Learning lines?

Mon, 18 May 2009, 01:12 pm

Lee Sheppard26 posts in thread

So - I find myself in the current situation of having to learn a large number of lines for an upcoming production, something I haven't had to do for a few years now.

I suppose I'm doing it the usual way (for me, at least) - reading and re-reading, starting at the beginning and learning a few pages at a time, going back and constantly testing myself, sitting at home or on the train with the script and a bookmark to cover up my lines etc. Seems to be working so far.

Just wondering how you other thespians go about learning your lines? Do you learn key scenes first? Use voice recorders? Have them tattooed on your body? Maybe there's a technique out there we can all benefit from...

Cheers

Lee Sheppard

- Keeping it strictly amateur -

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Lee SheppardMon, 18 May 2009, 01:12 pm

So - I find myself in the current situation of having to learn a large number of lines for an upcoming production, something I haven't had to do for a few years now.

Cheers

Lee Sheppard

- Keeping it strictly amateur -

Jane SherwoodMon, 18 May 2009, 02:07 pm

Try Recording

I have in the past recorded a reading of the play and then listen whenever I can - in the car, on the train, on the beach, while doing the housework. You have the advantage of also hearing your cues by the actual other actor. Good luck Jane Sherwood

LabrugMon, 18 May 2009, 02:14 pm

Age Old Dilemma

Learning Lines. Well there's a problem that just never goes away. I believe that it is a matter of personal preference how one learns their lines as each of us have slightly different learning styles. These are my personal opinions...

I consider myself a more visual type of person who finds it easier to imagine the scene pictorially. I also find I can relate better if I can find an emotional thread to a scene. For many years I struggled with mainstream methods such as Line-reading sessions and rote memorisation. I certainly cannot listen to myself speak the lines as I often find myself evaulating the way I said things rather than the lines themselves.

Some time back, I came across a book which is now my acting bible. The title intrigued me - "How to Stop Acting" - by Harold Guskin. I opened it, read some of the introduction and opening chapter, then slapped out the credit card and took it home.

In it is a fantastic approach for character development as an entire process, not just a step-by-step method of learn the lines, then build the character. Mr Guskin outlines a process in which you learn the lines through the evolution of the character thus making for a more flexible and organic portrayal.

It is not a method or rigid structure like other techniques about. It is simply an approach to character development, that can be used in conjunction with other styles if you like. I have recommended this book to many co-actors and I am sure some of them are 'so-over' hearing me go on about it.

Beyond that, I do vary my approach depending on the type of play I am dealing with. If I am confronted with a lengthy monologue or similar, I do tend to tackle that first as you are not overly dependant on the reactions of others. It is purely you. Then you can build towards those moments with the rest of the cast.

The hardest lines to learn are those where you have a little bit to say here and there. You have to really be paying attention to the scene and I like to pick out "landmark" que points several lines before my line. The problem with relying on specific ques is that someone may forget to say them, so my ques are more the subject at hand rather than the actual words.

One could really get quite detailed with learning lines. At the end of the day, I believe it is a matter of working out techniques that play to your mental strengths. Think of the things you recall with ease and those you don't. For example, I am dreadful at remembering peoples names but I can quickly tell if I have seen a TV show or movie before just in the first few seconds of air-time. My wife on the other hand can remember names, birthdays, figures and so forth without any effort. We all have our particular strengths and should play to them.

Absit invidia (and DFT :nono:)

Jeff Watkins

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mike raineMon, 18 May 2009, 02:26 pm

building the character

"Mr Guskin outlines a process in which you learn the lines through the evolution of the character thus making for a more flexible and organic portrayal." I once worked with a director who adopted that kind of approach. The play was a comedy . . . one of those 'tangled web we weave' things, with a lot of rapid fire lines. What he did was ask each member of the cast to think about their character's history. In one of the earlier rehearsals, I played the role of interviewer, and asked questions of the characters. The director's idea was for the cast to be so throughly soaked in their character that the script became almost irrelevant. I have to say that it worked very well! But . . . that does not necessarily help in this circumstance. I have real difficulty learning lines, and the way I have to do it is just repeat them over and over again. I am not that adept at 'becoming' another person (which is why my on-stage career has been minimal, and only under sufferance).

LabrugMon, 18 May 2009, 02:59 pm

Not Stanivslasky

Or however you spell it. No Mike, I am not refering to that style of character development.

