword: An Interview with ED Asner | 316 |
| Epilogue | 325 |
| About the Authors | 332 |