Prompter

A prompter is a person or device that provides cues or spoken lines to a performer or speaker. In theatre and broadcasting, the term can refer to the human who supplies forgotten lines or to a hardware display that presents the script. The word derives from prompt, meaning to bring something to mind or to urge to act.

In live theatre, the prompter typically sits in a prompter’s box and follows the script as the performance unfolds. When an actor forgets a line, they request a prompt, and the prompter supplies the next line, often quietly. Modern theatres may use discreet earpieces or digital cue systems, while the stage manager coordinates timing.

In broadcasting and film, a teleprompter is a display that shows the script to the presenter or actor while appearing to look toward the camera. The operator controls scrolling speed and copy accuracy. Teleprompters help maintain pacing and accuracy, but failures or awkward pacing can be distracting.

Beyond performance, prompter can refer to the person or system that provides prompts for writing or interaction with artificial intelligence. In AI, prompt engineering is the practice of crafting prompts to guide model output, and a prompter may be the practitioner who designs or supplies those prompts.