Mr Guskin uses a technique he calles "Taking-it-off-the-page" where you read a line or portion of one, in your head, look up, and taking the firsting thought, feeling or reaction you have to the line, speak the line to space or to your lines partner. As such, you get a "feel" for the line or phrase. Then you look down and read your next line/phrase and completely unbias by the previous line, repeat the process. If you are using a partner, they are to make eye contact with you (and you with them) for each line spoken.

As this progresses, the basic emotional semblance of a character begins to take shape, one who live's in the moment, and moment to moment changes, rather than coming from a developed background.

Guskin's approach is like nothing else I personally have encountered and I do it no justice in the small snippet I have outlined here.

Absit invidia (and DFT :nono:)

Jeff Watkins

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jeffhansenMon, 18 May 2009, 06:00 pm

I tend to use the method

I tend to use the method you've outlined, Lee. Glad to see you've finally taken the plunge. If it's any consolation, I find learning lines is like exercising any part of the body. The more you do it, the easier it gets. (For me, anyway.) Don't do a show for a year or so, and your brain needs retraining. The last show I did, I had the script down in a week (through necessity) and it was one of those where I had a couple of lines every page. I find it helpful to make notes about the flow of the scene as a whole. That way you get to know how the scene progresses, which gives you cues as to your next line. www.meltheco.org.au

Lisa SkrypMon, 18 May 2009, 06:45 pm

Timely Suggestions re Lines

What great timing! Ive just cracked the spine of a new script & started doing my usual. I tend to re-write my bits in a notebook (leaving the opposite page for blocking & other notes), then use that to study. Mostly hide-my-line / read-their-line / guess-my-line and so on. As I guess/remember my lines I do think about the reaction & try at least to get the gist of my character's response. I also often listen to recordings, as Jane has mentioned. I'm really pleased to have read these (& any more) comments, as I will now try to put a little more character work into the line studying. That will make it more fun, too! Cheers, all!

jessmessMon, 18 May 2009, 10:37 pm

beware the pre-recordining...

Although pre-recording your lines can be a useful technique, it has it's drawbacks. Sometimes when you do know your lines, you can end up sounding a bit sing songy, you end up saying your lines exactly the same way, every single time. I'm a big believer that you need to start straight away with the repetition, reading on the train etc. Get books down as early as possible. The sooner you know your lines then you can stop thinking about what you are supposed to be saying next, and actually, feeling, reacting, and entering into your characters thought processes.

Lisa SkrypMon, 18 May 2009, 10:46 pm

thanks for the warning

yes, I agree that too much reliance on recordings can be dangerous. I usually stop using them ASAP (or occasionally re-record once I have a better grasp of everyone's interpretations). I do like getting off book quickly, as it's good to start making mistakes as soon as possible ;-). Once the mistakes are out of the way you can get onto the actual job of acting...

LabrugTue, 19 May 2009, 08:58 am

A good technical trick

Both in rehearsal and in your own time, a good simple trick is to break down a scene into much smaller parts and focus on these bits, get your script 'down,' then move on to the next bit. Stephen Lee did something like this with R&J and I found it helped me to get my book down in record time.

Absit invidia (and DFT :nono:)

Jeff Watkins

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Rebecca JoTue, 19 May 2009, 12:44 pm

I find that the reason I

I find that the reason I find it difficult to remember certain lines is that I'm not giving the line it's neccesary importance and just saying the words. Every line is there for a reason, find that reason, and make sense of what you're saying and you will naturally remember it. It's a story and progression in a particular order. Keep that order and it'll make sense to you. Reeeeally tricky wordy lines can be a pain, but I try to literally visualise them or repeating them out loud over and over.

Garry DWed, 20 May 2009, 03:06 am

i try not to learn lines

I find that thinking of the script as Â´linesÂ´ makes the process so much harder than it needs to be. It makes it sound like too much hard work. Every morning when I set out for work, and every evening when I come home, I walk with the script in my hand and read a scene at a time. Then I start reciting my part of the conversation, and listen in my head to the words spoken by other actors on the stage. Then I start doing having the conversation without the script. ItÂ´s learning by repetition, and I tend to work in the pace and order set by rehearsals. I speak my conversation in the characterÂ´s voice, as if IÂ´m speaking it on stage. If something doesnÂ´t sound right, then I keep repeating that section until it does. (I probably look a little bit silly when I walk along carrying out a one-sided conversation, but try not to think too much about that...) The advantage of this method is that IÂ´m learning the dialogue as a conversation rather than as a collection of words. It helps me to interpret the dialogue better, to pick up on cues, and to think about the pace of delivery. It also helps me to build my character early on in the rehearsal process, which gives me more time to fine tune as opening night approaches. The disadvantage of my method is that I sometimes need to relearn the script if my interpretation of the character, or of a particular scene, is different to the directorÂ´s. My experience (similar to that expressed by Labrug above) is that itÂ´s easier to learn a script when I have large amounts of dialogue. I find it much harder when I only have a few sporadic lines in a play. When that happens I have to learn them as individual lines, and I canÂ´t feel comfortable with cues until after a few full runs of the play, which is usually far too close to opening night for comfort. The lessen is - donÂ´t get too daunted by a large script!

