ITH Line-run

What’s My Line?

How good is your memory? Do remember all your passwords? Can you remember what you wore last week? If someone asked you to recall every item you bought during a recent trip to the grocery store, could you do it?

Now consider the brainpower involved in memorizing an entire script for a play, especially a musical — and retaining it for months.

Learning lines is a basic part of our job as actors in In the Heights, a job that is largely reserved for winter break. Over the two weeks of winter holiday each member of the cast took time to memorize lines, cues, lyrics,choreography, and blocking. 

Yet, experience and a number of tricks make memorizing lines much easier than it looks.  Here are some of the basic tricks I’ve learned….

1.    Cues are just as important as lines. For those that don’t know, a cue is the technical term for the line directly before yours. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that actors only have to memorize their own lines, however without a cue it’s impossible to know when to say your lines. (It really doesn't matter much if you know your lines if you don't know when to say them.)

2.   It’s easier to memorize lyrics than lines. The structure of reciting lines to rhythm actually makes them easier to recite than if you freely memorize lines.

3.   Technology is your friend. There are so many ways that technology can help someone who needs to memorize lines. Over the break each member of the cast Skyped/Facetimed with a line buddy, the person who they’re in the most scenes with.  Many cast members chose to use extra technological help by using the recording apps pre-downloaded on most phones. It’s helpful because you can record all of your cues and then recite your lines as if you're practicing with someone else. (Dr. Wu and Dr. Davis also post recordings of the piano to the songs so we can learn our parts.)

In the end though, no matter what method you use to memorize your lines every member of the cast of  In the Heights is expected to have their parts down cold by the time we return to break.  

On the first day we return to rehearsal the whole cast gathers up on stage to run through the entire musical. There is a special type of pressure and self awareness that only this first line-run can provide. Not only is it the final test of your lines but is also a mildly menacing indicator that our show is coming together and won’t be long till we open house. The head stage manager says "Go" and we all go from beginning to end through the entire show, songs and all. 

Current countdown… 7 weeks!

Fortunately this line run went great! Lots more work to do to make the show ready but we are right where we should be. 

-Noah