Audition Psych 101

A Refreshing Approach to the Dreaded Process

By: Michael Kostroff

Narrated by: Michael Kostroff

Based on the popular workshop of the same name, Audition Psych 101 takes a detailed, unvarnished look at the mental gremlins that can make auditioning stressful. With frankness, humor, and a pro-actor sensibility, professional working actor Michael Kostroff (The Wire, The Deuce, Luke Cage, The Blacklist, Law & Order: SVU, etc.) explodes commonly accepted mythologies and offers a fresh, more logical, and more effective approach to the whole process. Speaking directly to other professional actors, Kostroff pulls each step into slow motion, shining a light into the dark corners in search of those little snags that can screw us up.

About the Author

Michael Kostroff is best known as an actor, having appeared on dozens of TV shows including The Wire, The Deuce, Luke Cage, The Blacklist, Law & Order: SVU, and more, as well as HBO Films' Wizard of Lies starring Robert De Niro, and the HBO miniseries, The Plot Against America. His stage work has included national tours of The Producers and Les Miserables. He's the author of Letters from Backstage, a behind-the-scenes chronicle of his time on the road with the aforementioned musicals, and the co-author of Answers from "The Working Actor," a textbook based on the' advice column Kostroff wrote (alternating with co-author Jackie Apodaca) for the actors' weekly, Backstage. His blog, The Weekly Curmudgeon, is gaining popularity with those who enjoy such things. He's currently at work on his next writing project, The Stage Actor's Handbook. Kostroff is also a director, acting coach, and an instructor, traveling far and wide to present his Audition Psych 101 workshop as well as his other classes. He lives and works in his home town of New York City.

©2017, 2019 Michael Kostroff (P)2023 Michael Kostroff

Critic reviews

"I’m a psychotherapist who specializes in working with creative artists. Among many other issues, we always talk about their audition anxiety. In Audition Psych 101, Michael Kostroff has validated everything I believe about the audition process. Let him save you a lot of disappointment and frustration." — Lee D. Kassan, psychotherapist/psychoanalyst

A great Acting book!

Kostroff gifts actors with a tremendous unburdening! A pleasure to listen to with healthy advice that’s simple to apply, so we can just be freer to act.

A Great Listen AND Useful?!

i'm not an actor, but this is a fantastic and entertaining listen for anyone who ever has to be front of people for any reason.

Audition’s Best Friend

I love that I feel as if I could do this. Auditions have always been a difficult pill to swallow but the fact that so many people feel the same and that there’s a way out of my own head is encouraging. I hope to bring these concepts to my next audition and be at peace with the fact that “I’m not getting the job,” because truth be told I’ve no idea why or why not I get cast. One of the big things that resonates with me is the concept of going into an audition with the goal of being helpful to the casting professionals instead of needing them to serve me. I think I can do that. And I have a feeling I’ll be happier for it. If you’re in the business of auditioning this is a must read!

So… I hear you need an actor?!?

Michael has great advice and fantastic experiences to share. Grateful to have it here. Plus the extra bits he shares here that aren’t in the written book. *chef’s kiss!*

A must-read for actors of all levels.

The simple and profound truths and tips in this book would be of benefit for any performer and/or actor. It’s funny, sobering, and invigorating — that last descriptive word seems a bit strange, even as I write it, but it’s true. I just finished my second time through listening to the book (Kostroff does a fabulous job narrating his book), and the “hard” truths of the industry he discusses are oddly comforting. I say “oddly,” but it actually does make sense. When you realize over and over that your experience as an actor isn’t just yours alone and that you’re not crazy for sometimes feeling crazy being in this industry, it creates a sort of calm, a sense that you are part of a tribe, that many other people out there, pursing their dreams, “get it.” I don’t want to write any spoilers, so I’ll simply say that the constant refrain mantra that he says throughout the book, while seemingly discouraging on the face of it, has been extraordinarily freeing for me. I’ll let you read / listen yourself to find out what I’m talking about. Also, definitely recommend listening, not just because Michael does a great job reading it, but also because of the various sidebars and updated content that it includes about the current state of affairs: self-tapes, etc.