My Recommended Acting Books of 2021

As an actor, you will inevitably have stretches of time where you aren’t working, where you don’t have an audition to prepare for, or when you don’t know what to work on personally. In those times, I think it’s a great idea to read as much as you possibly can of acting books. Even the books and techniques that you don’t agree with will leave you with a greater understanding of the acting landscape or at the very least give you one small nugget of wisdom that can help you. So, I’ve taken it upon myself to create a list of acting or acting-related books that I think any actor or actress could benefit from reading.

This (short) list is in no particular order!

1. “Respect for Acting” by Uta Hagen

Uta Hagen was a German-American actress and acting teacher who based her teachings on the work of Stanislavski. Many of her teachings have significantly influenced how we view acting today.

This book is a special one for me because it’s the first real acting book that I picked up and read. I don’t remember who recommended it or how I decided to read it, but I just remember being curious enough to pick it up and really examine what she talks about. She breaks the book down into three sections. Section One - “The Actor” – deals with the actor’s concept of self, and with the art of acting. The second section – “The Object Exercises” – offers specific and detailed exercises that can assist an actor with making a more truthful performance. “The Play and the Role” is the final section and it concerns itself with the actor’s identification of the character, as well as the definition of the play.

This book has given me many great tools in my acting toolbox and I continuously re-read it. 

2. “The Viewpoints Book: A Practical Guide to Viewpoints and Composition” by Anne Bogart and Tina Landau

Viewpoints is a method of movement in acting. It encourages you as the actor to shift your attention from the psychological aspects of the character and it forces you to observe and follow your physicality.

This is another book that was super helpful for me. I’ve always struggled with my physicality as an actress because the first thing I do when I get nervous is tighten up and forget that arms and legs and torsos exist.  This book provides a different look at how we use our bodies and move in space. It discusses several exercises that you can work on to unlock this aspect of movement. The only downside is that most of the exercises are meant to happen in a group setting, so if you don’t have a bunch of actor friends who are willing to explore this with you, you’ll have to adapt some of the exercises that she talks about.

3. “Mastering the Audition: How to Perform Under Pressure” by Donna Soto-Morettini

I found this book randomly in a bookstore when I was in Australia and I’m so happy that I did.

This book takes a deep dive into the process of auditioning and first examines our mindset when it comes to acting, then uses scientific research to suggest ways to overcome this. This is a super interesting read and honestly worth reading multiple times.

4. “The Empty Space” by Peter Brook

This is considered to be one of the most important books written about the theater. I’ve only read it once and I do think that I’m going to need to read it a few times to fully take in the things that it’s saying, but that may be a lifelong process influenced by the experience I gain as I grow as an actress. I definitely do think every actor needs to have their own journey with this book – if even just to know what people are referring to when it comes up in conversation.  

5. “True and False” by David Mamet

David Mamet is an American playwright and a founding member of the Atlantic Theater Company. Along with William H. Macy, he conceived the Practical Aesthetics acting technique (the one that I studied during my time at Atlantic).

This book is definitely through the lens of a playwright. This isn’t a bad thing, but it’s to say that this book isn’t necessarily gospel (sorry Atlantic!). It has so much useful and helpful information, but it also takes a sledgehammer to many other things that could be helpful to someone as an actor. So, while you read this book, heed the advice of one of my favorite acting teachers: “Take what you need, leave what you don’t.”

6. “A Practical Handbook for the Actor” by a whole bunch of people from Atlantic (Melissa Bruder, Lee Michael Cohn, Madeleine Olnek, Nathaniel Pollack, Robert Previto, Scott Zigler)

This book pretty much is the book for Atlantic students. This is a short, but helpful, overview of the Practical Aesthetics technique. Personally, I see it more as a supplement to practical aesthetics training than a guidebook. Some concepts talked about in this book may not immediately make sense unless you are in a space that teaches you to apply them (but I do still recommend it!)

There is a whole list of other acting books that I have yet to read but I have heard are also very informative and beneficial. If you have any recommendations, please let me know! Come 2022, I may have a whole new list of essential reads.

 As always, if you want to discuss any of the books I mentioned, comment below or DM me on Instagram @therealselmad

Get reading!

 xx Selma