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MEMORY (continued)
Contents of this section
Actors Learning Lines
The Memory of an Actor
Actors Learning Lines
People remember something because cues trigger memory. There are relatively few
cues when we try to recall something, thus, there are few cues to help us remember
in the question ‘What did Mary wear at the picnic?' Recognition involves evaluating
many clues at the same time. For instance, many clues are provided if the question
is ‘ Did Mary wear this plaid blouse at the picnic?' and the blouse in question is
held up as the question is asked. A person who fails to recall may claim that
given enough time he or she will remember the answer. The same claim can be
made with recognition but is less believable. A person who needs more than a few
seconds to study the blouse will probably never recognise whether it was worn by
Mary at the picnic.
Some actors use memory aids to help them remember their lines. The famous
memory man Harry Lorayne has shown that actors can learn lines quickly using adaptations
of the imagery method. Interestingly, though studies have shown that even though
actors know about memory aids, and use them in a few restricted situations they are
not normally used for this purpose. Actors usually learn their lines by getting
deeply into the character of the play they are to perform, so that they can ‘feel'
what a character would say in any particular situation. The actor then ‘fine
tunes' the actual dialogue. One reason for this approach is that the speed
of learning lines is secondary to learning them in such a way that the actor gives
depth to the part. It is not only what is said, but also how it is said that is important.
Of course, there is no good evidence that using mnemonic strategies would prevent
an actor from thinking deeply about the character who was saying the words. It is
possible that, as in many other spheres of learning, the distrust of quick methods
of learning is misplaced. It is also true that in some situations when what
is to be learned is pretty meaningless, actors have been reported as using memory
aids to remember their lines. Moreover, some individuals do find it difficult
to remember lines using conventional acting approaches, and for such actors, memory
aids might well be useful as mental crutches until the lines are learned and they
can get ‘into' the part.
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The Memory of an Actor
The following questions were put to Bruce James, who is an actor producer with
his own company of repertory players:
I am interested to know if you if you could tell me a bit about how people on
the stage learn their lines. I have been studying the way the Celtic
Bards arranged the memorisation of their poetry; in the medieval period little was
written down and so they must have had to recite from memory, passed on orally in
most cases. When potential poets went to study with a known master to learn
how to compose verse in Welsh the training period lasted anything up to seven years.
There were Bardic grammars with lists of words and meanings but not real dictionaries.
The poetry they wrote was often in the from of eulogies in praise of the nobles who
kept them in their houses, and acted as their sponsors and from whom they received
gifts, not always money, but sometimes clothes or horses. A particular nobleman would
take his own poet around with him as part of their retinue when they visited other
gentry. Poetry was composed in strict metre, which is governed by rigid rules
of not only how the words rhymed at the end of the line but also according sounds,
which occurred within the line. Some Welsh poetry has certain repetitive rhythms
- perhaps this helps the orator to memorise it. The idea then was that the bard would
recite poetry or tell stories and take part in a performance around the fire where
music and dancing also formed part of the entertainment. These early poets were called
the ‘Cynfeirdd'. The next step was the composing of love poems and poems about
nature. But, I don't suppose obscure Welsh poetry is of much interest to you.
In an article I have been writing I suggest that memorising, not only words but
also actions that might form part of a religious ceremony or festival, can also work
as well as a theatre performance. Even going back to the Ancient Greeks, where
often the linking of scenes was performed by a chorus of voices. Memorising
can be automatic as in rote learning of multiplication tables at school. Where the
person is unconsciously learning the numbers by dint of constant repetition. But
there seems to be a difference between learning lines or figures by hearing them
said, as opposed to reading them from a text.
What I would like you to know from your experience, do you have any particular
way of learning lines?
Does it work better to learn a script if you say the lines out loud while reading
from the book? Or do you have to work at it from constantly repeating the words together
with the gestures and movements with other people in the show, until the pattern
begins to be automatic.
No doubt, some people are better at remembering lines than others. I was
never able to memorise poetry except for something like Rudyard Kipling's ‘If'. I've
always envied people who could quote long sequences of verse from memory. So
is there any trick to it? If you have to learn a play in a short period what
would you consider is the shortest time you could allow? And again, if you
do a show once and then put it on again, how easy or difficult is it to recall what
you've already learnt. Do the words themselves play a part - for instance, is it
difficult to learn a play by say, Shakespeare?
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