REHEARSALS: prompting requests around the world

[missliz]

In high school there was this one actor (quite a few others did it often too, but he did it constantly) that would say "Sorry" every time he'd forget a line so it was a COMPLETE break in acting because of course the director or I the first couple times would feel the need to respond "Don't say sorry" or "Don't worry about, just keep going". I'd give the line and then he'd go a few more words and say it again, and again...and again. And eventually I was just getting mad that he was saying "Sorry" so much that I was getting frustrated and angry and it seemed like he should be apologizing. It was the most infuriating thing.

This is my biggest problem...when going up on a line breaks the scene and takes the actor out of character. I emphasize that point when actors are off-book, and it seems to help with actors only calling "line" and not futzing around and ruining momentum.

[Kelasaurus]

I'm in Canada, and I hear "Yes" a lot.  "Line" is fairly standard, and it was what my uni classmates were taught to say.  However, I have heard: various profanity, "What?", "Line please", actors who just mumble and "um" until I help them, to one actor who would just stare blankly at me.  I have also worked with an actor who was older and beginning to lose their hearing, so I practically had to scream their lines to them.  It was hard for me to do this, and not feel like I was yelling at the actor.  That was interesting, as it was a large room and I already had to speak very loudly.