---
url: "https://docs.on-book.app/pro/user/features/barry.md"
description: "Ask Barry production questions about cast, schedules, props, cues, and other project data."
---

# Barry AI Assistant

> **Human review required.** Barry is an AI assistant for production questions. Read [Barry AI Honesty](./barry-honesty.md) before using Barry for schedule, rule, or show-critical decisions.

***

## Overview

Barry is On Book Pro's built-in AI production assistant. Ask Barry questions about your production — cast details, schedule conflicts, prop assignments, lighting cues — and get instant, context-aware answers drawn from your actual production data.

Barry lives in a floating chat panel accessible from any workspace via the **glowing orb** in the bottom-right corner or the **⌘J / Ctrl+J** keyboard shortcut.

Barry can be wrong. Verify call times, AEA-style rules, safety decisions, and any time-sensitive answer before acting.

***

## Opening Barry

| Method | Action |
|--------|--------|
| **Click** | Tap the glowing Barry orb (bottom-right corner) |
| **Keyboard** | Press **⌘J** (Mac) or **Ctrl+J** (Windows) |
| **Close** | Press **Esc** or click the orb again |

***

## Asking Questions

Type your question in the input field and press **Enter** or click **Send**. Barry understands natural language and knows about your production's:

* **Cast & Characters** — Who plays which role, contact info, doubling
* **Schedule** — Rehearsal dates, times, locations, conflicts
* **Script & Structure** — Acts, scenes, dialogue, stage directions
* **Props & Sound** — Prop assignments, sound cue details
* **Lighting** — Cue lists, channel assignments
* **General Theatre** — Terminology, best practices, SM procedures

### Example Questions

* *"Who plays Prospero?"*
* *"What time is rehearsal on Thursday?"*
* *"Which scenes need the goblet prop?"*
* *"List all sound cues in Act 2"*
* *"When is Miranda's first entrance?"*

### Suggestion Chips

When you first open Barry or after a response, you'll see **suggestion chips** — quick-tap prompts to get you started. These are contextual and change based on your current workspace.

***

## Smart Search

Barry uses **semantic search** to find relevant production data before answering. This means Barry understands the *meaning* of your question, not just keyword matches:

* Asking *"When does the fairy king appear?"* will find Oberon's entrance even if "fairy king" doesn't appear literally in your data
* Asking *"Who handles the poison?"* will match props assigned to relevant scenes

When Barry can answer from local data, responses are **instant** — no network required.

***

## Model Tiers

Barry operates in two tiers:

### Lite (Default)

* **Free for all users** — no API key required
* Powered by Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite
* Great for quick production queries, schedule lookups, and general questions
* Badge displays **Lite** in the chat header

### Pro (Bring Your Own Key)

* **Requires your own Google AI Studio API key**
* Powered by Gemini 3.1 Pro — more capable for complex reasoning
* Unlimited daily usage (no token budget)
* Badge displays **Pro** in the chat header

***

## Configuration

Stage Managers, Production Managers, and Owners can configure Barry's AI model:

1. Open Barry (click the orb or press **⌘J**)
2. Click the **⚙️ gear icon** in the header
3. The **Config Panel** slides open with:
   * **Current model** indicator (Lite or Pro badge)
   * **API Key** field — paste your Google AI Studio key
   * **Save** — stores your key securely (write-only, never displayed back)
   * **Clear** — removes your key, reverting to Lite
   * **Link** to [Google AI Studio](https://aistudio.google.com/) to create a free key

::: tip Getting a Pro Key
Visit [Google AI Studio](https://aistudio.google.com/), sign in with your Google account, and create an API key. The free tier includes generous usage for production work.
:::

::: warning Permissions
Only **Owners**, **Stage Managers**, and **Production Managers** can configure the API key. Other roles will not see the gear icon.
:::

***

## Streaming Responses

Barry streams responses in real-time — you'll see text appear word-by-word as the AI generates its answer. This provides immediate feedback and reduces perceived wait time.

***

## Keyboard Shortcuts

| Shortcut | Action |
|----------|--------|
| **⌘J / Ctrl+J** | Toggle Barry panel |
| **Esc** | Close Barry panel |
| **Enter** | Send message |

***

## Limitations

* Barry answers questions about your production data — it cannot modify data (creating notes, editing schedules, etc.) yet
* Barry stays focused on production topics. Off-topic questions (coding help, recipes, etc.) are politely redirected
* On the Lite tier, Barry has a daily usage limit to manage costs. Upgrade to Pro for unlimited usage
* Barry is not a legal, union, safety, or licensing authority. See [Barry AI Honesty](./barry-honesty.md).

***

*Last updated: May 8, 2026*