line memorising

The last Wednesday of July 2019, and I am skipping my coffee in a teacup for another week. I simply cannot stomach consuming hot beverages when it’s already hot outside. It’s stormy, and the air is humid, though for some reason I’ve chosen to sit in the conservatory (a.k.a glass oven) whilst wearing a very warm dressing gown.

The conservatory is my thoughtful place. There's something very peacefully about being indoors, but having full view of the world outside. I can see butterflies dancing, swaying trees, and I have natural light aiding my sight.

As I write, I am accompanied by my very large and very lazy ginger tabby cat, Alfie. He has plonked himself upon the least comfortable place possible, as he usually does. Last week he was sleeping on a pile of clothes hangers, and today he has inconveniently found comfort in sleeping on my craft materials. He sure does make pens, pencils and a drawing pad look like the cosiest of sleeping spots, but I won’t be trying it for myself any time soon.

Thankfully, though, his body has not invaded the spot in which I left my script.

Ah, yes, I am with-script once again.

For the first time in nearly two years, I have been cast in a show. My previous job wasn’t at all flexible and regrettably so, I had to take a break from the theatre scene.

I make my way back to the stage as Amy, from Jamie Lakritz’s play, The Start of Something.

It really is a beautiful piece of writing, though with it being purely monologue-based scenes, there is a LOT of lines to learn! It’s a slightly overwhelming amount, to be entirely honest.

However, I am feeling positive because I still hold tips and tricks in the dusty corners of my brain, which always proved useful when learning lines in the past.

Some are common methods, but many are just little techniques I’ve come up with along the way; and so, I thought I’d share them with my fellow thespians today.

1. Narrow it down. Seeing a full script can be a little daunting. The first thing I usually do is separate my lines from the script, only including the cues which my lines follow. That way I can consistently focus on my lines, and my lines only, without faffing through multiple pages. Once you’ve become more confident with your lines, revert back to the full script so you can familiarise yourself with the entire scene as a whole. Knowing lines is one thing, but knowing when to say them is essential.

2. Test yourself. This one may seem a little tedious, but trust me, it can work. I think this is an original idea of mine because I can’t see how anyone else would be wacko enough to come up with this. In a Word document, like I suggested with the first tip, write out purely just your lines. However, this time, no full words. Include the necessary punctuation and spaces, but only write the first letter of each word. This way, if you should get stuck when practising, you have to think about what comes next. It tests your brain and stimulates your memory, and by figuring it out yourself, you feel less defeated and more accomplished by how well you can remember what you thought you had forgotten.

3. Record yourself. I use EZ Voice, which is essentially an app that alters your vocals and is targeted more towards singers and musicians. However, I use it because it loops the recording when you listen back. By listening to a recording, I can pop my earphones in, get on with my day-to-day tasks and have the lines read to me repeatedly. You don’t even need to be listening attentively. After a while, you start to recognise what’s going to be said next, and it works almost like subliminal messages. The only downside is you may start to get into the habit of saying a particular line one way, so make sure to mix things up and try new ways of reciting lines and phrases when rehearsing.

4. Phone a friend. Once you’ve got your lines somewhat memorized, why not ask a friend or relative if they’d help you out? Sometimes, my mum and I like to get a drink and sit in a pub garden that is relatively secluded, and then she will have my script and test me on my lines. If I say something wrong, she won’t tell me what I should’ve said, but stop me and wait for me to correct myself. If I can’t get it, she’ll tell me but I will then start over from the top. This is so useful as it means I don’t have to look at the script myself, and it’s a way of weaning off of holding that security blanket which takes form as a piece of paper.

5. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! It’s a given; rehearse whenever possible! Put your all into it, too. Repetition is a known method for memorization, but recite your lines in different ways; even if it’s irrelevant to the context. Be silly, sarcastic, angry, sad, or sleepy. Try getting away from just sticking to one particular tone. You might find you like saying something a certain way that you would’ve have usually said it, but also, I find this technique useful when preparing yourself for the unexpected. Should something a little different happen during the performance you could potentially be thrown off if unprepared for mishaps and unrehearsed changes.
   

So, there you have it. My top five techniques for learning your lines.

I hope this is somewhat helpful to all you aspiring actors out there, as sometimes, learning lines can be the scariest part of what we do! But hey, would we wouldn’t want it any other way?

31.July.2019

Wednesday