Ear Piece For Lines

NY Post article today mentioned that Bruce Willis needs ear piece to do his lines in current play like Al Pacino. The article seems to be OK with that for older performers (Cicely Tyson, James Earl Jones etc) but think it is rather pathetic for someone like Mr. Willis. It was also said there are quite a few teleprompters for Mr. Pacino also to help him. I wonder what the thoughts are of others about this, I would think this would hurt the performance especially if there are malfunctions. It also can't be easy for the other actors on stage with them. At the price of Broadway shows, I want the actors to actually know their lines and not recite them like the numbers in a telephone book.

Seems rather kind to say they need these "to remember" their lines. Sounds like that ship has sailed...

"So much has changed about Broadway so this should not be that much of a shock.

Earpieces are a hell of a lot less unobtrusive than bulky monitors."

In this day and age, it does not shock me but it disappoints me. I feel it is unprofessional to your fellow actors and the audience not to know your lines. IMO - if you can't remember your lines than you don't reserve the role. I understand these are big names that are supposed to sell tickets but maybe this type of publicity hurt the box office.

Updated On: 11/6/15 at 06:24 PM

Just curious - have any of you who are so upset by actors wearing earpieces actually seen any of these performances?

...and if you have, would you have known by the performances that they were wearing them?

If the answers to either of these questions is "no", then why are you so outraged? If you don't like the idea of actors using this crutch for whatever reason, don't go see those performances, but prompting, either through notes on the scenery or props, or even with an old fashioned prompter (an actual human, usually hidden onstage), have been going on as long as performances have been being held.

Does it bother you when actors are on book at Encores!? After all, you are still paying about the same price.

Updated On: 11/6/15 at 06:35 PM

Mr Roxy said: "Good point about Encores."

Not really at all. With Encores you know that you're seeing a performance of a show that is rarely performed and the actors have a shortened period of time to prepare. The Encores shows I've seen had everyone actually off-book so it's not a blanket assumption.

I saw Cicely Tyson's performance and didn't enjoy it. Did I know she was being fed everything? No. That doesn't change the fact that a performance where someone isn't fully prepared should be rewarded with a Tony.

"I saw Cicely Tyson's performance and didn't enjoy it. Did I know she was being fed everything? No."

So you didn't know that she was being fed lines, but you attribute your lack of enjoyment of her performance because "she was being fed everything" (if that was in fact the case)? I'm not being argumentative, I just want to be sure I understand you.

I don't know that she was using an earpiece, but if she was, many people would want to see a beloved performer under any circumstances, even if, for whatever reason, they cannot completely trust their memory. I understand if you are not one of them, but I am glad I was able to see Marion Seldes and Angela Lansbury together onstage, even though the play was dreadful and Ms Lansbury was using an earpiece.

"That doesn't change the fact that a performance where someone isn't fully prepared should be rewarded with a Tony."

That's not a fact. That's your opinion.

"Mr Roxy said: "Good point about Encores."

Not really at all. With Encores you know that you're seeing a performance of a show that is rarely performed and the actors have a shortened period of time to prepare."

I mentioned the money aspect only because Yankeefan said this:

"At the price of Broadway shows, I want the actors to actually know their lines and not recite them like the numbers in a telephone book."

The money factor is important to him/her. Everyone has a different line they draw.

Updated On: 11/7/15 at 07:13 PM

I guess it does seem unprofessional, but as long as it isn't noticeable does it really matter?

As long as the performance is good, I'm not too concerned about how they got there.

Ear pieces should not be used. If there are equally fine performers who can master the language without being fed lines, why reward those who cannot? You might as well say the Mona Lisa is wonderful even though someone else drew it and filled in the numbers for paint by number. If older actors are playing older actors, perhaps it makes sense. But at 80, not 50.

^Ditto. If it's well disguised, and it typically is, who really cares? They still have to act- having a line or two fed to them doesn't mean they're going on autopilot.

If Hamilton and A Chorus Line and can lip sync chorus numbers

Those shows lip sync chorus numbers??

I'm confused about whether these ear pieces for lines means that they're being fed all their lines that way, or whether the setup is a safety net in case they forget a line now and then (like an old-school human prompter would have been). Those feel quite different to me.

Fascinating to see such negative sentiment here. I remember five years ago, when Elaine Stritch did A Little Night Music, she refused to have an earpiece because of her dignity, which led to numerous long, awkward pauses as she tried to recall her lines. People then seemed to say that she should have sucked it up and used an earpiece like Angela Lansbury, who originated the role in that revival, did.

Also, I don't understand why so many people here think that actors who need help with their lines are not doing their jobs. The job of the actor is to believably and compellingly convey a story. Usually that involves being fully memorized, but some actors can benefit tremendously from the extra help. I don't think anyone mentioned here needs prompting due to laziness, but due to necessity. I would rather see an actor get the help they need to perform the role well than refuse the help they need because they have "integrity" or "respect for the theatre" or something else.