Cue sheets are notes used primarily in theater productions to indicate when certain lighting, sound, or other events will occur during the performance. A director and stage manager will frequently use these sheets to keep track of when things are supposed to happen during a performance. Shorter versions of the cue sheets, which only indicate the portions of the full sheets that affect them, are frequently given to those in charge of lighting and sound.
A good example of how cue sheets are used is in a Romeo and Juliet production where the director decided to have certain things happen to enhance the scene as Romeo leaves Juliet in the morning. The director may wish to turn on some orange lighting to visually indicate that the sun is rising. There would be a note on the cue sheets indicating that the orange lighting comes on from the stage left or right in this case. The lighting operators would then be given sheets indicating when the orange light should be turned on and when it should be turned off.
The director might want to play the sound of singing birds in the background to make the scene more idyllic. There would be notes on the full cue sheets indicating that there should be orange light and the sound of birds singing at this point in the performance. The sound crew would have a sheet noting that singing birds must be heard at a certain point during the show. They would not, however, have the lighting note, and neither would the lighting operators have a note about the sound. This keeps the show simple, but the director and stage manager are aware of everything that should be going on.
Similarly, the director of a film or television production may choose to use cue cards for his or her actors. These cards contain some of the same information as cue sheets and are frequently used by performers during live performances to assist them if they forget a line or are unsure of a specific action that must be taken. The cue cards can also assist a performer in moving in a specific way if it is necessary for the scene or to add emphasis where it is required. Teleprompters have replaced bulky cards with screens that allow the text to scroll as the performers read it, making such cue cards less popular in recent years.