When to promp?
Sun, 25 Nov 2007, 11:16 amGordon the Optom23 posts in thread
When to promp?
Sun, 25 Nov 2007, 11:16 amIn a play I saw recently, an actor was prompted whilst in full flow. Both actors were happy with the dialogue and the audience, I’m sure, unaware of any error.
The prompt given, was a completely different line to that being spoken. The actors ignored it and carried on regardless. It was obvious that the prompter was trying to get verbatim that which was on the page.
When does one prompt? Only when a deadly silence hits the stage? Or if the actor goes unnoticeably off track?
I dislike prompts. I find
Fri, 7 Mar 2008, 02:00 pmI dislike prompts. I find them tacky and unnecessary, beyond the rehearsal process. As an audience member, hearing prompting disturbs me and takes me out of the theatrical moment. It also brings to your attention the limitations of the actor.
As an actor, although I have not experienced this a lot, I would expect to improvise until I'm back on track (with the help of the other actors onstage), instead of resorting to prompting. This is part of acting. Sometimes you have a mental blank and the words don't come, so a big part of acting is pulling yourself out of this situation without losing character. And a big part of ensemble acting is working as a group to overcome moments like this.
Also, I'd hate to be in the situation where I am prompted while I am simply pausing for effect, or when I feel that I have to rush my dialogue in order to avoid giving off the idea that I may have forgotten my lines.