Ear Piece For Lines- Page 2
Ear Piece For Lines
AwesomeDanny
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/30/09
#25Ear Piece For Lines
Posted: 11/7/15 at 1:24am
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.
#26Ear Piece For Lines
Posted: 11/7/15 at 1:26am
AwesomeDanny said: "I don't think anyone mentioned here needs prompting due to laziness, but due to necessity."
That is the presumption when it comes to Willis, I think. Pacino is probably more hampered by the repetitive nature of the saying the same thing all night, and finding his way through it.
Updated On: 11/7/15 at 01:26 AM
#27Ear Piece For Lines
Posted: 11/7/15 at 1:27am
Phyllis Rogers Stone said: "I guess I just don't see what's so terrible about it if the actor wearing an earpiece is still giving a competent performance. "
I agree. Some people just need something to complain about. People were very vocal on here when Elaine Stritch refused to wear an ear piece in Night Music, and they would've still complained had she wore one.
Updated On: 11/7/15 at 01:27 AM
yankeefan7
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/14/12
#28Ear Piece For Lines
Posted: 11/7/15 at 8:12am
"I guess I just don't see what's so terrible about it if the actor wearing an earpiece is still giving a competent performance. "
From what I read Mr. Pacino is not giving a competent performance and people are walking out.
#29Ear Piece For Lines
Posted: 11/7/15 at 8:13am
I think the performers in question are being held to two different standards which I'm kind of okay with. If a longing stage actor is prolonging his/her career, giving more people a chance to see them and playing an elderly character, giving them an ear piece as a safety net is ok. I hope it's a safety net and not a constant feed.
If an actor wants to do or is courted to do Broadway and cannot hack it by knowing his lines, that's not okay.
I like a good rhyme more than a good time
#30Ear Piece For Lines
Posted: 11/7/15 at 8:13am
I think the performers in question are being held to two different standards which I'm okay with. If a longtime stage actor is prolonging his/her career, giving more people a chance to see them and playing an elderly character, giving them an ear piece as a safety net is ok. I hope it's a safety net and not a constant feed.
If an actor wants to do or is courted to do Broadway and cannot hack it by knowing his lines, that's not okay.
I like a good rhyme more than a good time
Updated On: 11/7/15 at 08:13 AM
yankeefan7
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/14/12
#31Ear Piece For Lines
Posted: 11/7/15 at 8:14am
"If Pacino has multiple screens AND an earpiece, it doesn't sound like a safety net."
Exactly !!!
yankeefan7
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/14/12
#32Ear Piece For Lines
Posted: 11/7/15 at 8:17am
"Thoughts and prayers going out to Ms Metcalfe."
I agree. I am not an actor but I would think somebody needing ear piece or teleprompter would make it hard on the other actor's timing. I will let people on this board with acting expereince to tell me if I am wrong.
Updated On: 11/7/15 at 08:17 AM#33Ear Piece For Lines
Posted: 11/7/15 at 8:39am
Agree - Pacino's teleprompter business is far from a safety net. I agree with the sympathy being expressed for his and Willis' scene partners.
I like a good rhyme more than a good time
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#34Ear Piece For Lines
Posted: 11/7/15 at 12:25pm
Imagine Patti on stage with someone needing 7 teleprompters. It would not be pretty
Poster Emeritus
#35Ear Piece For Lines
Posted: 11/7/15 at 12:26pm
Yankeefan, put yourself in Laurie Metcalfe's shoes.
You are receiving a large paycheck because the man you are playing opposite has agreed to do a stage play and he is not a stage play actor. He has tried to learn all of the lines but cannot so the play keeps stopping or he keeps jumping ahead and key pieces of plot are left out due to the missing dialogue. He also has a powerful agent so he has casting approval - meaning you would not be standing there if he did not like you.
Everyone in the theater actually CELEBRATES the day an actor starts wearing an ear piece. Now the show can continue without stops or missing plot. The cues are all there. People have been feeding lines from the wings to forgetful actors for centuries. It is much better than having other actors make things up each night to cover for the silence or plot jumps. This is just a more high tech solution to an age old problem.
Updated On: 11/7/15 at 12:26 PM
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#36Ear Piece For Lines
Posted: 11/7/15 at 12:30pm
The actor should now know his limitations and should refrain from trying this again in the future.
Poster Emeritus
morosco
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/10/04
#37Ear Piece For Lines
Posted: 11/7/15 at 12:38pm
What we'll probably never know is just how much each actor wearing an earpiece actually depends on it. Some actors might be fed practically every line and some might be fed only an occasional line when it becomes obvious to the prompter that they've gone up. Some may even never be fed a line but they are able to concentrate on their performance while knowing that it's there if they need it (they are fed a line only when it's obvious that they're going up). Also I can imagine shows in previews are difficult with changes in the script constantly taking place.
Just thinking out loud here.
