MICHAEL SHURTLEFF'S 12 GUIDEPOSTS

1. Relationship (emotional)
2. Conflict (what do I want?)
3. Moment Before
4. Humor (not simply comedy)
5. Opposites (unexpected choice)
6. Discoveries (learned in real time)
7. Communication / Competition
8. Importance
9. Events (moments of change)
10. Place
11. Game Playing / Role Playing (rules of the relationship)
12. Mystery / Secret (what you don't know)
    

Kyle's Addition: 13. You (what makes your interpretation unique)

Michael Shurtleff was the major casting director for producer David Merrick. During the casting process he would bring in to audition for the play's director such new names as Elliott Gould, Barbra Streisand, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Bette Midler and Jerry Orbach. Shurtleff worked with Bob Fosse on Pippin and Chicago, and Andrew Lloyd Webber on Jesus Christ Superstar. Shurtleff went on to form his own casting service, Casting Consultants, in 1962. Among the Broadway productions on which he acted as casting director were the original productions of 1776, The Apple Tree and Chicago. He served as casting director on such films as The Graduate and The Sound of Music. In his book Audition, he addressed common problems for actors during the audition process, problems he had witnessed many times over in his casting sessions. The book has become somewhat of a "bible for aspiring actors."