best way remember lines for play?

Question

what is the best way to remember lines for play?

Answer 1

Record the lines so that when you're riding in a car or riding the subway or walking around, you can passively listen to them.

Or, record them and leave a pause before your line and you try to fit in the line before the recording does. You'll get instant feedback.

Borrow the play from the library tape area and just listen to another interpretation of it. Ditto on watching it in a movie if possible.

Have a friend feed you lines.

Mentally rehearse the play without lines, just emotionally. Move around a room the same way you do on stage without worrying about lines. Add the lines later on.

Answer 2

If you are working a long speech, or small speeches over several pages, I work one line at a time and then keep adding to that until I have it all memorized. I find trying to memorize it all at once is too overwhelming.

For example, if you were to try to memorize the paragraph above, first learn "if you are working on a long speech", then once you have that memorized, learn "or small speeches over several pages." Once you have the second line memorized, add it to the first line "if you are working...several pages" etc etc. It takes a while, but adds built in repetition. If the speech is really long (or you are working on a lot of pages), break it up and do the process several times throughout.

I'm also a big fan of recording everyone else's lines and leaving pauses for my lines (it helps if you mouth, but don't say out loud, your lines when recording). Make sure you give yourself extra time for your lines, because in the beginning you will be slow and not able to say your lines as fluently as when you are reading them. This method doesn't help with long speeches, because you just have a big blank noise on the tape. For that, working with a buddy is a good idea. I personally don't like listening to other recordings of the work, as it can influence your interpretation (you start to say the lines like the other actor, rather than like yourself).

But the biggest thing is to practice. I did I show once with only 3 people in it, so I had 1/3 of the lines (over 2 hours). I thought I would never learn the part, but after 6 weeks of rehearsal (and lots of time practicing alone) I could recite the entire play. Good luck!

Answer 3

Read through the play a number of times, until you begin to get a feel for what's happening in each scene, and what your character wants in each scene. The better you understand the ebb and flow of the entire play, the more sense your lines will make. Rehearsals will help a great deal, and running lines with a friend is a great way to nail those elusive lines that you just can't remember. Tape recorder works, but it's difficult to accurately time the gap between lines so you can fit yours in.

Also, running lines in rehearsal and with friends gives you the bonus of beginning to understand the emotions of your character, another good clue for what line comes next.

Break a leg!

Answer 4

Been There, Done This. Make the lines a part of your life. Live the character as much as you can and use the lines in your normal everyday life. I DO realize how difficult this can be depending on the character. I played a 16th century German-Franco Duke many times and my friends all thought I had lost it, but if you explain to the people that are close to you I am sure they will understand...I even played a Orge once...No lines but damn it is hard as hell to communicate using grunts and growls. Good Luck and Break Someone Else Leg (stage combat humour)

Answer 5

Take a few minutes out of your day to repeat the lines at least 5-8 times. Try practicing with some friends too. Don't stay up late nights practicing though. Studies show that you need 6-8 hours of sleep in order to memorize things.

Hope that helps! =]

Answer 6

What I many times do is take some lines from off the internet site and repeat it persistently until eventually i'm getting it down %.. Then I take some extra words and do the comparable concern until eventually i've got memorized a sentence. as quickly as I get it memorized i could write it down as though i'm writing a diary or some thing to that result. additionally in case you have countless actors in a play and your lines do no longer come proper away, in basic terms bear in mind the final observe of that individual's lines earlier your lines are due.

Answer 7

For me it's both about rehearsal and feeling the part, becoming the character. I start by just learning the lines first, but also focus on how the character feels etc. Eventually the lines/responses just seem to come as a natural response. I do rehearse with others or on my own. I also tape them and listen to them in a car etc.

Answer 8

I've found the best way to remember lines is to really get into charater and preform it everytime so you get used to it and that way you know what your supposed to say and even if you forget a line you can know about what to say and improve a little. a little never did any harm.

Answer 9

When I'm in shows, I always write my lines down.
I've never forgotten a line.

Just try repeating them a few times, and writing them down once or twice, then try to do it by memory until you can do it with all of them.

Answer 10

Review them everyday. Work with another person on them. Keep on repeating the lines you don't know.