Memorizing a monologue!!!?

Question

I have to memorize a monologue from The Sea-Gull by Anton Chekhov for my IB Theatre class. I'm kind of stuck on ways to make this easier for me. I'm not very good at memorizing things in general...I do better by actually learning the material.

Any suggestions or tips?
Please help!

Answer 1

Start by just reading it over and over again. Then start adding some dramatic techniques. Basically, act at yourself in the mirror. The more you read it, the more naturally it will come. It also helps if you have images to go with what you are saying. Picture something that makes sense to you while you're saying the lines. If you're talking about the time you got stuck outside in the rain, try to see it in your mind. Or, if the monologue is from a play, it can help to imagine yourself onset with other actors. Imagine what the set would look like and what your blocking would be. Then just practice, practice, practice. Good luck!

Answer 2

Read the monologue into a tape recorder, preferably a small one you can carry around with you. Then you can play it over and over again, and as you begin to memorize you can pause the tape to see if you know what the next line is. A "word to the wise"--memorize it really well. You'll probably be nervous when it's time to perform the monologue--if it's not memorized really well, your entire performance will be about trying to remember the next line. Good luck!

Answer 3

The key is to 'create' the text to be something relative to yourself, or one of your existing knowledge bases. Rote memory is very difficult, but when you build on an existing base of information, it's much, much easier. You can see this by trying to memorize the names in a Russian novel, or a speech in a foreign language. You have not sense of relationship to the text, so it is exceptionally difficult to memorize.

Read through the monologue – just for a basic familiarity. After you read it once, go through it and make comparisons to your own life and existing knowledge. If Eugene Dorn is in your monologue, relate him to someone you know in your mind. Do this with as much of the text as possible. After you do that, THEN start the process of memory: stressed redundancy until you learn it.

"Knowing" your material will add a great deal to your performance. As you relate your material to people and events in your life, you will be able to better embellish your portrayal.