- 1). Read the script once to absorb the full story. Highlight your lines and read it again, this time concentrating on your part. Understanding your lines within the context of the entire story will help you to remember them.
- 2). Read the script as many more times as possible to begin to fully absorb the lines. A seasoned actor often knows not only his own lines but everyone else's because of the number of times he has read the script.
- 3). Write your lines in a notebook. Transferring the lines to paper requires you to actively pay attention to them, rather than only passively read them. This process will help your brain to better absorb the lines.
- 4). Repeat your lines to yourself over and over. Repetition is a major factor to memory; the more times you repeat your lines, the faster you will memorize them. Try this on an empty stomach, when the hormone related to memory is most active. You also can try repeating your lines before bed, when your brain is best able to retain information.
- 5). Record yourself reading all of the parts, staying silent during the time required for your lines. When you play the recording, you can supply your lines within the context of the other spoken parts. This will help you to recognize the other lines that are cues for your own.
- 6). Practice with other actors, both inside and out of rehearsal. This is similar to using a tape recorder, but because each repetition will be slightly different, you won't depend on a specific delivery of a cue line to know that it's your turn to speak.
- 7). Break monologues into smaller blocks of a few lines at a time. It is much easier to memorize small amounts of text than entire paragraphs at a time. Once you can recite the first block, add the second, then the third and so forth, until the entire monologue is memorized.
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