Learning lines is a challenge however old you are.
Actors need to try a variety of methods and then find the one that works best for them.
Learning lines really needs to happen AFTER you have fully explored the FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS [who/what/where/when/why] of each scene/speech – otherwise you won’t be connecting the words to a feeling or motivation (and that doesn’t lead to an engaging performance.)
My personal feeling is that having the script in your hand as you try to learn your lines is NOT effective. There’s too much of a temptation to look at the lines and before you know it, you are just reading. Also, you forget that your hands will be empty for the performance and then you will wonder what to do with them.
Some tried and tested methods are:
- Working with a partner who has the script – can check you are accurate and can feed you a line at a time if you get stuck.
- Record your lines (and that of others) into your phone and play them back. (Last thing before you sleep is a proven good time as your brain/memory is more receptive.)
- Know your BLOCKING / MOVES and run the lines as you do the moves. (There’s good evidence that CONNECTING the lines to set moves embeds them quicker into your memory.)
- (For a dialogue scene – more than 1 person speaking) Record everyone else’s lines (cues) and leave gaps for your lines. *Requires a bit of practice to get the ‘gaps’ the correct length.
Watch this:
4. Write your lines out (including punctuation) This is good for large speeches or monologues. Punctuation will allow you to see the structure of the speech, pauses, changes in ideas, emotional journey. Do it with extra wide margins and double line spaced so you can annotate the text as you work on it.
Watch this for a variation on Number 4: