The classic book on acting, in an attractive updated editionSince its original publication in 1973, Uta Hagen's Respect for Acting has remained a durable classic and a must-read for all students of acting. As an acting instructor at the Herbert Berghof Studio, Hagen helped to develop the talents of world-class actors like Robert DeNiro, Matthew Broderick, Gene Wilder, Amanda Peet, Austin Pendleton, Whoopi Goldberg, and more. In this book, Hagen offers an indispensable account of the techniques that professionals use to elevate their acting to an art form. This updated edition illuminates Hagen's original text with a new foreword written by Katie Finneran, retaining the David Hyde Pierce foreword, along with added background on HB Studio--one of the original New York performing arts training and practice spaces--and an excerpt from Hagen's autobiography SOURCES.In working through this book, actors will learn physical, verbal, and emotional practice that empower them to connect their own self-concept to the characters they play. Specific, detailed exercises help actors learn to address a range of problems actors face, like maintaining immediacy and relevance, and developing the dimensions of a role over a long performance run. Respect for Acting is a book for actors and audiences who understand the need for truth in the creative process.* Discover the acting book that has shaped professional theater performances for decades* Learn the history and background of Herbert Berghof Studio, one of New York's foremost acting schools* Practice the craft of acting with concrete exercises and instruction on technique* Delve into the deep questions that arise when actors truly inhabit the lives of their charactersActors at all levels of their craft will love this stunning updated version of the essential Respect for Acting.

Editor's Note by Jesse Feiler xiiiForeword by Katie Finneran xvForeword by David Hyde Pierce xixAcknowledgments xxiiiPart One The Actor Introduction 31 Concept 112 Identity 223 Substitution 344 Emotional Memory 465 Sense Memory 526 The Five Senses 607 Thinking 658 Walking and Talking 699 Improvisation 7310 Reality 75Part Two The Object Exercises Introduction 8111 The Basic Object Exercise 9112 Three Entrances 9513 Immediacy 10214 The Fourth Wall 10615 Endowment 11216 Talking to Yourself 11917 Outdoors 12418 Conditioning Forces 12919 History 13420 Character Action 139Part Three The Play and the Role Introduction 14521 First Contact with the Play 14722 The Character 15223 Circumstances 15824 Relationship 16525 The Objective 17426 The Obstacle 18027 The Action 18428 The Rehearsal 19229 Practical Problems 20130 Communication 21331 Style 217Epilogue 222The Studio Story, by Uta Hagen 224Address to the Austrian Academy, by Herbert Berghof 239Sources, by Uta Hagen 244About Uta Hagen 252About Haskel Frankel 254Index 255