Whats the best way to learn lines for a play?

read through the script many, many times. then it outloud while in rehearsal.... study the lines every night.... the more your familiar, the easier they'll come, if you continually forget a line, u must study that scene... study it more... it take a lot of practicing to perfect this ability.

Read the play over and over again. Have someone coach you on your lines. Ask them to be firm on every word so you have it down cold. You can't really start to discover the role in rehearsal unless the script is out of your hands. D

Okay... here's what I do. Attend EVERY rehearsal. "I have nausea" or "My dog ate my script" are NOT good excuses. In fact, the only GOOD excuse is that you are dead. Ask your director if there are any spare copies of the play on CD or cassette, and if you could borrow them. Cram like mad the last few days before "drop book". Record yourself reading through your script on your computer, burn it to a disk, and set your stereo extra low and play it through the night on repeat. Use headphones and a CD player if you have someone else in the room or have no stereo. Good luck! Break a leg, lose an eyeball, crack a tooth, and fall down dead on stage! (We theatre people ground our beliefs in reverse luck.)

Visualise the scene. See the characters and their surroundings. Construct it in your imagination. Then use key words to link the scene you have imagined to the lines you are trying to learn.

There's no right or wrong way to learn them, whatever works for you. I go to a place where I won't be disturbed or heard and practice like I'm on a stage. I practice and practice and practice. That's what it takes for me.

I had a system that I developed years ago and was known as a 'quick study'. I would read the whole play at least twice. Then I would read my cue and my part aloud -- aloud...helps to hear your self saying the words. I would do that minimum six times. Then get someone to cue me and see if I, at least, got the idea of each speech. If I didn't then aloud again four times until I at least if not word for word had the sense of each speech. Then with recorder, I have moved up to an MD, easier to deal with than the old tape, I would record my cues, short space and then the speech. Work with this....etc. You'll find your own rhythm, etc. Just takes work, but you don't start acting until you "own" Your words.

Have a friend work with you to feed you the line right before yours.

I do a lot of plays and reenactments, it's always easier for me if I rehearse with someone else

Have someone read with you. Then it's more like a real converssation than just memorizing lines.