A person who reminds actors of their lines during a theater performance, usually from a hidden position offstage; also, anything that prompts or encourages action.
From 'prompt' (Latin 'promptus,' ready) plus '-er' suffix. The theatrical role emerged in the 1600s as printed scripts became standard in theater, and someone needed to help actors remember lines.
Modern theater has largely eliminated prompters—actors are expected to memorize completely—but in opera and some classical theater they still exist. The job shows how technology changes support systems: teleprompters replaced human prompters, then tablets replaced teleprompters.
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