William Esper, one of the leading acting teachers of our time, explains and extends Sanford Meisner's legendary technique, offering a clear, concrete, step-by-step approach to becoming a truly creative actor.Esper worked closely with Meisner for seventeen years and has spent decades developing his famous program for actor's training. The result is a rigorous system of exercises that builds a solid foundation of acting skills from the ground up, and that is flexible enough to be applied to any challenge an actor faces, from soap operas to Shakespeare. Co-writer Damon DiMarco, a former student of Esper's, spent over a year observing his mentor teaching first-year acting students. In this book he recreates that experience for us, allowing us to see how the progression of exercises works in practice. The Actor's Art and Craft vividly demonstrates that good training does not constrain actors' instincts—it frees them to create characters with truthful and compelling inner lives.

Foreward by David MametPrologueBill’s ClassONE — Begin Again — Empty Your CupTWO — The First Exercise — Did You Hear What He Said?THREE — Repition Continues — Did You Really Hear What He Really Said?FOUR — Developing ConcentrationFIVE — How to Justify Absolutely AnythingSIX — Don’t Gird Yourself to Act; Open Yourself to ReceiveSEVEN — Objectives and Expectations: Be Careful What You WantEIGHT — Action Problems: Awaken Your Inner CriminalNINE — Scene Work: Private Conversations — Approach the Text and Pick Up Your ImpulsesTEN — Farewell to Repition: Don’t Do Anything Unless Something Happens to Make You Do ItELEVEN — Daydreams, Fantasies, and Your Inner Life: Emotional PreparationTWELVE — Relationships: I Know He’s Your Brother, but Who Is He Really?THIRTEEN — The Domestic Exercise: How Are Things At Home?FOURTEEN — The Second Round of Scene Work: Go Deeper into the TextFIFTEEN — Final Questions: It’s a Wrap. Now Where Do We Go from Here?Acknowledgments