Does anyone know how to memorize a monolg...quickly?

Answer 1

Memorization comes easiest if you really make an effort to understand what the character is talking about, and why the character is being moved to say it in the first place.

It isn't just a bunch of words.

There's a motive for the person to say the things that are being said. Read the monologue through many times.... ask yourself if you understand the meaning behind the words. Find the play it's from and read the scene around the monologue. This will give you context.

Now here's a trick that helps me, though I have a pretty good memory in the first place. I learned the trick from friends who had studied the Meisner techinque... Read the monologue with no emotion, like a robot. Don't try to put emotions into it until the words are in place in your mind, and even once they are in your memory, stay with a very neutral non-emotive reading as you practice.

Then, sleep on it. And when you practice the next day, you may indeed find the words have become automatic.

Then, and only then, should you try to 'act them'...

Answer 2

My theatre teacher gave us a good technique. Break it up so that it doesn't seem like one big monologue but a few short sentences. This also helps you deliver it more naturally. You can do this by drawing lines on your paper after every few sentences.

It also helps me ALOT to record it reading it off the paper exactly and then playing it as I try to memorize.

Answer 3

In high school way back in the stone age, I had an old tape recorder and used an endless loop tape. When we had to learn 'Thanatopsis' my senior year so I recorded the thing into 'chunks' of the whole. I would just let it play and repeat over and over again. I was actually able to learn faster this way than any other I can think of. You do, of course have to half-way focus on what you're hearing but you will learn and fast. There are easy digital ways to play a sound byte over and over on the computer. Best of luck!

Answer 4

Draw the monologue on a series of cards - use colours, felt pens, glitter, anything to get your imagination going.


The use the picture cards to be a memory aid when practising the monologue. After some time you can dispense with the cards but keep the pictures in your head, when reading the script.

Then dispense with the script.

You will then be using both hemispheres of your brain to remember the monologue

Answer 5

memorize it back wards. Say the last sentence, then add the sentence before and the last sentence, then the sentence before the last two and then the last two sentences till you to the top. It will also help you to remember the end of the monolougue which is what many forget.

Answer 6

i had to do that for GCSE drama - not sure what level youre working at!

i had to memorize 3 quarters of a page. the only way i found i learnt it was going over it again and again. i wrote the parts down i kept forgetting without looking to help me.

i know this isnt a very quick way but i found it was the only way i learnt it!