Most acting books approach acting and directing from the Stanislavsky method which advocates arriving at emotions by "Affective Memory.'' This process asks the actor to use his/her own past experiences and graft them onto the character. Stanislavsky himself later rejected this and said it "led to hysteria.'' Acting Without Agony offers an alternative to the method and teaches another way of arriving at emotions, which is described in detail throughout the text. It further maintains that acting should be fun and not a self-dissecting experience.
This practical, step-by-step guide is organized into 18 lessons for achieving outstanding performance in acting and directing. It applies not only to the theatre, but to television and film as well. It is a true how-to book written mostly in dialogue between students and teacher. Through this format, the author is able to take the reader directly into the classroom as an effective learning aid.