Memorization

Memorization is an absolute neccesity in theatre performance, and It may just be the biggest barrier for any young actor to overcome. As you may know, memorization for theatre and for film are two completely different levels, because when on film, an actor can cheat, but there are no shortcuts in theatre; the actor has to be able to run the entire script straight through in one go.

In the mainstage production that I'm a part of, lack of memorization has been greatly holding us back from moving on with the play. To make it even worse, this play that's giving us so much trouble has to be mastered in pretty much a week's time, though the rehearsal process began only a week ago!

Holding a script is like having a set of crutches, and it's impossible to run with a play like this one when you constantly have to rely on your crutches just to keep yourself from doing a face-plant.

The one week warning has been a huge wake-up call for the cast. We know that until the final performance, this play will have to become our lives. We have to devote our time to work on this memorization until we're strong enough to run on our own, and then it will be all fun from there.

- The Artist