FANTASTIC PIECES AND WHERE TO FIND THEM - PowerPoint Presentation

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FANTASTIC PIECES AND WHERE TO FIND THEMSlide2

CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD LITERATURESlide3

Quality of the Material

It

has a

theme

that connects the reader or listener to common human experiences such as love, anger, joy and pain.

It

also has

conflict

, the struggle between two opposing forces. All people have experienced conflict within themselves, with other people or with nature.

The

literature should help the reader see

ordinary ideas in a new way.

The

material should excite the reader’s

imagination

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Audience Appeal

Ask yourself how you listeners will respond to the material you selected.

Is

it

appropriate

for the age, concerns and feelings of your

audience

?

Does

the piece fit the

occasion

?

The more

universal

the theme of the piece is, the better your chances of connecting with your judges/audience, no matter what age/race/gender/etc.Slide5

Understanding

Can your listeners grasp the meaning of your piece in

just one reading?

You don’t

get

a second chance. If the language is too difficult or sentence structure too

complex,

that literature is not appropriate for

reading

aloud. Look for words and ideas that can be clearly

communicated, As

poet Ted Hughes says in his book

Poetry Is,

look for words that “live.”

Words that live are those which we hear like “click” or “chuckle.” Or which we see, like “freckled” or “veined” or which we taste, like “vinegar” or

“sugar "or

touch

like "prickle”

or “oily” or smell like “tar” or “onion”. Or words that act and use their

muscles,

like “flick” or “balance.”Slide6

Your Feelings

You must feel a connection to the material

.

You

cannot expect an audience to get excited over a piece that has no meaning for you. If you don’t feel connected to the literature you will have a hard time communicating its meaning to your audience.Slide7

Checklist for Selecting Material

______Does is connect with common human experiences?

______Is it appropriate to the audience and to the occasion?

______Will listeners be able to grasp the meaning in one reading?

______Do you feel personally connected to the material?Slide8

Questions to ask when looking for HUMOROUS PIECESSlide9

1. What

type of humor do you like? 

Everyone has a comedic preference and acceptable spectrum of what is funny.  Monty Python might be the comedy Holy Grail to some, while be distasteful and idiotic to others.  Performing a Humorous Interpretation that you do not find funny will not only show your disdain for the work, but also lack humor because you will not be going for the jokes!  So why bother even looking at pieces of disinterest?  Know what you like and searching for pieces with similar types of humor (a quick Internet search can give you some ideas) will lead you to a HI quicker than a blind search.

2. Any

authors or titles you enjoy?  

If you are aware of some authors or titles that you know you enjoy it is in your best interest to research more of those authors' work and see if anything else (LESS KNOWN) is hilarious and capable of being turned into an HI.  You should also try to find what other authors people who share similar tastes like (go to Amazon, type in an author's name, go to a product, and look at the "what others bought" section).  This will give you a larger pool of work to sleuth through.

3. What

abilities do you have?  

Are you great at voices?  Can you contort yourself Jim Carey style into new characters?  Maybe your deadpan delivery is exquisite?  Whatever you excel in is what you should look for in a potential script.  Your Humorous Interpretation needs to highlight your skills.  It makes you look great but also allows the script to be performed at its best.  You and the script should work together to deliver a spectacular performance. Slide10

4. What

are you comfortable doing?

If there is anything in the piece that leaves you feeling iffy then this piece is not meant for you.  If you EVER feel uncomfortable with a script then your insecurity will cause cracks in your performance.  Humorous Interpretations that lack confidence result in half-done gags and the audience sensing your reserve.  Thus, knowing a Humorous Interpretation built around dark comedy would leave you questioning the content you know to avoid even reading dark comedies on your piece searching.

5. Is

this challenging?  

Choosing a Humorous Interpretation because it's easy is a poor quality to describe something you will be devoting part of your life to.  Your HI reflects who you are, so show audiences that you like to take risks and push yourself to excel.  Plus, you want to have a place to work towards during the season.  If you already mastered your piece midway through the season you will become bored and your performance zeal will slip.  Also, as you become stagnant others will continue to grow and surpass you. 

6. Is

this safe?  

A safe Humorous Interpretation is a bland Humorous Interpretation.  You do not want to choose something that is overly vulgar or shocking just to be shocking, but having a piece that has a few risks and challenges will drive you as a performer--and take your audience off-guard in a good way!   Slide11

7. Can

this be cut?

If a piece cannot be cut to fit time (or to fit the basic storytelling structure: Exposition (introduction of characters, setting, etc.) --> CONFLICT and Rising Action (the issue is discovered and problems arise due to the conflict) --> Climax (the height of conflict and highest tension; everything is unleashed!) --> Falling Action (things begin to settle down and a solution is sought) --> Dénouement (the resolution/conclusion; things come to an end happily or not).) then it is not worth a second glance.  File it away for a work in progress if you absolutely love it, but do find a piece than can be cut and usable

now.

8. Do

you love it?

No matter how much of a universal appeal you wish to find for your Humorous Interpretation, the bottom line is you have to love it.  Don't alienate your audience, BUT DO NOT SELECT A PIECE SOLELY TO PACIFY THEM!  Find something you find delightfully funny and go from there.  Use your team as a test group if you are unsure of your selection. Slide12

Questions to ask when looking for DRAMATIC PIECESSlide13

1. Is

the source material legal?

There are rules on where you can get your script from.  The range may be broad, but you do not want to find yourself "

scriptless

."  Dramatic Interpretations, as stated by the National Forensics League, must be of "cuttings from 

published-printed

 novels, short stories, plays, poetry, or any other printed-published materials."  Essentially you have an almost limitless venue of where to find materials--just be sure the work has been PUBLISHED and

PRINTED

2. Do

you love it?

A Dramatic Interpretation is a relationship between you and your script.  And much like a relationship you would have with a friend or girlfriend/boyfriend, there are good relationships and bad ones.  Why invest your time in a piece that you are lukewarm over?  Would you date or befriend a person that you simply saw as mildly interesting?  NO, NEVER!  It's a waste of time for all parties involved.  A Dramatic Interpretation without heart is what will ruin even a polished piece and leave the audience feeling your performance was

lacking.

3. Can

you picture yourself as the characters? 

You have found a script that is enticing and you are thinking of making a cutting.  Ask yourself first: can I picture myself as any of these characters?  Remember, you are not only casting yourself in one role but multiple.  If most of the characters are not in your acting range then sorry, this piece is not in your future.  You can love and be intrigued by something yet not be compatible.  And that's okay.  Just know when to walk away.Slide14

4. Do

the characters have range?

I

t

is advised to select a piece with well-developed characters.  There are several reasons behind this.  First, well-done characters make your job as an interpreter easier.  Do you really want to have to chisel away at a wooden persona, trying to find what makes them distinct from everyone else?  Second, having characters with varying personalities showcases your acting skills.  Playing characters that are the same would be self-imposed typecasting. 

5. Is

it good storytelling?

Reflect back on any story you love.  Why is it so dear?  Surly the plot is compelling.  Realistically though all stories can be stripped away to several basic tales.  The Boy Meets Girl story?  The Buddy Adventure story? The Lost Love story?  Of course there are variations and twists, but nothing is 100% new.  What really makes these tales unique is how they are told.  Good stories have developed expositions (introductions), rising action with juicy conflict, a mind-blowing climax, gripping falling action, and a dénouement (conclusion/resolution) that leaves you thinking. 

Interpretation

is a condensed version of a story so it is possible to take an alright plot and cut it to perfection; if you are crafty.  But your job will be less complicated with a solid story to begin with; cutting is challenging when there is little of the source material worth keeping.  Besides, most works that are mediocre stories in full will just be

mediocre performances.

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6. Can

it be cut?

Some longer works are not meant to be cut.  They might be too long to shorten without losing potency or they might not offer a selection that can stand alone.  Another problem is finding a script that works with Dramatic Interpretation's nature.  Are multiple characters possible?  Give a piece some thought and ask yourself if making a cutting is realistic.  If "no" is a reoccurring word, my apologies. 

7. Is

it dramatic enough?

This does not mean is the story focused on murder, drugs, rape, AIDS, etc.  Drama stems from conflict, plain and simple.  A strained Father-Son relationship qualifies as drama--it can be excellent drama.  No, what this refers to is that moment.  That Dramatic Interpretation moment, usually the climax, where you get to unleash your inner dramatist.  Things "get real" and it is your chance to pretend you are performing in an Academy Award winning role.  Never over-do this moment, but be sure your piece offers you an opportunity to show your dramatic, peacock plumage.

8. Is

it universal?

Be sure to find a piece almost anyone can relate or connect with.  This DI is just not for you but for your audience as well.  If they cannot form a bond with your piece, it does not matter how fantastic you are, you will not do as well as you can.  However, do not sacrifice quality or a work you love merely to appease the crowd.  Just remind yourself that the story only you adore will most likely not place.  General rule, if your team and coach enjoy it you should be golden

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WHERE TO FIND THEMSlide17

EVERYWHERE!!

Libraries

Book Stores

English Textbooks

Ask Family & Friends

Ask Classmates

Online –

http://

savagedebate.weebly.com/competitive-drama-resources.html

Our team website has links to TONS of websites that you can find all different types of literature