How Does One Learn a Lengthy Monologue

Two aspiring actors, who attended a production of my most recent play, obviously enjoyed the performance. Shortly after they had left, they walked back in and confronted me. “How did I memorize a 90 minute script? What method did I have? How long did it take me?” “Was it easier because I’d written the script?”

I was taken aback. I’d never really thought about this. After stumbling through an inadequate response, one of them said: “Oh, you just have a good memory.” Well, yes and no.

Memory is a muscle of sorts. One has to exercise it regularly. In some respects, a person of my vintage is very fortunate. At public school and into high school, we had to memorize lengthy poems such as “The Cremation of Sam McGee”, the mathematical times-tables, scientific formulae, and numerous class presentations.

But when one is presented with a lengthy script, there are some useful tools, even if one has not had this early experience. One has to break the script down into segments. One has to get to know the story itself. Making sequential charts of events in the play helps.

Of course, a linear script is easier for memory than my most recent play, Desperately Seeking Samuel, which was anything but linear. And one’s own script is, if anything, much more difficult to learn than someone else’s. That is because in writing a play, the script evolves. There are many revisions. There is much reorganization and many versions before the final. When one is performing one’s own play, one’s head can be cluttered with aspects of these different versions.

There is no single method for learning a lengthy script. What I will say to an actor who wants to take on a monologue for the first time, is practice! And practice regularly. 

Start with a small section of a script, one that you like, perhaps five minutes’ worth of text. Work on it for a half hour, or a little longer if need be. Gain confidence. Feel it. Get comfortable with it. Then start working on the next five-minute segment. When you are comfortable, put the two pieces together.  Continue in this incremental way.

Try to visualize the text in your head. See it there. And try to understand and feel the meaning of the words being spoken by the character. You will become more and more familiar with the character.

The more you do this, the easier it will become. But like the strengthening of any muscle, it won’t happen quickly. It’s a gradual and repeated process. And don’t overdo it in one go.