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Reviews & Quotes

"...amazing and invaluable..."

Reviewer: A reader from Devon , UK

This book helped me through my first professional audition- it was a godsend. It breaks your roles up into that of self-director and actor with incredible effectiveness. The tips and instruction she gives seem so obvious and "right" once you have read and tried them - it is an intuitive approach.

"...great book..."

Reviewer: An Amazon.com Customer from LA, CA

As an actor, I have found this book invaluable to my audition process & relative mental well-being. After reading more acting books than I should have, I found this smart amplification of David Mamet's practical aesthetics a page-by-page, step-by-step relief...Kohlhaas shares techniques refined through her influential professional work & teaching at the legendary Atlantic Theater Company. The New York-born ideas apply just as clearly & constructively to auditions here on the West Coast - or anywhere else, I imagine. They're also helpful in audition scene work and cold readings.Taking a step further, this steady examination of the audition - or interview - process provides a winning approach to any and all analogous situations demanding a good first-impression, stand-alone confidence & persuasive communication. Amid such seemingly powerless circumstances, Karen Kohlhaas shows you why and how to give yourself a break & focus on all the things that are still under your command. I've recommended it to as many non-actors as actors - anyone faced with a public arena which, to borrow from Mr. Mamet, "if turned on its head," will open up paths of self-direction, self-discovery and betterment.

"...the definition of brilliance and helpfulness..."

Reviewer: Holt Richardson from New York , NY

I had the glorious opportunity to study under Karen Kohlhaas for two years at the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School . She is one of the most inspiring individuals you would ever hope to meet; chiefly because of the practicality of her instruction and the confidence she inspires in her students. There is a quality in her cadence, quite well transmitted into her writing, that gives one a remarkable sense of ease. If you, like nearly all aspiring (and successful) actors, hate the audition process, this text can do divers good for your sanity. To paraphrase Ms. Kohlhaas, you are either good at auditioning or not, but when you turn so daunting process on its head, it can be made to serve you. If you do not have the opportunity to experience Ms. Kohlhaas' instruction firsthand, this is an essential document.

Paul Warner, Director, and Teacher at New York Film Academy , in NYC

Having auditioned, directed, and coached thousands of actors over the years, rarely have I come across a book that provides such a specific and empowering approach to the formidable task of developing audition monologues. Karen Kohlhaas' book lucidly outlines concise audition techniques, which challenge the actor to take control of every stage of the nerve-wracking audition process. Kohlhaas suggests that actors invest an equal amount of energy into self-directing their audition monologues so that they might become powerful reflections of the actor's creative, technical, and marketing strengths. Her insightful section on “Directing the Monologue” outlines steps and tools that guide the actor toward making more powerful, exciting choices. Actors will no doubt find the chapter on staging positive entrances and exits, equally revelatory. Acting instructors, directors, and casting directors, as well as actors, can also benefit from Ms. Kohlhaas' astute approach, thereby enabling their students and professional clients to better navigate the often wretched and highly subjective casting process by turning it on its head.

Review by Lindsay Price of Theatrefolk.com

If you're looking for a resource on how to perform, coach, or direct monologues this book is an excellent choice. It is one of the most comprehensive and easy to understand guides I've read for preparing a monologue. The research for the book came from Ms. Kohlhaas' own workshop and classes and it's clear the exercises and techniques in the book have been practically applied. The book focuses on rehearsing monologues for auditions, but I believe the information works just as well for a class or competition.

The tips start on page one of the introduction. The first thing the author shares is how she has her students list what is “in” their control and “out” of their control during the audition process. This allows students to have a concrete idea on paper of what they can (or cannot) control in the situation. Not only that, they have a list of things they can work on from the “In Control” column to make their audition the best. It is interesting to note that under the heading “Preparation” there is nothing in the “Out of Control” column.

The book proper is divided into three parts: Directing the Monologue, Acting the Monologue, and Auditioning With Your Monologues. The directing section details how to look at a monologue from the outside. Many actors only focus on what's going on inside of them and forget what they look like. Some of the topics involve staging, the speed and size of movement and gesture, writing a description of the monologue (not a synopsis, but what you want the audience to see), and analyzing the monologue in terms of structure, story and suspense.

The best practical tip in the section is the suggestion that actors should rehearse their monologue within a six by six foot square. Ms. Kohlhaas encourages actors to tape out the square on the floor. The square helps define the acting space, prevents wandering and gives an easy start to blocking. She suggests actors plot out different positions in the square and decide where they should stand for the end, the climax and the beginning of the piece. She recommends starting with the final position.

The second part focuses on the acting; what's going inside. This section helps actors find and develop an objective (which the author calls “the action”) to play in the monologue. There is also a tool called “as if” which helps the actor explain what the action means to the character. Some suggested actions are: to get the truth, to get what I deserve, to win an ally.

The last section deals with the non-monologue parts of the audition, such as the entrances and the exits. How an actor enters and leaves a room is very important! Ms. Kohlhaas gives examples of how to do positive entrances and exits. She also provides different types of audition scenarios to rehearse with such as the neutral audition, where the auditioners are expressionless to the chaos audition where everything is distracting.

What I love about this book is how Ms.Kohlhaas demonstrates her process throughout. Quite often books give you the tools but don't necessarily show you how to use them. Ms. Kohlhaas follows through her methodology with a case study: you see how to apply her tools on an actual monologue. When she provides possible questions (there are so many great questions in here to ask your students!) she also provides a sample answer. There are pictures of how to use her staging options. She outlines exercises she has used with her students. You get to see her process in action. As I was reading, I felt that I could easily take this book into a classroom tomorrow and apply the process right away.