Scripts can be long, sometimes up to 150 pages (or longer) and when you’ve got a part in the show, it can be a daunting task to memorize everything your character says. Whether you have one line or one thousand, here are 5 tips to help you learn your lines faster!
1. Read before bed
It’s no surprise that sleep can help boost brain power. Instead of scrolling through Instagram before bed, try reading through a few lines. While you sleep, your brain will strengthen those connections to help you remember those lines later on.
2. Balance your time
If you absolutely have to scroll through your Instagram feed, try balancing that activity with reading your lines. For every 5 photos you look at, read 5 lines. If you watch a 5 minute YouTube video, read for 5 minutes. (You won’t feel as guilty about it later on!)
3. Move your body
Psychologists Helga and Tony Noice found that “memory is aided by physical movement,” especially for actors learning their lines. By moving around as you practice, you’ll be able to recall those lines more readily later on, even if you don’t perform the same action you did when practicing.
4. Run lines with a castmate
Don’t ask your best friend to help you run your lines, unless they’re also in the show. By working with a castmate, you’ll be creating an environment close to the one you’ll be in on stage, which will help you practice your lines more effectively.
5. Divide and conquer
Break your lines into sections and set a goal each day to learning a section or two. If you have the digital script for your show, use ProductionPro’s annotations feature to black out each section as you practice!
Bonus Tip: Practice whenever possible!
If your script is 150 pages or longer, you’ll want to learn your lines as soon as possible. And with ProductionPro, your script is easily accessible — on a bus, on a train, at the doctor’s — whenever you need it.
Break a leg!
Have you heard about ProductionPro? Check out digital scripts and scores for your show plus a suite of tools to help you have a successful rehearsal process.