How do actors do it? 70 or 80 pages of script – in need of memorization.

If you have ever asked a group of actors how they can possibly memorize all that text, you will probably get a variety of answers. Some will tell you, “It just makes sense,” or “Memorizing script isn’t like memorizing a list of unrelated items; there are clues in the script.” Another might say, “It’s well written. It flows. That makes it easier,” or “Repetition, that’s my method,” or “Having someone to practice with will simplify the process.”

Who’s right? All of them. Each person’s method is whatever works for him or her. But there are things that are almost universally true: 1) repetition (ever hear of rehearsal?), 2) good writing (the language real people use or would use in similar circumstances), 3) the story (the events and the progress necessary to tell the story), etc.

Of course, even using all the methods simultaneously won’t assure that an actor won’t “go up” aka forget a line or lines. Fellow actors on stage can nearly always cover – lead the story (and script) back to what it should be. It is the responsibility of everyone on stage to be alert and, within character and plot, bring the story back. They are expected to do so without any indication of problem or angst, and they do.