Originally published: New York : Macmillan, 1973.

"This edition reprints the original without alteration."--p.[ii].

New foreword by David Hyde Pierce.

Includes index.

This is the classic book on acting, now republished with a new foreword by actor David Hyde Pierce. Legendary actress and teacher Uta Hagen knew that an actor's finest work was often achieved for love rather than for money. She lived this philosophy, alongside her husband Herbert Berghof, at HB Studio, their acting school; together they turned a handful of scruffy old buildings into a workplace and spiritual home for actors. This work is Hagen's blueprint for the actor, her design for "enlightened stage acting." It has helped generations of actors hone their craft, and its advice is as useful now as it was in 1973, when it was first published. Graduates of HB Studio include Robert DeNiro, Jack Lemmon, Anne Bancroft, and Bette Midler. It will continue to bring Hagen's techniques to actors and theater-lovers alike. Uta Hagen was the recipient of innumerable honors and awards during her long career, including the prestigious National Medal for the Arts in 2003. She died in 2004 at the age of 84. Haskel Frankel was the drama critic of the National Observer.