Keep Mac desktop on primary display (LCD) and Present on External?

Question

Here's the question. Is there a way to keep my mac desktop on my primary display (the lcd on my MBP) while presenting to a projector? When I move the presentation to the external monitor and start the slide show, my LCD goes black. I know this is the "Presenter's Display." Is there a way to just have my mac desktop there instead? I'm using the newest version of Keynote.
Thanks,
Shawn

Answer 1

<<Is there a way to keep my mac desktop on my primary display ... while presenting to a projector?>>
If you mean your regular Mac desktop (and not the Keynote Presenter's Display) then the answer is no. While you are running Keynote, the two display options are as follows:
1) in the Keynote Preferences/Slideshow menu you can assign the presentation to either your Primary display (the screen of your MBP) or a Secondary display (the projector or other monitor).
2) In the Keynote Preferences / Presenter Display menu, there is a checkbox where you can assign the Presenter Information to the "alternate display" - i.e. the one that is NOT showing the presentation itself. If you do not check this box, the "alternate display" will be black, as you have discovered.
These are, at present, the only display options offered by Keynote.
If you would like to suggest a feature modification to Apple, you can do so at the Keynote Feedback forum: http://www.apple.com./feedback/keynote.html
I'm puzzled why you do not want to see the Presenter Information on your MBP while presenting on the projector. On my system I have checked ALL of the options for the Presenter Display so that when I give a presentation, I can know exactly what is coming-up next and when. In this way, I use the presentation itself as my "cue" sheet, rather than working from notes.
Good luck.