UGH! One of the most frustrating utterances a director, stage manager, or fellow cast member can hear is “LINE!” just weeks before opening night.
Get off book as soon as you can – before rehearsals starts if possible. It is simply unacceptable and unprofessional to not be off-book by the date assigned. Yes, everyone needs to call for a line eventually, but if you are calling for help so much that rehearsals are going nowhere, you may need to be removed from the role.
When you audition, you are agreeing to pull your weight in the show so that everyone succeeds. Holding up the progress of the show is selfish and will come back to haunt you. Learn this lesson now. Your behavior as a person and an artist will affect your ability to get a job. Theater is a small world, you may not get many chances.
Professionalism aside, there is an artistic obstacle inherent with not learning your lines. Not knowing your lines means that you have not spent very much time with the script getting to know your character and their world. Nothing can be done if you are still struggling with lines. You can’t experiment, adjust, create if you are thinking, “what am I supposed to be saying here?”
