The Acting Line Notes Template is a streamlined way to give your actor's line notes so they stay on-script and accurate. Your Stage Manager, student crew member, or even other actors can help document line notes! 

Actors can't always track line habits they've picked up during rehearsal. Which is why giving them line notes early and often is how to help them stick to the script like the playwright intended (if you have a digital callboard like we teach in the Pro Production Bundle, they will even be able to view their line notes online). 

Line notes keep the actor accountable, correct line mistakes as they happen, and maintain the accuracy and consistency of the script. Once actors are off-book, that is the time to start giving all actor's line notes.  

Production Phase: Production, Rehearsal

How to use: First identify an individual to be the line note referee. This is typically the Stage Manager. Then decide when actors will start receiving line notes. This typically occurs once the actors are off-book. We'd recommend holding until after the first or second off-book rehearsal once the actors have had a chance to rehearse without their script at least once. 

But don't wait too long! Actors need support in calling out the lines they may be missing, muddling, or paraphrasing! So don't let it get engrained before it is corrected.

Line notes should be given to actors after a rehearsal either on a piece of paper, like this template. Or on the digital callboard so they can review and memorize the lines correctly outside of working rehearsals. 

Here are the elements for a great line note:

• Written down - this is key, the actor needs to see the correct line written out
• Must-haves:
  • Performer Name
  • Page on script line occurs
  • Date the line note was given
  • What the correct line is
  • Exactly how the actor messed up the line so they can fix it. Did they:
    • Paraphrase
    • Invert lines   
    • Jumped cue   
    • Rearrange words   
    • Dropped line     
    • Dropped word/phrase
• Given to the actor immediately at the end of the rehearsal

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The Pro Production Bundle

This theatre production template is one of over 100+ templates, checklists, forms, and tutorials included in the Pro Production Bundle. Check out the Pro Production special now: