Prompt book

Modern prompt books will tend to be constructed using binders with multiple tab dividers, with the page of the production attached to a larger sheet of paper to provide more margin space for taking notes.

Generally a lead stage manager will keep the master book, which is then copied by assistants on a nightly basis to account for any new information inserted during rehearsals, productions, and meetings.

[1] As audience expectations for spectacle evolved in the 19th century, prompt books were published to describe the techniques involved in constructing complex scenery and special effects.

[2] While at Hofstra, Francis Ford Coppola learned about the idea of a prompt book, so he used the technique to produce his 1972 Paramount release of The Godfather.

In 2016 Coppola released a published replica of this prompt book as The Godfather Notebook as well as a signed $500 limited edition in a three-ring binder.