Q&A for How to Memorize Lines

Use visualization to picture the words on the page. That way, you're able to "see" what you're supposed to say as you're speaking.

You don't need to know every word, but you should have a general idea of what's coming in each scene so you know when to say your lines. Pay special attention to what the other actors are saying so you can react and speak.

Start with the first paragraph, and keep repeating until you can do it without the script. Then add the next until you can repeat the entire thing without looking. Keep doing until you've memorized all the paragraphs. Review in the morning, and again just before the play. Remain calm and breathe during your delivery to help you from freezing and forgetting.

Talk it out word by word, and keep doing this even if you do know it well, and also re-enact it. Rehearse often, in front of a mirror, in front of your stuffed toys, your family, etc. Have family and friends help with prompts to remind you what is next. Give yourself plenty of time as 132 pages is a huge amount to remember.

Spend time going through each line daily. Pretend you are performing. First, start out reading the lines aloud, using vocal emotion as if you are performing the character. Use "landmarks," such as, "When this person laughs, that means I have to..." or "When he yells, that means I have to..." etc. Keep calm and try to enjoy yourself.

Practice your lines, be confident in yourself, and have fun with it.

While at rehearsal/on stage, imagine that you are at home. If this doesn't work and you mess up, don't show it. Just keep going, more than likely no one will even notice.

The best thing that you can do is to underline keywords. For example, if you were Daddy Warbucks in Annie and had to memorize a monologue, you would underline the words that relate to the problem, the person, and the place.

Read the line before your line and then read your line. Read both of these aloud, so you are getting the audio as well as the visual. Then repeat it until you find yourself anticipating the next words. Do this with all of your lines, and also don't do too many at once. Remember to review the lines you've done so far every day.

You should rehearse them over and over again. Try making pictures on paper and see if that helps. Then, you can ask someone to prompt you with one word, and you will learn it.

Have confidence in yourself and believe you can do it. Then, practice them until you have them memorized.

If you are in a play, movie, musical, or any flowing narrative then it is necessary. What I do for inspiration is imagine what it would be like if I don't memorize the lines and fail miserably.

Try using cues in the script. This way you just have to remember what line to say after the other person says their line. Their line becomes your cue to say a certain thing. You'll find that after rehearsing a bunch and reading your lines and messing up and doing it again, you'll get your lines memorized.

Read it over and over and over. Live and breathe that script. Copy it down in your own handwriting, make your friends act it out with you and act it out alone. Also, for the future, try to memorize ahead of time if possible.

The first thing that could help is to learn the meaning of every word that your character says. Not only should this help your characterization, it will make it easier to memorize. Then, talk to someone who speaks the language. Ask them to teach you the pronunciations and make sure what you are saying makes sense.

Take them off book and even off line. Those who know their lines will look really great, but those who don't will look really stupid. It encourages them to memorize their lines to avoid the embarrassment of sitting on standing there until someone gives them their line.

It will be tough, but start slow. Learn one line at a time and repeat it until you have it completely memorized. Then add the next line and repeat the two together until you have them both memorized. Gradually add in more pieces of text until you've added and memorized them all.

Sit with them and go over their lines in sections. Read over a section of 7-10 lines. If they can't take their cue, read the line for them and have them repeat it. Go through the entire section. If you had to read the line for them, repeat the section until you don't have to. Repeat the section a few more times to make sure they really have the lines down and then move on to a new section.

Just practice with a friend or family member, and have them say the lines before yours. All you really need to remember are your own lines and the lines that come right before yours.

Memorize 3 to 4 lines at a time and then run them back out loud. Once you have the first 3 down, memorize the next 3 and recite the whole monologue from the beginning again. Continue until you have it memorized. Once you have it memorized, go on your computer and type it out from memory. See what you have down and correct yourself if you make any mistakes.

Constantly work on your lines. Whenever you have spare time, have someone read your cues for you.

You can look over them constantly while still doing your normal morning/afternoon routine (eating breakfast, brushing teeth, etc.). You could also have a friend come over and run lines with you. If you are completely out of time and you literally cannot remember the lines, write them somewhere where you can see them but no one else can (such as your hand).

Practice, practice, practice! Record yourself rehearsing the lines and listen to the recordings. Rehearse in front of a mirror, in front of family members and even in front of friends. Use another person to read the other lines so you know what the cues are for your lines.

You could break down the words into smaller words, or write the word and its definition(s) down a few times.

Make up a dance for it. If it's funny it will stick in your mind for whenever you have to perform.

Plan time and study with a friend. Or connect it to something you like. If you like music, write a song about it. If you like to write, write a story about that topic. Overall, just try and make it fun for you!

If you have kinetic memory/ visual memory, write down each sentence and then recite it to yourself. When doing so, pay attention to how the letters look, and how they feel when you are writing them. Then you can imagine the sentences in your head and, in a way, read off of them.