Michael Shurtleff    Bio

Michael is a legendary Casting Director for Broadway & Feature Films and has launched hundreds' of successful careers like Streisand, Redford, Vereen, Midler, Hoffman and many more.

Michael is serving as the Chairman of the VIP Advisory Board for Expressions Theatre and has a new book coming out, A Little Less, Lonely in the Dark and A Life in the Theatre.

Educated at the Yale School of Drama, Michael virtually invented the position of Casting Director on Broadway. He was a Casting Director of David Merrick, Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, Peter Brooks and many others.

He cast over 60 Broadway Hit Shows including: Ethel Merman's Gypsy, I Can Get It For You Wholesale with Barbara Streisand and Elliott Gould, Irma La Douce, Pippin, Beckett, The Lion in Winter, The Odd Couple, Chicago, 1776, Oliver, and Finian's Rainbow.

Michael has also cast many films, some include: Jesus Christ Superstar, The Sound of Music (Julie Andrews), and The Graduate (Dustin Hoffman).

Through the auditions process Michael realized certain elements that inspire great acting and he developed the 13 guideposts in his book, Audition, to help all actors to know how to make the strongest and most exciting choices to get the part. After developing these guideposts to help actors, Michael has taught many actors all over the US, Europe, Canada and Australia how to succeed.

He is now helping the next generation of actors from Expressions.

You'll find his books, plays and poems very enlightening and entertaining.