Simple ways to memorize your lines

Have you gotten a role in your community theatre's upcoming play? Congratulations! Now, you will begin to memorize your character's lines. As you know as an actor or actress, memorizing lines involves more than simply learning sentences. You also have to remember how, when, and why your character says their lines. While this is a lot to remember, don't be scared! We asked our OCT actors and actresses how they memorize their portion of the script. Here are some easy ways they memorize their lines!

First, actress Tina Welborn states that she likes to "make an audio recording of only [her] lines." Then, she will play this in her car during her daily commute. This method will allow you to fit play practice into your packed schedule in a seemingly effortless way! Using a recording app, such as the Parrot app on the App Store, will let you hear your lines on repeat.

Second, actor Joey Marcinek says that he utilizes his "living room as a practice stage." This activity will let you move around in a similar fashion to being on stage. You could even set up chairs, books, or other props to resemble the stage you will be on during the play. This could act as a tangible cue that will help you remember your lines!

Lastly, if you find yourself continuously getting stuck on one line, you can write out the entire line on a white board. Read the line aloud and then erase one word. Next, reread the entire line to see if you can remember the missing word. Complete this process, removing one word at a time, until the entire line is gone. Then, see how much of the line you can remember. This forces your brain to fill in the missing gaps, potentially improving your memory of the overall line!

Memorizing lines can be overwhelming. However, there are easy ways to make the process smooth! Try audibly recording your lines, setting up a miniature stage at home, or writing out then erasing tedious lines. No matter what method you chose, you are going to do amazing. We at OCT believe in you!

Caroline Crews

Caroline Crews is a public relations intern at Okeechobee Community Theatre.