Line Shooter
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Directing
Forum Discription: For questions about handling shows, actors, crew, board members, children ...or do we repeat ourselves?
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5444
Printed Date: 4/20/24 at 2:38am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Line Shooter
Posted By: GoldCanyonLady
Subject: Line Shooter
Date Posted: 1/21/13 at 9:56am
My cast has been off book for 2 weeks (we only rehearse 3 days a week) and I do not want my line shooter giving lines until the actor says "line" but my shooter insists on butting in and telling them what they forgot or giving them a line when they are either thinking or pausing for effect.
I want the actors to get used to getting out of a situation like if a line is dropped. I told him that if an actor forgets a line or doesn't get it just right, to write it down and we can give the actor the info when we break.
Does anyone have a solution to this or am I not being fair to the actors?
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Barb Hofmeister,
MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona.
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Replies:
Posted By: Thudster
Date Posted: 1/21/13 at 10:53am
I'm with you - let them think of the lines.
We did "Leaving Iowa" last October, and due to cast changes, community conflicts, and everything else it was going rough. On show night the director was so annoyed that people didn't have their lines down that she sat offstage and if there was an INSTANT of silence (like you said, pausing for effect) she was feeding lines. It really messed me up -- there were at least two instances where I almost blanked out BECAUSE of the lines coming in.
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"Hey look! That's my dad up there whacking himself with silverware!"
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Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 1/21/13 at 3:20pm
You've got to explain the rules to your shooter (first time I've actually heard that terminology).
He/She doesn't give the line until asked by the actor. End of sentence.
Any time the shooter gives a line without the prompt, stop and correct your overzealous assistant. Try to explain to him/her that you appreciate their zeal, but that they're not doing the actors any favors, nor are they helping the show, by jumping in unasked.
If the shooter can't meet your requirements, it's time to find a replacement.
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Posted By: DWolfman
Date Posted: 1/21/13 at 4:36pm
Ditto with the others and especially your concern expressed in your original post about "getting out of a situation." If this particular shooter doesn't understand the actor needs that work as much as (or more than) line clarification, it's time for a new shooter.
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Even a man who is pure of heart...
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Posted By: GoldCanyonLady
Date Posted: 1/22/13 at 8:36pm
Thank you all for replying to my question. Before we rehearse tomorrow, I will talk with him and give him a strong order---only when the actors ask for a line.
By the way. What do you call the person who gives lines in rehearsal?
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Barb Hofmeister,
MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona.
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Posted By: Thudster
Date Posted: 1/23/13 at 12:00am
I've always heard "prompter", but I like "line shooter" better.
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"Hey look! That's my dad up there whacking himself with silverware!"
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Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 1/23/13 at 7:11pm
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Ditto Thudster. It's always been "prompter", but "line shooter" does sound like more fun.
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Posted By: GoldCanyonLady
Date Posted: 1/24/13 at 9:49am
I think of a prompter as one who is back stage during a performance helping with lines. We never use a prompter and in fact, do not even use a line shooter for the tech and dress rehearsal. It is too late then. They have to learn to sink or swim in my opinion.
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Barb Hofmeister,
MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona.
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Posted By: Thudster
Date Posted: 1/24/13 at 9:56am
So it's only someone to help during rehearsals? We usually just let the actors work it out. If they're really stuck, someone helps them out (usually another cast member) but we don't have anyone dedicated to it.
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"Hey look! That's my dad up there whacking himself with silverware!"
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Posted By: hobbyactor
Date Posted: 1/24/13 at 1:36pm
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I've always just heard it referred to as someone who is 'on book', but I like the term line shooter!
For most of the shows that I've been involved in around this area, once the actors are supposed to be off book, we have someone in the staff 'on book' to feed lines--only when the actor calls 'line'. When we get to that last week, then no one is 'on book' and it is sink or swim time.
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Posted By: Majicwrench
Date Posted: 1/24/13 at 10:08pm
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It is "Prompter" here. We sometimes have a person "on book" during rehearsals. Is the most grueling and thankless job in the theatre. You have to keep your nose glued to the script so if/when an actor call line you can help. Prompter can't watch rehearsal, laugh, interact,talk, nope, they are glued to book.
And if you say don't feed lines till actors ask, enforce it. And it really keeps everyone on their toes when they get to see the director let someone go for not following his instructions.
Keith
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Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 1/25/13 at 12:12am
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A straight play (as opposed to a musical) usually has a six week rehearsal schedule. Actors are expected to be off book by the end of week four. If there is a seriously large part (like, for example, Salieri in Amadeus) we'll usually give that actor a little breathing room. We'll bend the rules, too, into the fifth week if there are extenuating circumstances; but Tech week and beyond it's strictly "sink or swim".
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Posted By: Raging Thespian
Date Posted: 2/26/13 at 12:09pm
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We call them script assistants. I just had the opposite situation. I was script assistant and the director kept muttering line under his breath if there was a millisecond pause before an actor spoke. It drove me crazy because more than half the time I could see that the actor was just about to start speaking. I asked the director when did he want me to stop prompting them (I'm used to the No Prompting Rule being used at least a week or two before the show goes on) and he told me to keep prompting for every rehearsal except the dress rehearsal. The two main characters had their lines down as did a couple others, but there were three of them that kept messing up consistently. No wonder their scenes were hit and miss every night of the run.
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