I used to have nightmares about being on stage and not remembering any of my lines.

I’d dream I was in my old high school’s cafetorium (a cafeteria/auditorium hybrid) backstage—waiting in the wings with my script in hand, scrambling to remember the lines— right before an entrance. Mercifully, I’d wake up from the nightmare just as I pushed past the curtain and stepped into the lights. This was my reoccurring nightmare. Sometimes the show, the people, my costume, etc. would change, but the premise remained the same, I didn’t know my lines. 

Why was I having this nightmare? Probably because it’s a real fear that I have. In fact, this nightmare came true. I was in a show where I completely blanked and nothing, literally nothing, came to mind. Thankfully, this show was pre-recorded and edited together, so we could take the show piece by piece. 

Honestly, I thought no one would want to work with me ever again, so this caused me to take a serious look at why it happened:

1. I had three days to memorize my lines.
2. I was trying new memorization techniques. 
3. I was not taking good care of myself at that time and my work/life was out of balance.

What did I learn from this nightmare experience? Here’s what I came up with: 

1. Preparation is key. 
2. Stick with what you know and what works for you, especially in a pinch.
3. Don’t bite off more than you can chew, and if you do, have a plan. (And, take care of yourself!)

So, what’s my “plan?” How do I memorize my lines? I can hear some reader thinking, “Stop recipe-blogging me. Where is the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button?!” 

Here’s the real meat and potatoes:

1. Read your script a lot. I mean A LOT. When you read it, read it with intention! Actively read it—read it out loud and read it in funny voices. (Beware if you don’t do a lot of silly voices on a regular basis, your voice will get tired!) Do whatever you need to do to read it until you know it. 
2. Read it with others. Have another person read the other characters, while you speak your semi-memorized lines. If another person isn’t available, pre-record yourself with the Voice Memo app saying the other lines, leaving plenty of space for you to say your lines. Have the other person correct you, if you are not word perfect, or check yourself against the script as you go along with the recording.
3. Break it into bits! You don’t have to memorize it all in one sitting. Don’t put that kind of pressure on yourself. Take it scene by scene or even a few pages at a time. Set up a timeline of goals—dates or times when you’ll have each section memorized. 
4. Speak it with movement. Once you have your blocking, mentally and physically walk through it while speaking your lines. Visualize the stage while you are moving around your living room or wherever you are practicing. Also, I highly suggest running your lines alone or with a partner while doing normal daily activities like dishes, laundry, or yard work. There’s just something about moving, any kind of moving, while saying the lines that helps get them into your muscle memory.  

Actors can make memorizing overly complicated and we can psych ourselves out. I’m very guilty of overcomplicating things, but I keep coming back to the four simple steps listed above. Yes, it’s that simple. It just takes time.

But, for those of you who like to complicate things or want some next steps…

Bonus Tips:

1. Learn your lines without specific vocal inflections. While it really helps to add emotion to the lines for memorization purposes, it can stilt your reactiveness to your stage partner(s) during rehearsals. What I mean is, if you say the line the same way every single time you won’t open yourself up to other possibilities of how the line can be said. Trying out different tones and speech patterns can be a lot of fun and really open up creativity, especially if you’re working with another actor who’s open to listening and responding. This means that while you are memorizing, you learn the lines in a monotone voice or say the line different every time your go over it. 
2.  Know the gist of each scene and not just your cue lines. This sounds like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many actors only know what their cue line is (the line another actor speaks right before) but don’t actually recognize what the dialogue in the scene is about. It’s great to memorize your cue lines, but your fellow actors are human. They might mess up and not say that one specific word you were using to jog your memory about the next line. Knowing the gist of the scene can also help you if things get derailed, like if you or a fellow actor forgets or drops lines and you have to ad lib until you get back to the script or jump ahead in the dialogue. The moral of the story is, don’t be too tied to specific cues from other actors, and be prepared for mistakes so you don’t fear them.  

The “ultimate truth” about memorizing is you have to want to know the lines and take the time to find what works for you. Keep learning and testing new methods or tricks—it will only help grow your skills—and practice, practice, practice! (Just like physical activity, if you don’t use it, you lose it. Work that brain!) I hope whether you are new to memorization or an old hat, you found this helpful and affirming. Happy memorizing!