I just learned about this terrific idea that seems to be very close to Memorize Shakespeare, or at least to what some people think ScenePartner does. The company is called Ovation, and their product is Earprompter. Their slogan in “Speak Like A Pro In One Day”.
The idea is that you purchase their hardware to prompt yourself with your pre-recorded speech while performing. It consists of a tiny earpiece which gets audio by a radio signal from a mini-tape recorder hidden somewhere on your body. You can pause and resume the playback with a separate button you can put in your hand or hide somewhere else in your costume.
How much would you pay for such a thing? For the wireless version, you’re looking at $799. They also want to sell you training at $2500 for a half-day, or just get the Interactive Training DVD for $99.
Great For Presentations
I think it’s an obvious choice for public speaking, where the speaker wants to be free of notes and look spontaneous, but also wants to deliver every line exactly the way they wrote it. I love watching good speeches, and this device could give you a major boost to your public speaking performance.
Not For Actors
Even if we ignore questions of “authenticity” or “cheating”, I still would not advise using this for acting. Foremost, there are interruptions on stage that you can’t control. If another person on stage skips a line, a good actor should be able to continue the scene as if nothing happened… you can’t stand there saying “Hmm…” and fiddle with your costume while you try to fast-forward the tape to the right spot.
Secondly, you can’t keep the pause button in your hand, but you also don’t want to keep touching the same part of your body at the start and end of each of your lines. You’d look like a compulsive. Maybe they teach you how to avoid that in the training half-day.
Finally, you rob yourself of discovering new moments or going with your instinct on stage. Yes, you can record the line exactly how you plan to say it from your rehearsals, but thereafter in every performance you’re listening and repeating with the same pauses, the same tones, the same energy as when you recorded it. What if you discover something you want to change in your delivery? You have to remember that when you hear the forceful reading in your ear, you have to modify it to a creepy slow performance while it’s happening.
So How Is ScenePartner Different?
With ScenePartner, you actually learn your lines. You download the audio that we’ve recorded, and use your computer or mp3 player to aid your memorization. No hardware to buy. No special training needed, just press “play” and repeat at the sound of the bell.
Most importantly, you retain the freedom to react to other actors. If you’ve learned your lines and cues well, when they skip a line you can go straight on without hesitation. If you discover a new moment, the words are in your head, not broadcast into your ear, so you can change your delivery and be more fully present on stage.
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