#38Ear Piece For Lines
Posted: 11/7/15 at 1:13pm
I have heard anecdotal stories about Willis not only being a diva of the highest order, but having great difficulty remembering lines for films, let a lone a live play. When I had heard he was cast I assumed they had to do something (like an ear piece) for there to be a functional play.
And, if the stories I heard are even half true, Metcalfe should get hazard pay and have a therapist on speed dial.
#39Ear Piece For Lines
Posted: 11/7/15 at 1:54pm
I understand why it's necessary for those actors such as Lansbury and Tyson, who are farther up in years and whose memories may not be as clear as they used to be, but Willis is just being lazy. Anyone can memorize lines as long as you work at it. It's the easiest part of acting for crying out loud!!!
FindingNamo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
#40Ear Piece For Lines
Posted: 11/7/15 at 1:56pm
"He has tried to learn all of the lines but cannot..."
I think you're being too kind. Let me add more layers:
He has tried to learn all of the lines but cannot because he has been so busy during his downtime building Houses for Humanity and monitoring the health of President Jimmy Carter, with whom Willis has felt a lifelong affinity.
Twitter @NamoInExile
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ggersten
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/11/06
#41Ear Piece For Lines
Posted: 11/7/15 at 3:15pm
At one time Pacino certainy could learn lines. Saw him in American Buffalo in SF back in the 1980s.
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#42Ear Piece For Lines
Posted: 11/7/15 at 3:24pm
That was 30 plus years ago and he is now in his mid 70's.
Should he retire? This is his call.
Poster Emeritus
#43Ear Pieces for $$$ Actors
Posted: 11/7/15 at 3:53pm
IMO I think what bothers some theatergoers the most,is that mostly everyone is plunking down huge amounts of money to see Pacino and Willis. When you invest that much time and money, you would expect actors of their stature be competent enough to remember a 90 minute play. I saw Pacino in MOV and I know he was wired. In his case, he's just "pacino-ed" into the role and must not care. If Pam McKinnon practically walks out, You Sir, are in deep S@@T. The thing is, life long Pacino admirers will see this and think it's normal, it's okay because it's him.
In Willis' case I just don't know? Where is his pride? I would gladly shell out a couple of hundred to see Laurie Metcalf again. She is always excellent! (I'm so glad I got to see her in AOC).
If you want a good performance out of Bruce Willis, just get Cybill Shepherd in there to swing that sledgehammer around. She knows how to keep that "____" on his toes.
And he would look better in the end result.
I Can Has Cheezburger With This?
yankeefan7
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/14/12
#44Ear Pieces for $$$ Actors
Posted: 11/7/15 at 4:55pm
" put yourself in Laurie Metcalfe's shoes.
You are receiving a large paycheck because the man you are playing opposite has agreed to do a stage play and he is not a stage play actor. He has tried to learn all of the lines but cannot so the play keeps stopping or he keeps jumping ahead and key pieces of plot are left out due to the missing dialogue"
Is it possible Laurie Metcalf is getting good paycheck because she is very talented stage and TV actress and not just because Bruce Willis is in play?
#45Ear Pieces for $$$ Actors
Posted: 11/7/15 at 5:44pm
YouWantitWhen???? said: "And, if the stories I heard are even half true, Metcalfe should get hazard pay and have a therapist on speed dial."
Search YouTube for Kevin Smith Bruce Willis, you'll hear lots of stories of Smith trying to get Willis to act in a movie in which he was the lead...
#46Ear Pieces for $$$ Actors
Posted: 11/7/15 at 5:51pm
I think Sylvester Stallone calling out Willis as "Greedy and Lazy" kind of speaks for itself as well.
ghostlight2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/5/04
#47Ear Pieces for lines
Posted: 11/7/15 at 6:02pm
Honestly, this kind of thing happens more often than you know. Mario Lopez, while in A Chorus Line, didn't have an earpiece but did read from his script in the back of the house, and had notes written inside hats and posted on walls just offstage.
Sometimes even that wasn't enough, and he'd just paraphrase.
Zach's "Listen, now listen. Larry has exactly the style I'm looking for, very thirties. Everyone keep your eye on him. Let's do it again. A five six seven eight"
became, with Mario: "Ok, everybody check out Larry. Five six seven eight".
My first choice would have been to have someone else in the role. My second? Have him wear an earpiece.
#48Ear Pieces for lines
Posted: 11/8/15 at 12:50am
Actors should hire someone to help them learn their lines before they go into the rehearsal process. I do not want to pay good money to see a BROADWAY play where an actor is reading his lines on a teleprompter, laptop computer or is being fed the lines through an earpiece. I do not think it matters what age you are.
#49Ear Pieces for lines
Posted: 11/8/15 at 12:50am
Actors should hire someone to help them learn their lines before they go into the rehearsal process. I do not want to pay good money to see a BROADWAY play where an actor is reading his lines on a teleprompter, laptop computer or is being fed the lines through an earpiece. I do not think it matters what age you are.
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