REHEARSALS: prompting requests around the world

[hbelden]

Most actors I've worked with in regional theatre say "line" when they need prompting on the next line to say.  Occasionally I've worked with an actor who can say "word" when a particular word in the line falls away and they don't want to paraphrase.  I was told some actors snap when they need prompting because they don't want to put any other words in their mouths, though I've never seen that in reality.

I'm now working with a Canadian cast and it's very prevalent for one of them to say "yes" as we in the U.S. would say "line."  I find it a little hard to adjust to, but I think I'm handling it okay.  I'm glad someone in the past told me that was the Canadian custom and it didn't throw me when it first happened.  

Do actors in Australia or the U.K. do something different when calling for line?  Just curious.

EDIT: expanded subject to be more descriptive. -- PSMK

[MatthewShiner]

I have heard "line", "word", "yes", "Bugger me or Bollocks" (That's how Sir Ian McKellen Called for lines", I have been sworn at, snapped at, stomped at, "what", "give it to me", "!%@# Me', etc, etc.

I find that you sort of learn how to prompt based on each individual actor.

[ChaCha]

while we do have some special Australian theatrical terms ( Bump in and out, chookas, etc) as far as I know we have nothing special when calling for lines. Where I worked (Black Swan, Playbox, etc) as a theatre stage manager 'line' was the usual request. Though I have come across the finger snapping and "yes?" was quite common. Bollocks is a new one on me though Matthew! The hardest is when they just stop talking and look at you - OK if you are looking at them instead of at your script, notes, director, props table, asm....

[loebtmc]

as Matthew said - while officially, "line" is the term, many actors just plain ol' don't use it as they fumfer in the moment to recover the lost words - the most important thing is not so much what they say as learning their body language and recognizing when they have gone up rather than are acting, feeling out the moment. The worst thing is volunteering the line when they are not lost for words but for action/activity/intention/whatever term they use.

Regardless, fun to find out what others do. I, too, get "what!, " f*** me" (and creative variations) or the stare more often than "line" -

[kiwitechgirl]

I get "Yes" quite frequently - probably more than I get "Line", and I think that's a reasonably common thing through New Zealand theatre.

[Aerial]

I have definitely seen "Line!", "Word!", finger snapping, as well as "What the F*** is it?"...as others have said, you feel out the individual actor to see what they need.

[LCSM]

I'm from canada and I've only come across "yes" a couple of times. As others have said, I reckon it depends much more on the individual than anything else, though there probably are different tendancies in different areas/theatres.

[Tempest]

I've got one actor who will just yell, "Jess?!" (abbreviation of my name) in an aggrieved tone of voice.  Really threw me for a loop the first time, and I wondered what I had done to piss him off!
But, I've worked with him for three years, now, and it's old hat, at this point.  I'm now well aware that it's short for, "Jessica, I'm an idiot, what the heck is my line!?"

[bull]

I get random dirty phrases all the time -- 4 examples of profanity redacted by moderator --

I get line a lot from the freshmen though, and occasionally upperclassmen.


EDIT: profanity filtered. --PSMK

[BayAreaSM]

Not to beat a dead horse, but I've come across everything above, except for "yes." The best thing you can do when prompting is to spot memorize and follow along with your finger because it is best to watch the actor's body language. I've worked with one union actor on a number of occasions, and even though he may have been 3' away from me, and called "Line?!" he will yell it at me several times, no matter how loudly or clearly I give him the line, repeating the same "Line?! What? Line!!!" as if I had been whispering or not speaking at all. I've come to learn that it's nothing personal and you just have to learn to roll and adapt to each actor's style.

The other thing is the silent call for line. Those can be the most difficult. There are a great many out there that won't call at all, and may not even look at you, but will gesture towards you - if you're lucky. This is why spot memorizing and watching the actors are so important. I have one that does a small gesture of his hand, and it has to be coupled with a certain look on his face - never to be mistaken for him emoting - then I give him the line. It's important to remember that it has nothing to do with you, and only with their personal frustration for not being completely off book that causes these strange reactions and outbursts. I've always worked with my interns about how to properly project, not to speak into their scripts, and how to study the actors to learn their habits. Being on book and giving lines correctly and clearly can be one of the most important aspects to the SM/Actor relationship.

[missliz]

The hardest is when they just stop talking and look at you - OK if you are looking at them instead of at your script, notes, director, props table, asm....

That's a huge pet peeve of mine. Or when there's a huge pause and they get mad that I don't give a line, because inevitably there will be ANOTHER long pause and I'll give the line and get "Excuse me, I didn't call for line, I was ACTING!"

My casts know I only answer to "line" or "word."

[stancial]

The other thing is the silent call for line.

No such thing in my rehearsals.  I make it clear at the start that I or my ASM will only respond when an actor calls "Line" or "Word."  As I'm an actor as well, I understand that there are times that I am acting or trying a dramatic pause, but more often, it merely helps my process to struggle through a particularly tough passage (not in dress, mind you).  I don't think an SM should have to be trained on each and every actor's individual habits.  While I'm willing to make rehearsals run as smoothly as possible for each of them, there should be some basic ground rules which everyone follows.

[Scott]

The other thing is the silent call for line.

No such thing in my rehearsals.  I make it clear at the start that I or my ASM will only respond when an actor calls "Line" or "Word."  [...] I don't think an SM should have to be trained on each and every actor's individual habits.  While I'm willing to make rehearsals run as smoothly as possible for each of them, there should be some basic ground rules which everyone follows.

I think an always SM should always adapt their own ground rules according to the needs of the production.

(For instance, dealing with a group of British actors and/or British director, extended silence may be taken as a cue for the SM to provide the prompt.)

[MatthewShiner]

I have also worked with directors (British model) who expect me to know where the pauses are, and if there is a undesired paused, I should be jumping in with the line.  It's a very aggressive way to prompt, and casts take a while to get used to it - and it's a pain in a lot of ways - but if that is what the director wants . . .

[Srlaupan]

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.