The souffleur has all but vanished, except in Germany, where they sit in the front row – or even take to the stage. As actors are placed under huge pressure, does this really make drama more exciting?

To reach the prompter's box at the home of the San Francisco Opera, Matthew Piatt heads under the stage and walks down a long, narrow passageway. Then he shimmies up a metal ladder. "I always have to ...

Wagner's Ring Cycle is a sprawling opera that stretches for hours. Look closely at center stage a woman in this little box can make all the difference between a smooth performance and an unruly one.

One of the world's greatest living composers, John Adams, has a new opera, and the prompter keeps Anthony and Cleopatra from flying off the rails. The hidden world of an opera prompter To reach the ...