Memorizing Word for Word

[Princess_Dot]

I was recently cast as Juliet in a local production of Romeo and Juliet. I've never had trouble memorizing lines before, and this is not my first lead. However, the blocking and Shakespear's language is really getting to me.

My Mom is tired or runing the lines with me because I don't know them well enough for it to be effective. Does anyone have any tricks to memorize something word for word? I have well over 100 lines, uncluding monologues and soliliquies. (sp?) At the pace I am going, I will never be off book.

 

[DramaQueen]

I've had to do things like that before.

The only thing I can suggest is to break things up into small parts and don't move onto the next part until you have the previous part fully memorized.
ANd if you can rehearse with your cast as much as possible it will help alot.
Because it's easier to learn your cues when you're rehearsing with your cast so you know how they are going to say the line, so you not only have the word cues, but you've got sound cues as well (like, if you remember how they sounded when they said the line)

Just don't get to stressed, you WILL get it. Trust me, I've had roles where it's llike i am NEVERRRR going to memorize all these words! But with loooots of rehearsal and commitment you'll be fine!!

Break a leg!!!

 

[Princess_Dot]

I've had to do things like that before.

The only thing I can suggest is to break things up into small parts and don't move onto the next part until you have the previous part fully memorized.
ANd if you can rehearse with your cast as much as possible it will help alot.
Because it's easier to learn your cues when you're rehearsing with your cast so you know how they are going to say the line, so you not only have the word cues, but you've got sound cues as well (like, if you remember how they sounded when they said the line)

Just don't get to stressed, you WILL get it. Trust me, I've had roles where it's llike i am NEVERRRR going to memorize all these words! But with loooots of rehearsal and commitment you'll be fine!!

Break a leg!!!

Thanks, yeah Im working with our Romeo over April vaca so we can get our stuff down. It was really weird, felt so comfortable with the balcony scene when I was running my lines, then when I went to rehearsal couldn't remember them. I was trying to listen to what Romeo was saying, but I kept getting distracted by what my next line was going to be.

Well Im off to tackle act II.

 

[Cinderelli16]

I give you all the credit in the world! I can't memorize things to save my life or even get up infront of people lol
good luck

 

[Cinderelli16]

I give you all the credit in the world! I can't memorize things to save my life or even get up infront of people lol
good luck

 

[DollfieDreams]

sing them.

when you read the script, pick a favorite song with an easy tune and substitute the words. it'll sound silly at first but then you'll get the hang of it.

if that doesnt work, try reading the line in your head. then re-read it again. then say it out loud. say it out loud again. and then try not to look. if you can do it without looking, go to the next sentence and read that one twice, try to say it outloud, then put the two together. it gets repetitive but thats what you want. you want to be able to mumble these lines in your sleep!

break a leg!

 

[STOPxmickeytime]

First of all, congrats on the role!

And if I have something really hard to memorize that makes no sense to me in very little time (like trying to learn AP psych vocab the period before I have a giant test) I try to make connections with things.

Okay, this is going to sound stupid, but this is one of the things I used.
Concordance rate: The percentage of twin pairs or other pairs of relatives that exhibit the same disorder.
Concordance starts with CON. Con in Spanish means with. If you're a twin, you're always WITH someone else. And that sparked my memory on the rest of the definition.

You can relate the first words of a line to something in the line preceding yours like that. That always works for me if I'm having trouble.

 

[jbcheerchick93]

romeo, romeo, where fore art thou romeo?

for juliette is the sun...

work at it little by little. you WILL get it! you WILL. try not to think about how hard it actually is, just about how much fun it will be when you actually do it. DO NOT, i reapeat, DO NOT! think about how hard it is.

btw goodluck!!

 

[Princess_Dot]

First of all, congrats on the role!

And if I have something really hard to memorize that makes no sense to me in very little time (like trying to learn AP psych vocab the period before I have a giant test) I try to make connections with things.

Okay, this is going to sound stupid, but this is one of the things I used.
Concordance rate: The percentage of twin pairs or other pairs of relatives that exhibit the same disorder.
Concordance starts with CON. Con in Spanish means with. If you're a twin, you're always WITH someone else. And that sparked my memory on the rest of the definition.
You can relate the first words of a line to something in the line preceding yours like that. That always works for me if I'm having trouble.

Thanks that what I did with one of my monologues. It really helps, because then when I am saying one line my mind just automatically is thinking of whats coming next.

romeo, romeo, where fore art thou romeo?

for juliette is the sun...

work at it little by little. you WILL get it! you WILL. try not to think about how hard it actually is, just about how much fun it will be when you actually do it. DO NOT, i reapeat, DO NOT! think about how hard it is.

btw goodluck!!

Yeah if I have a bad attitude about it I am never gonna memorize this stuff! I found it helps if I am acting it out, or at least thinking how I am going to act these lines full out.

 

[Loves Disney]

sing them.

when you read the script, pick a favorite song with an easy tune and substitute the words. it'll sound silly at first but then you'll get the hang of it.

I agree with this method. Especially with Shakespeare. Giving words a beat or a tune helps your brain grab them. Shakespeare writes in verse a lot throughout much of his plays and most of the time, the only lines that aren't written in verse are those characters without "nobility" if that makes any sense. As Juliet, you will probably find that most of your lines are in verse - so sing 'em! (even if it's just expressing the stresses on the words from the play's natural meter)

 

[Princess_Dot]

I agree with this method. Especially with Shakespeare. Giving words a beat or a tune helps your brain grab them. Shakespeare writes in verse a lot throughout much of his plays and most of the time, the only lines that aren't written in verse are those characters without "nobility" if that makes any sense. As Juliet, you will probably find that most of your lines are in verse - so sing 'em! (even if it's just expressing the stresses on the words from the play's natural meter)

Yeah Im gonna try this, its the only way I haven't tried to memorize. I have a huge chunk (8 scenes, something like 40 lines...uncluding my 'death' monologue) to learn for tomorrow. I think this is gonna be the only way.

 

[PinkAnimePrincess]

When I took acting I had to memorize a two and a half poem in one week! My advice to you is devide the parts up, and make a chart saying what your going to be memorize everyday. Everyday try to memorize a new part