Lisa SkrypFri, 22 May 2009, 12:11 pm

Terry Hackett taught me a good way to work on text

Terry Hackett taught me a good way to work on text, which I have remembered as I work on this one: Go through the script & underline the most important words in each line, ie) this from Chekhov's "The Boor":

SMIRNOV: I don't understand how to behave in the company of ladies. Madam, in the course of my life I have seen more women than you have sparrows. Three times have I fought duels for women, twelve I jilted and nine jilted me. There was a time when I played the fool, used honeyed language, bowed and scraped. I loved, suffered, sighed to the moon, melted in love's torments. I loved passionately, I loved to madness, loved in every key, chattered like a magpie on emancipation, sacrificed half my fortune in the tender passion, until now the devil knows I've had enough of it. Your obedient servant will let you lead him around by the nose no more. Enough!

Without knowing the script, that's my rough example. Now read only the underlined bits, and try to ignore that you sound like a neanderthal... what you are expressing is the heart of the line - the key elements.

Not really about memorising, but still useful interpretation work I think. Thanks, Terry, for the technique.

Walter PlingeSun, 31 May 2009, 10:43 am

Don't leave your line

Don't leave your line learning to the last week of rehearsals. Get onto it straight away. Otherwise, you'll stress yourself out too much. Be awake in rehearsals! If you're off for a bit, look over your script. And most importantly, (as Rebecca said) know why you're saying something.

Lee SheppardSun, 31 May 2009, 05:21 pm

It's done...

Ok - thanks for the help guys & gals. Some great advice there. Three weeks into rehearsal, all 326 lines are now committed to memory. Script down from Wednesday. The next two months will be spent reinforcing, characterising, blocking and putting it all into "Max-speak". Mind you, I haven't done much else in my spare time for the last few weeks, other than learn lines. Lee Sheppard - Keeping it strictly amateur -

crgwllmsSun, 31 May 2009, 08:43 pm

Que ...?

Jeff said: "...my ques are more the subject at hand than the actual words." And you are meaning this literally, aren't you Jeff? Rather than the actual word 'cues'. Unless you're now questioning us in Spanish, what? Cheers, Craig ~<8>-/====\---------

crgwllmsSun, 31 May 2009, 09:40 pm

Line learning

The method I use most often is to record things on tape. (Or rather, on computer, which means I carry the recordings of scenes as mp3s on my iPod/iPhone.) The main thing to avoid, as some have pointed out, is the tendancy to learn the inflections you record, making it hard to then 'unlearn' any bad habits in your delivery of the lines. The way I avoid this is to record all of my lines in a half-pace monotone. No inflection or characterisation. Then I am still completely open to the new ways of line delivery I'll discover naturally in rehearsal. (The only exception would be if I had to learn an accent, in which case I'd record it in the accent I needed to learn). I record the entire play, not just my lines. (..Well, I record everything that's said while I'm ONSTAGE. Feel free to skip big chunks if they only happen while you're in the dressing room). It's always better when I am completely familiar with the play, rather than just my own part. But I speed-read everyone else's lines, only slowing down for the last few words of my next cue. As I listen back, I picture where I am and what I am doing as I listen to the others' lines being read in double-time. As the sentence slows down I am forced to focus on my cue lines, which helps me remember them. And then as my own lines are being said half-pace and in a low dirge, I speak over the top of the recording in my real character voice. At first I may only be just keeping up, or may even be behind the recording, simply parroting what is being said. But soon I will be able to speak my lines ahead of the slow recording, hearing any mistakes, trying to get each line out perfectly before the recording catches up. I force myself to think of the links between the thoughts, to learn each block of speech. But I don't have to think further ahead than the next cue, because the recording will come in again with the other characters' lines. Eventually I can speed-read through all of my lines on any given cue. This obviously has no bearing upon learning the pacing of a scene, but knowing that I can deliver the lines in a speed run means it's far easier to slow down in rehearsal and think about the justified delivery. It's often helpful to actually walk through my actions as well (on the set if possible), while listening to the recording on headphones. Matching a line to the physical movement and blocking helps cement it in body memory. Listening to the whole play often means I know everyone else's speeches fairly well. If ever the show stumbles and someone misses a cue, I know enough of what's supposed to be said to be able to get us back on track. Once I have this recording, I can play it in the car, while doing housework, etc. On more than one occasion I have gone to bed with my earphones on and the mp3s on continual repeat. Anything to drive the play into my subconscious. Doing this has allowed me to learn a major role in a one act play overnight (...found out I was understudying at 4pm, went onstage at 11am the next day!). And it helped me to learn a 20min solo performance in one week. (Harder, because I couldn't rely on others' cues). Mp3s are great because you can break them into chapters for particular scenes, or if a line gets changed it's not hard to edit the recording to keep it up to date. As a variant I play the scenes back on random play, to teach myself to respond to any cue at any time. (Not so important for a linear play, but very useful for a film script where the scenes will probably be shot out of sequence). . When I performed the 20 minute monologue last year (my first solo piece) I was coached through a new (to me) technique by director Lis Hoffman. Even though I only had a week to learn the piece, the first few rehearsal sessions were not spent looking at the script at all, but by looking at the character, developing a complete backstory, finding parallels in my own life and real-life role models I could base my characterisation on. We'd improvise and role-play getting in the mind of the character, before we even thought about looking at any speech. When it came to finally working with the text, I was emotionally prepared for the thought processes of the character, and the lines really did fall into place so much more easily. Learning the lines is only the first part of KNOWING the part. If you think you're ready just because you can parrot-off your lines, that's when you're at risk of drying up when someone doesn't deliver a cue, or something else distracts you onstage. Knowing the lines perfectly is what helps you to THINK like the character, and learning how to think like them is what enables you to act their part. Cheers, Craig ~<8>-/====\---------

