This is
The Stage Actor’s Handbook
Traditions, Protocols, and Etiquette for the
Aspiring and Working Professional
Professional stage actors are expected to have ready knowledge of a multitude of unwritten yet well-established protocols. Traditionally, this knowledge was passed along from one generation of stage actors to the next via word of mouth or were learned by having one’s missteps corrected—until now.
In The Stage Actor’s Handbook, these protocols have finally been assembled into one volume, allowing theatre artists to know in advance what is expected of them. A definitive guide for professionals and aspiring professionals alike, this book details best practices on everything from rehearsal demeanor to backstage etiquette. It also shares the theatre’s unique vernacular and revered superstitions, as well as field-tested guidelines on touring, interactions with the public, and more.
Written by established theatre pros Michael Kostroff and Julie Garnyé, The Stage Actor’s Handbook features bits of wisdom contributed by legendary stage actors, including Bebe Neuwirth, John Lithgow, Chita Rivera, Alfred Molina, Billy Porter, Betty Buckley, Harvey Fierstein, Sam Waterston, Jason Alexander, Cynthia Nixon, and Sir Patrick Stewart.
Michael Kostroff is an established stage and television actor best known for his five seasons on HBO’s The Wire. He is also an instructor, director, and writer. He is the author of Letters from Backstage and Audition Psych 101, and the co-author of Answers from “The Working Actor.” On stage, Kostroff has played a host of iconic character roles, including Max Bialystock, which he covered on the first national tour of The Producers, and the comic villain Thénardier, a role he played on two national tours of Les Misérables.
Julie Garnyé is a singer, actress, director, voice teacher, producer, and writer. She was an original cast member of the first national tour of the Broadway hit musical Come From Away, appeared in the roles of Jennyanydots and Grizabella in the national tour of Cats, and originated the role of Martha Dumptruck in the developmental readings of Heathers: The Musical.
The Stage Actor's Handbook: Traditions, Protocols, and Etiquette for the Working and Aspiring Professional
Publishing July 2022 • ISBN: 978-1-5381-6043-5 • $19.95, Paperback • 160 pages
Rowman & Littlefield ~ www.rowman.com