These are the top ways I like to memorize scripts (or anything really) 🧵
Firstly, I break things up into bite sized chunks. Right when I receive the material I see what is MY job to learn, and break that up into smaller, more digestible pieces.
Create a schedule with these digestible pieces, and create deadlines. Parkinson's Law explains how "work expands to fill the time allotted for it's completion."
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If you plan to memorize your lines by the time of the performance you'll be filling time with trivial things.
On the other hand, if you set multiple deadlines, for the smaller chunks you've set yourself up with, it's far easier, and because it's easier you're rewarded quicker, which sustains the work. As opposed to one deadline for a large amount of work.
After breaking the script down into learnable chunks, first you need to know about the script. It's time for a little more preparatory work. Firstly and most importantly READ THE ENTIRE SCRIPT!
You must know what you're talking about, you're characters goals, and for everyone, where you are going, and where you end up.
Then, allow some time to learn what you don't know. Anything that's unfamiliar, make sure it's familiar, it's easier to learn that way.
So, then, within your work session, break it down even further, it's shown that we can only hold about 7 items within our short term memory. So if you're just starting, go 7 words, then sentences, then on as you move the short term to the long term memory.
I love to move while I memorize. Be careful not to use only one form of movement as the kinesthetic memory will also come into play, and you'll only be able to know the lines when you're running or jogging if that was the form in which you memorized. So switch it up as you go!
Also with movement, you should know the lines enough to do a task with an objective while also reciting the lines. For this I like to:
-Do the dishes
-Water my plants
-Lift heavier weights
-Organizing or cleaning.
Finally, let go of the belief that you have "poor memory" you don't, you just might memorize different things better. Unless you have a cognitive learning disability, dementia, or something else you also have the ability to store 7 items in your short terms.
The best advice I can give you in terms of learning your lines is to practice. You absolutely can improve. An actionable step I can give you is take a movie or TV show script that you love, learn, and memorize the scene, and put it up! do that 1x/wk.
You'll quickly see results. This is something that I did with my Actors training series on YouTube, a bit of my earlier youtube creations but they might prove useful in terms of the format for you.