LabrugMon, 1 June 2009, 01:00 pm

URK!!

Blonde moment. %)

Absit invidia (and DFT :nono:)

Jeff Watkins

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andy croftSun, 7 June 2009, 12:12 am

Shakespeare Masterclass just finished

Just finished a Shakespeare masterclass with Stephen Lee. It was 5 Saturdays. I have always liked Shakespeare but been no good at reading it and even worse at performing it. After 5 weeks with a great group of people and Stephen pouring out his Shakespeare knowledge( Which he is a true expert ) I dont think I am going to be a great Shakepearean but my knowledge is 1000 times more advanced with the understanding of Shakespeare (The Sense). Which will without a doubt improve my performance. I have been in classes in the UK in the best acting establishments which didn't come close this master class. If Stephen holds another one of these classes I would strongly give it the "thumbs up" and say go for it, you wont regret it.

jessmessSun, 7 June 2009, 02:20 am

the survival/death run

i've been putting some of my theories to the test seperately as an actor and a director. I recently held a 'survival run' a week before books down. First i psyched the actors out...'oooh death run on sunday...' that sort of thing. When it came to it i ran a scene with scripts, then the same scene books down. Did this with the whole play and by the end they pretty much new their lines. I had also recorded the play, gone through and painfully worked through objectives for each line and done copious amounts of lines runs and blocking. All in all i'm quite pleased with the result. Of course it's not often you have the luxury to devote time during rehearsals to drilling lines, then again it's a lot easier to direct when your actors are books down.

crgwllmsSun, 7 June 2009, 02:40 am

Yea, verily. Agree heartily

Yes, I did his classes several years ago. Highly recommend. Cheers, Craig ~<8>-/====\---------

Lisa SkrypSun, 7 June 2009, 11:11 am

Fear of Death

yes, I think having a serious books down deadline is useful - whether or not the actors are totally off-book. I find once I've attempted that, I at least know where any sticking points are (often the random interjection-y bits...) & can then focus more attention on them. I'm nearly caught up with Monsieur Kak, so thanks again to all contributors to this thread...

jeffhansenSun, 7 June 2009, 11:22 am

I like the sound of that

I like the sound of that Jess. I might use it next time I direct. I did have one director (well known on this site) who did it to us at the first rehearsal. I still doubt the effectiveness of that, though can see the reasoning behind it - to get a general idea of the scene, then improv it. I guess it may give you confidence to pull yourself out of any holes you may fall into on the night. www.meltheco.org.au

Sharon MobiliaSat, 20 June 2009, 09:06 am

Depending on the length of

Depending on the length of the script and how large a character I have, I like to split the script in 10 page blocks and record it on my voice recorder, apart from the background sounds of my screaming kids in the background, I find I can carry it around and have it running whilst i'm getting dinner prepared, driving to rehearsals etc.