The Actor's Art and Craft

“Utterly inspirational… . The best book on the craft of acting that I have ever read.” –Mary Steenburgen“As far as I’m concerned, there is only way to learn the craft of acting, and that is through the Meisner technique. And there is only one person to learn that technique from, and that is William Esper.” –Patricia Heaton“The essence of this book is like William Esper himself: kind/clear, caring/generous, passionate/graceful, brilliant/profound. Inspiring. Invaluable.” –Jeff Goldblum“A veritable magnum opus on acting from a Master Teacher.” –Olympia Dukakis“Working with Bill Esper was an inspiring and unforgettable experience… . Every serious actor who dreams of becoming a first-rate artist must read this book!” –Calista Flockhart

William Esper was a graduate of Western Reserve University and the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre in New York City. He trained as both actor and teacher under Sanford Meisner, working closely together for 17 years, during which time he served as Associate Director of the Playhouse’s Acting Department (1973-1976). William founded the William Esper Studio in 1965 and the Professional Actor Training Program at Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts in 1977. He died in 2019 at age 86.

Damon DiMarco earned his M.F.A. from the Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts under William Esper’s tutelage. He acts professionally on stage, screen, and TV, and teaches at Drew University. Damon’s other books include, Tower Stories- an Oral History of 9⁄11; Heart of War- Soldiers’ Voices from the Front Lines of Iraq; and My Two Chinas- The Memoir of a Chinese Counterrevolutionary with Baiqiao Tang, which features a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

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