what's the best way to learn lines for a play?

Question

I have to learn a part for an amatuer play called 'Trap for a lonely man' , but I am having difficulty learning all my lines. I have tried taping parts of it, which does help. Certain bits are easy but others are quite hard to remember. We have had several rehearsals and now it's time to do it without books !

Answer 1

Just keep at it. Once you start rehearsing without the scripts, you'll probably realize you know more than you thought you did.

Keep using your tape. Go over your lines in your head between rehearsals. Spend more time working on the lines. Work on your lines alone, just before you go to bed. Some studies show that sleep helps solidify learning.

Try to associate what you're doing on stage -- action, moving around, etc. -- with your lines. That way you'll have an extra point of reference.

For each scene, think about what the scene is about. That will help your lines make more sense to you. What is your character trying to accomplish in the scene? What are the other characters doing to help or hinder your character's actions? That will help you put your lines in context --- they aren't just lines, you know. They're coming from your interactions with the other characters in the play. What are those interactions supposed to be like.

And concentrate! You have to be paying attention every second on stage, even if you don't have any lines for several minutes. That way, you won't miss your cue.

Answer 2

There is already some very good advice here on this already...

Particular gems I would say are recording the other lines in the script onto tape, leaving enough space between each for you to say yours so you can ingrain those cues. I would stress the importance of learning those cues too. It is more embarrassing to be fed a cue line and not to realise it is you to speak, than it is to omit minor details of your lines.

The information about learning what each line MEANS in terms of "I praise you..." etc. is also very good. It is worth buying a book called "An Actor Prepares" by Stanislavski. This is an extremely good book on acting anyway, but the section on Units and Objectives would be particularly helpful to this. It will halp you to brak the script down into units of action and what your character is hoping to achieve through each line (which is often significantly different to what is actually said).

Another piece of advice I would offer is to learn the lines out of chronological order. For example, for a five-act play, learn Act 1 first (The most important), Act 5 next (the ending of a play is crucial too, and nothing is worse than a play that starts well but has a weaker ending), then act 2, act 4 and finally, act 3. This may sound confusing, but allows you to practice with out the logical timeline. You will find it much easier when you come to put all parts together. You may just have to trust me on this!

I would also advise starting with any huge speeches or monologues that your character may have. These are the most difficult to learn, and once you have cracked these, the rest of the dialogue becomes much simpler.

Finally, get anyone and everyone you know to test you. As you get better, ask them to correct every mistake, no matter how minor, and when you get it wrong, go back to the beginning of the page.

Good luck, no sorry, break a leg and I hope it goes well!

Answer 3

I often have to learn lines and the easiest way I've found is to download a recorder app (there are loads of free ones you can get that do the job fine) then read out the other peoples lines from that scene leaving a gap for your own. Then listen to it and first say the lines using your script and as you get more confident you can do it without, this is just a good way because you can hear it how it would really be and get cues and stuff sorted too

Answer 4

I've helped my sister through about 4 plays! She comes over and we DRILL it (going over the lines over and over, with out interruption) She also tapes it too but the best answer for her has been the way we drill it as she retains the words, and gets her confidence.
Hope this helped. (I can't think it's time for doing it without the script if you've not retained the lines!

Answer 5

Hey there, I'm a professional actor and used to have the same problem - these worked for me and I've played some parts with LOTS of lines!

First off you have two forms of memory - Long term and short term - you learn things in your short term memory and after a while they move into long term memory and you'lll find you don't have to try and remember them they're just there.

Only problem is...theres a gap between short and long term memory - it disappears for a day and then reappears - very unnerving at first but as soon as you know that's what's going on you don't panic and just wait - it's that "I knew these lines yesterday" moment.

So here's three techniques.

1. Work out who you're saying the line to, (yourself, someone present, someone not present) and what you're trying to do with it - e.g. to amuse them, curse them or reassure them - they're always verbs, you can check this by putting them between I and YOU - e.g. I MOCK YOU, I FRUSTRATE YOU, I SOOTHE YOU. This might seem labour intensive but knowing the action & direction of the line works on a subconcious level and helps the line 'sit-in.' Now you knwo what yo're doing conciously and your brain unbderstand sub-concioulsy what you're getting at let's address helping your body to remember the lines without you having to rememebr them, which will just make you tense and nervous!

2. Muscle Memory - break the sentence down by statring with the first word, repeat the first then the second, then the first, second, third and so on until you reach the end of a thought. Repetition in this way teaches you mouth to make the right hapes that follow each other in the sentence.

3. Now put the script away and on a piece of paper reconstruct that line by writing it down adding a word each time - this links up with your visual memory so that you'll find you may be able to visualise the words on the page if you're struggling without having to look at the script.

Now these aren't foolproof but they've worked for me and other actors I've taught - they MAY work for you - the only way to find out is to put them into practice and see.

Best of Luck anyway,

Hywel Morgan

Answer 6

hi i find it really helps to colour in your lines with a coloured pencil. Use different colours for each speech you make, I think it helps to break it up a bit. If you have a really long monologue colour each sentence a different colour.
Second thing to do is take a chunk of the script at a time, and go over and over it and I find it really helps to write it down yourself, read over it then try to write it, this will help you see which bits you are not getting quite so easily and then you read it again and then you will probably remember it. Secondly, get someone to help you with it playing the other parts. Read it just before going to bed and first thing in the morning. You will remember it so don't worry. hope this helps

Answer 7

The way that i find it easiest is to basically read the first line and say it over and over then move onto the second line by adding the first line to it. It sounds complecated but its not. It really works for me coz when you say the lines over and over again and then add the next, you just hear it in your mind and although this may get annoying keep having to go back to the first line, you will have said those lines so many times that you will say them in your sleep (ok thats not guarenteed). You will have no problem. Hope that helps. Good luck!!

Answer 8

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Answer 9

Don't know if this would be of any help only when my daughter had to learn lines from a play to get into uni she would keep going through them with me telling her if right or wrong and believe it or not I ended up knowing them by heart so maybe if you get someone else to learn them with you listening maybe it may help worth a try and good luck

Answer 10

sit down with a friend in a pub or cafe.first go through the text a couple of times. then cover your text and ask your friend to say the other lines . if you forget a line ask him to say the first word of the line. do that a few times. then divide the piece your doing in a few pieces, and start backwards. then ask your friend to say random lines andyou have to say your lines (great for when someon fluffs his lines) .I've learnt a scene that way yesterday in half an hour . it's important that you occasionaly get helped with a wod or so for the lines. And it's fun learning which makes it easier to remember.