Wichita eagle., 1888-02-17
THE PROMPTER'S WORK.
FAILING GREATNESS OF THE AUTO
Graf OF THE STAGE.
The Wonderful Pages Of the prompt
Book"-Cues for Everything and Every
bOdy--American Actors Have Almost
Put the Prompter Away.

!
| body--American Actors Have Almost
! Put the Prompter Away.
When the heavy villain chews his mus
tache even more savagely than is his won't,
or the leading lady looks impatiently into
! the wings as though in search of the lover
who is behind schedule time, and presently
! there floats out over the footlights hollow,
/ CHASTITY whisper which seems to say: by
heaven, this time he she'll not escape rnen'
or, ''He comes not; he loves another" which
sentiments are instantly repeated by the be-
fore mentioned heavy villain or leading lady
then the prompter is at his work.
Surprising the prompter had fallen asleep,
or was down below the stage playing high
low with the irate parent, OF had gone across
the alley to see a man-or suppose he sud
denly struck for the wherewithal to pay his
gas bill, what would be the result? Why the
stage manager would ring the curtain down
and the manager would come out and an
nounce the sudden indisposition of the star
and crave the Indulgence of the audience for
few moments until she recovered. If it
were discovered that the prompters ultima
tum. could not be accepted, and that arbitra-
ton was out of the question, then the indis-
position of the star would prove more serious
than at first imagined, and the audience
would be dismissed with the information that
the price of their tickets would be refunded
ut the box office
ACTOCRAC OF THE STAGE
Such is the prompteI-autocrat of the stage.
There never yet was an actor or actress whose
lines wero invariably at command If line
is forgotten tho prompter is ready to supply
it. If an actor is not we'll up in the business
Of his part the pronpter is on hand to direct
him with word when to retro up the stage,
when to cross to either side. perhaps even
when to stamp his foot or bow his head. No
person on the stage is as thoroughly familiar
with the play being presented as the
prompter is. If the piece has been pre-
sentcd many times he has every speech
and every detail of the action in his
head. Nevertheless, in his hand he always
holds the prompt book" This is g volume
which the uninitiated of any nationality
under the sun would lay down in despair if
called upon to decipher single page of its
hierogiyphc text Besides being complete
book of the play. every other page is scrawled
over with rude plans of sittings for the stage,
and 'cues' for everybody. The speeches in
the book, of course. contain all the actors
cues, but there are dozen or SO of other
people who are never visible to the audience
who must be told when to perform their
parts. Therefore the prompt book contains
cues for the gas man, lest he should lower or
turn up the light at the wrong instant; cues
for the man who manipulates the calcium
light away up in the gallery which is given
by one or more blows on a cymbal: cues for
he coll .. 60 ~
actors when to be on the look out for their
cues; cues for thunder" cues for Light
ming" cues for colored lights in the wings,
and music cues for the orchestra. though
these last are generally contained also in the
directors score. All these directions and
many more are contained in the prompt book
and given by the prompser to the proper per-
sons at the proper time.
OF later years the prompter is not so con-
siderable a parsonage as formerly and even
less is required of him in America than in
Europe Every attendant at the grand opera
is familiar with the contrivance plnced be-
hind the footlights Immediately in front Of
tie director of the orchestra which resembles
a much magnified quarter section OF walnut
she'll. above and either side Of which is oc.
casionally seen hand holding baton or
portion of an open book; and everybody
knows that beneath this structure with the
lower half of his body sticking through a
trap in the stage the prompicr sits, invisible
to the audience but in plain view to every
one on the stage.
LOSING HIS N(roRrAvcR
In Germany and France, and until quite
recently in England, the prompter occupies
this position at every performance. whether
the production is opera. play OF spectacle.
The position is very advantageous 60 both
proulpter and actors, though quite tns reverse
to the audience, as the box over his head
obstTuc1s their view to a certain extent.
But the box is valuable aid to the pro-np.er:
first, as il enables him TO be where be can
best direct the action of the play and second.