How to learn your lines
Practical guides for actors with a script to learn, whether that's one scene or the whole play.
Looking for an app to help you learn your lines? See how Ollie compares.
Six weeks to opening. You've just been cast. The script is heavier than you remember.
How to learn a whole play, not just one scene
Learning a full role takes a different plan from learning a scene. Here's how to map your part, pace it over weeks, and keep early acts from slipping.
Read the guide6 min read
Learning lines
How to memorize lines fast
The fastest way to learn lines is to stop rereading them. Here's a practical method for actors, with a three-day schedule for when time is short.
5 min read
Running lines
How to run lines without a scene partner
No one around to read with you? Here are the best ways to run lines alone, what each one is good for, and how to keep your scene alive by yourself.
5 min read
Running lines
Cue-to-cue memorization: learn lines as responses
You can know every word and still miss your cue. Cue-to-cue memorization ties each line to the words that trigger it, with drills to practice it.
5 min read
Verse
How to memorize Shakespeare: verse makes it easier
Shakespeare's verse looks harder to learn than modern text, but its rhythm helps you remember it. A practical method for verse and long speeches.
6 min read
Rehearsal room
How to prepare for a table read
A table read isn't a test of your memory, but what you do beforehand matters. Here's how to prepare, what to bring, and how to make the most of the day.
5 min read
Musicals
How to memorize a musical's book scenes
Book scenes often get left until last, behind the songs and dances. A plan for learning dialogue, including cues into songs and underscoring.
5 min read
Tech week
How to get word-perfect before tech week
Tech week is no time to be calling for lines. Here's a two-week plan for going from mostly right to word-perfect, and for fixing your stubborn errors.
5 min read
Looking for an app to help you learn your lines? See how Ollie compares.
Know your role!Ollie reads the rest.
Upload your script and Ollie reads every other part out loud, waits for you to say your lines, and keeps track of the ones you've really learned. Ollie is in an invite-only beta, and the demo needs no sign-up.
