Knowledge (XXG)

Prompter (theatre)

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

Index

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
Pavis 1998

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