How do actors learn their lines?

Answer 1

hours + hours of practice----

Answer 2

When I teach young actors, I first advise them to know the story inside & out. Even if you think you know the story, put what you know aside, and read the script, in it's entirety - front cover to back cover, all the way through. Don't take any notes, just read it as if you were reading a book for fun. Now, read it again, taking note of your character. Try experiencing the story through your character's perspective. Remember, each role in the play represents a unique person, who has their own experience of the situation you are about to set forth on stage. You need to become "one" with your own character's perspective. Don't bother taking notes yet, don't highlight anything, just experience the story from "your" (the character's) perspective.

Now you have a framework that is more likely to help you "house" all the lines you need to memorize. When you're familiar with the situation & setting it will be easier to memorize.

Now read it again, and highlight your part - taking note of all the particulars -- where are you, what is happening within the scene, etc. Start to get in touch with the feelings your character is experiencing.

Now you can start to memorize - bearing in mind that it is more important to convey the essence of what is happening within the scene, rather than having each and every word perfectly correct.
That will come when you are able to practice with other people.
Remember, you, as an actor, have taken on a tremendous responsibility to the author and audience, to convey the story, not a set of memorized words. That will ease up the pressure you feel to do everything perfect- perfect. With the pressure released, you will find that the correct prose will be easier to memorize. Practice often with the others you are in scenes with. If you have "stand-ins" - i.e. a sibling reading the part, rather than your actor colleague -- make sure the sibling uses expression, because it is more difficult for you to memorize if you are bouncing your words off of a monotone.

I wish you well!

Answer 3

Learn each scene backwards - starting at the last line, then moving back one or two lines and working through to the end, then move back even further and go to the end, that way you are always working towards what you have learned and become more confident as the scene goes on, not less. You also always practice what you have learned as well as intorducing new material. Finally, you must read the whole scene with another pserson reading in other parts, or make yourself a tape of the other parts leaving your lines out.

Answer 4

If I have to learn lines, I read the whole script through a few times to familiarise myself with the story & then I take it scene by scene. Using something to cover my own lines I read the script and memorise it line by line in response to the cues. Any time I mess up responding to the cues in that scene, I go back to the start of the scene and begin again. Sometimes I tap the side of my head with each syllable to help 'drum' it into my head. I've learnt a two minute speech an hour before having to go on stage (last minute substitute!) using this method. It also helps to read your lines with the level of emotion you'd perform them with. Though that isn't always possible if you're going over them in a library or restaurant!

However, like people are saying - the main key is repetition. If I'm attending rehearsals for something, I'll know the entire play word for word by the time it goes on stage because of watching it.

Answer 5

there are plenty of ways:
1- As you go along the script, cover your next line, say what you think it is out loud. Make a note next to it if you're wrong. (repeat)
2- Record yourself on a tape recorder as the other character(s). Leave time in between each line and rehearse with yourself.
3- Ask for help. Give the script to your mom, dad, friends. It can be a lot of fun!
4- Some people, including my friend, don't even have to study lines. They can rehearse and rehearse and then they're off book.

There are a lot of other ways, you just need to find the way that suits you.

Answer 6

I don't have anyone to run lines with me so I put the whole show on tape - twice! Once with all the lines in, and once with gaps where my lines should be.

Still not foolproof though, everything's fine when I get the cue line as it is written, but often the line will come out differently so unless I am very secure in my lines it can throw me.

I've just finished a play where the actress playing one of the main characters was taken ill the week before production and I (as director) was asked to step in.

Thank god for my tape, I listened to it and read the script to the exclusion of everything else for the whole week; but it paid off when I knew my lines!
(Blocking couldn't help in this instance as the character was bedridden so didn't HAVE any movements to link the lines to!)

Answer 7

If I have a long speech I learn it to a metronome. Or if I haven't got one handy, I clap a constant rhythm and recite the lines to it. The pressure to stay with the rhythm seems to force you to search your memory for the right words.

I think most people learn lines or complex information quite easily, but find it hard to recall this information when they need it.

Its a common memory trick to connect words with physical actions so when I'm learning lines I always get the physical actions involved too, it helps you to make connections in your mind and give you clues and signals.

This tends to work for me anyway, but I dare say our brains are all very different

Answer 8

Actors and actress, learn their lines by geting the scrept,go home with it,study it and be eable to present it to the audience without holding a note before them.

Answer 9

Some of them are naturally gifted and just need to read them once or twice before they can recite them out loud without prompting.
For the less fortunate, we have to read them over and over, and practise saying the lines with somebody else reading the surrounding lines at the right time.

Answer 10

personally, i learn things by hearing them and putting them in context. if i do a scene 3 or 4 times with blocking (movement), i can listen to myself say the lines and have it memorized. i'm pretty good at learning things, though, so i might be an exception.

Answer 11

I would imagine that they (actors) need a very good photographic memory because it's impossible to "digest" the entire script mentally.
Though, of course with experience it's an acquired skill.