Knowledge

Prompter (theatre)

Source 📝

40: 113: 105: 67:
to where they are supposed to be situated. The role of the souffleur, or prompter, reaches back to the medieval theater, but has disappeared in countries like Britain, the United States, France, and Italy. In these places, actors are expected to assist each other in case they forget their lines.
68:
However, in Germany and central Europe, the job of the prompter is still very much alive and integral to the repertory system. This is because multiple plays are performed in rotation each week, making it challenging for actors to memorize all their lines.
39: 150:. If prompting is absolutely necessary, it is done very quietly by another actor on-stage or the conductor of the pit orchestra. 101:
notes, so that the prompt is always aware of the intended positions and movements of all the actors on stage at any given time.
409: 387: 345: 326: 240: 112: 356: 440: 81:. This is the most definitive version of the script for any one performance, and will contain details of all 160:
In Elizabethan theatre the function of prompting was filled by the Book-Holder, who was also in charge of
430: 126:(1838–1905), in which he experimented with using limelight (white-hot calcium oxide) to represent the 17: 85:, with their precise timings with respect to the action on stage. This allows the prompt to direct 318: 8: 435: 397: 104: 56: 405: 383: 382:. Translated by Shantz, Christine. Toronto and Buffalo: University of Toronto Press. 341: 322: 260: 139: 314: 252: 98: 82: 72: 31: 86: 64: 127: 256: 424: 375: 264: 174: 154: 97:
effects and scene changes during a show. The prompt book also often contains
135: 123: 90: 143: 77: 161: 94: 147: 146:
to instruct actors if they forget a line or movement, only during a
179: 118: 71:
In theatres without prompters, their role is undertaken by the
60: 288: 286: 380:
Dictionary of the Theatre: Terms, Concepts, and Analysis
283: 220: 63:
when they forget their lines or neglect to move on the
313:(2nd ed.). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. 198: 196: 194: 271: 208: 191: 404:(3rd ed.). Harmondsworth, UK: Puffin Books. 422: 75:, who will have a copy of the script called the 338:The Oxford Companion to Theatre and Performance 142:productions, the prompt is never used during a 309:Hartnoll, Phyllis; Found, Peter, eds. (1996). 308: 292: 311:The concise Oxford companion to the theatre 241:"The Medieval Prompter: A Reinterpretation" 153:The prompt is located on the stage, in the 357:"Meet the secret heroes of German theatre" 354: 277: 116:The prompt book from an 1874 staging of 111: 103: 38: 355:Oltermann, Philip (26 September 2023). 336:Kennedy, Dennis, ed. (26 August 2010). 335: 202: 30:For the related function in opera, see 14: 423: 396: 238: 226: 402:The Penguin Dictionary of the Theatre 374: 214: 319:10.1093/acref/9780192825742.001.0001 340:. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 27:A person who prompts or cues actors 24: 25: 452: 108:A 19th-century prompter at work. 59:is a person who prompts or cues 43:A prompter with his script, 1936 232: 13: 1: 185: 122:by English actor and manager 7: 239:Tribby, William L. (1964). 168: 10: 457: 301: 29: 293:Hartnoll & Found 1996 257:10.1017/S004055740000692X 128:ghost of Hamlet’s father 441:Theatrical occupations 131: 109: 44: 115: 107: 42: 398:Taylor, John Russell 229:, pp. 253–254. 157:or "prompt side". 132: 110: 45: 431:Stage terminology 411:978-0-14-051287-8 389:978-0-8020-8163-6 347:978-0-19-957419-3 328:978-0-19-282574-2 140:community theatre 138:and high-quality 16:(Redirected from 448: 415: 393: 371: 369: 367: 351: 332: 296: 290: 281: 275: 269: 268: 236: 230: 224: 218: 212: 206: 200: 32:Prompter (opera) 21: 456: 455: 451: 450: 449: 447: 446: 445: 421: 420: 419: 418: 412: 390: 365: 363: 348: 329: 304: 299: 291: 284: 276: 272: 237: 233: 225: 221: 213: 209: 201: 192: 188: 171: 35: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 454: 444: 443: 438: 433: 417: 416: 410: 394: 388: 376:Pavis, Patrice 372: 352: 346: 333: 327: 305: 303: 300: 298: 297: 282: 278:Oltermann 2023 270: 245:Theatre Survey 231: 219: 217:, p. 289. 207: 189: 187: 184: 183: 182: 177: 170: 167: 166: 26: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 453: 442: 439: 437: 434: 432: 429: 428: 426: 413: 407: 403: 399: 395: 391: 385: 381: 377: 373: 362: 358: 353: 349: 343: 339: 334: 330: 324: 320: 316: 312: 307: 306: 294: 289: 287: 279: 274: 266: 262: 258: 254: 250: 246: 242: 235: 228: 223: 216: 211: 204: 199: 197: 195: 190: 181: 178: 176: 175:Cue card girl 173: 172: 165: 163: 158: 156: 155:prompt corner 151: 149: 145: 141: 137: 129: 125: 121: 120: 114: 106: 102: 100: 96: 92: 88: 84: 80: 79: 74: 73:stage manager 69: 66: 62: 58: 54: 50: 41: 37: 33: 19: 401: 379: 366:28 September 364:. Retrieved 361:The Guardian 360: 337: 310: 273: 251:(1): 71–78. 248: 244: 234: 222: 210: 203:Kennedy 2010 159: 152: 136:professional 133: 124:Henry Irving 117: 76: 70: 52: 48: 46: 36: 227:Taylor 1993 164:and calls. 144:performance 78:prompt book 51:(sometimes 436:Stagecraft 425:Categories 215:Pavis 1998 186:References 265:0040-5574 148:rehearsal 18:Souffleur 400:(1993). 378:(1998). 180:Subtitle 169:See also 134:In some 99:blocking 87:lighting 49:prompter 302:Sources 57:theatre 55:) in a 408:  386:  344:  325:  263:  119:Hamlet 95:flying 61:actors 53:prompt 162:props 91:sound 65:stage 406:ISBN 384:ISBN 368:2023 342:ISBN 323:ISBN 261:ISSN 83:cues 47:The 315:doi 253:doi 427:: 359:. 321:. 285:^ 259:. 247:. 243:. 193:^ 93:, 89:, 414:. 392:. 370:. 350:. 331:. 317:: 295:. 280:. 267:. 255:: 249:5 205:. 130:. 34:. 20:)

Index

Souffleur
Prompter (opera)

theatre
actors
stage
stage manager
prompt book
cues
lighting
sound
flying
blocking


Hamlet
Henry Irving
ghost of Hamlet’s father
professional
community theatre
performance
rehearsal
prompt corner
props
Cue card girl
Subtitle



Kennedy 2010

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.