Memorizing Lines Tips & Tricks

How to memorize lines ~ send this video to your drama club members & their parents

Let's dive into...

~ 10 of the most successful ways I have seen readers & non-readers achieve line memorization

~ Confront the 3 main reasons people struggle to memorize & give solutions for each

~ Plus, the #1 tool I use for getting your drama club members to memorize their lines on time!

What does it mean to have your lines memorized?  Well, it’s actually a combination of 

1. Being so familiar with the scenes you are in that you know the gist of each line in your scenes
2. Having the lines before each of your lines memorized, knowing who says them, along with your own lines
3. Both reading the whole play & watching the play practice scenes you are not in so you understand how your lines fit into the whole production (which will make it easier for you to memorize your lines because you understand your character)

Not memorizing your lines also causes frustration for the cast & crew. They do not want to watch you fumble through your lines, they want to enjoy the play practice!  And the directors remember who took line memorization seriously and it affects their preferences when selecting roles for the next show, trust me.

Line memorization must happen on or before the deadline given by the drama club leader or the director.  If you are reading your lines or trying to recall your lines, you are not able to focus on acting yet.  You are not able to develop chemistry between you and the other actors, you can’t add your own personal touches to the characters personality, and you are not going to be able to improv or bring new acting ideas to your characters' parts.

Let’s confront the main reasons people don’t memorized their lines by the deadline and I’ll offer solutions...

1. Line memorization does not come “easy”

It is true that some people can easily memorize things they read. But I believe most people can combine their learning style, personality, things they naturally enjoy to find a way to make memorization easy (especially with technology).

Solution: Research. If you don’t take the time to find a creative solution for memorizing lines that fit you, you might never find it easy to memorize.  But if you do a little bit of research on memorization methods and keep trying until you find one that works, you might find line memorization can come easily. So watch to the end of this video because if I don’t provide you with the solution I’ll send you to some websites that hopefully can. Watch to the end of this video so you can try some of the new ideas. Getting good at something and having something come easy to you takes commitment and often some hard work. You should only have to go through this process once to find what works for you. Think about how much your life could be improved if you could say, “memorization comes easy to me.”

2. Procrastination or just being lazy

Here’s the thing, if you take a role in a play, you have to memorize your lines.  If you memorize them the day you get your script, or the night before the deadline to have your lines memorized, you are going to have to put the same amount of effort into memorizing your lines either way.  But one way will be fueled by excitement and the desire to be excellent.  The other way will be under pressure and rushed.  If you memorize your lines immediately, play practice will help cement the memorization.  If you memorize your lines right before the deadline you might miss the opportunity to figure out how to make memorization easy, and miss the opportunity to really understand your lines so you can change them with the director if they could be better, shorten them if they are too long, add if they could be better, reveal props & costume pieces and have the time to provide them…all these things that can improve the play if you would just memorized you lines as soon as you can.  (wink wink)

Solutions for procrastination: Maybe make a memorization calendar and schedule for yourself, ask someone to help you memorize, make a reward for yourself if you get everything memorized on time, or a consequence if you don’t and share your plan with someone else.  

3. No reason to memorize

Unfortunately, people often need to be convinced to do what they are supposed to do, or be rewarded for getting something done, or have a consequence when they don’t.

How to convince: show your drama club this video during practice, and send it to their parents.

How to reward: find an incentive that is funny but real.  Maybe an extra “perk” at the cast & crew party (costume piece, money for the arcade, advantage in the group game)

How to have a consequence:  get parents involved!  As a leader you need to send at least 5 direct messages to parents about the line memorization deadline.

~ 10 of the most successful ways readers & non-readers achieve line memorization

1. Write your lines (and the line before yours) in a notebook to hold and read during practice.  Use 2 colors of pen, one for your lines and another for the lines before yours.
2. Record the scenes you are in with video or just voice.  You read your part and have someone else read the others.  Listen to the scenes, pausing them to test yourself at times or leave empty space with no sound for your lines.
3. Invite the other actors in some of your more difficult scenes for extra practice and make it a fun get together.
4. Read the script alone, many, many times, out loud so you can practice, hearing it, not just reading it, and get good at the voice inflections and tone which will make the acting more emotionally driven and easier to remember because it becomes much more ‘real.’
5. Read one scene 3 times every night for a week before bed, the next week move to the next scene, and so on.  Repetition & sleep are a good combination.
6. Read your script and use an extra piece of paper to cover up the next line. Guess what is next and see if you are right. Be sure to speak the words out loud.
7. Note cards. You can write your own lines on one side and the lines before yours on the other side and only flip to your lines if you have to.  You can easily hold these note cards during practice.
8. Sing your lines instead of just saying them. Find a version of a song you are familiar with and sing your lines to the tune instead of the original song lyrics. 

So, what is the #1 tool I use for getting your drama club members to memorize their lines on time: Record the play practice that is the deadline for memorization and post it for the whole group (and the parents) to watch (just make it a private link).  Make sure everyone knows that practice is going to be recorded from day one. Recording will also help everyone improve.  You might want to have a play practice that is solely about watching this video and critiquing it together.  Order pizza & pop some popcorn to take the edge off!

I have lots of other videos to help with leading clubs and organizations, so hop on over to YouTube and enjoy!  ~Bethany