VHSL Regions 5C and 6A Forensics 2023
2023 — Midlothian, VA/US
6A Serious Dramatic Interpretation
Event Description:
Purpose of Contest: To encourage and increase appreciation of dramatic literature and to communicate to the audience its emotional and intellectual content with spontaneity, directness, and clarity, clearly suggesting the characters and the personality of one or more persons in dialogue.
Contest Regulations:
1. Each contestant shall present ONE selection that he/she has not used in a regional, super-regional, or state contest in a previous year. The selection should emphasize character development through consistent use of distinct voices, focal points, and postures. It must be of a serious nature chosen from published material. Selections from the Internet must appear on the Approved List of Online Sources. The selection may not have been written by the student or about his or her own experiences. The use of a manuscript is prohibited. Contestant must present the same selection in each round of a given tournament.
2. Movement is allowed, but such movement should be restricted to bending (knees and/or waist); leaning, twisting, or swiveling; and limited walking. Use of body (gestures, appropriate audience/eye contact, etc.) to suggest the character is permitted.
3. The time limit, including narration, introductory and transitional remarks, is 10 minutes. Adjudicators will not provide time signals, and students may not time themselves. Any contestant who exceeds the established time limit by more than 30 seconds may not rank first or score highest in the round. There is no minimum time requirement.
Examples of Judging Criteria
Appearance: speaker’s appearance is appropriate for competition
Poise: speaker is prepared, confident, composed
Choice of Selection: selection is appropriate, and fitting to speaker, category and audience
Organization: selection flows; editing/cutting is coherent
Eye contact: appropriate, focused
Interpretation: speaker’s interpretation is intelligible, effective, engaging, and entertaining
Communication: speaker presents material effectively in a way audience can understand story, characters, and character(s) motivation; establishes mood
Articulation: speaker enunciates, pronounces words correctly, and is understandable
Projection: speaker uses appropriate volume
Vocal Characterization: speaker clearly and thoughtfully creates different voices/accents for characters and is consistent when transitioning between/among characters
Physical Characterization: speaker clearly and thoughtfully creates and presents characters by incorporating appropriate and distinct gestures, body postures, behaviors, and other relevant physicality, and is consistent when transitioning between/among characters
Pace: pacing is appropriately varied, is not too fast or too slow
Memorization: delivery is free of memorization lapses and errors
Freshness: speaker presents material with an “illusion of the first time” as if it were brand new; presentation is not stale or rote
Energy: speaker presents material with appropriate energy level, is not monotonous
Impact: presentation is impactful and arouses emotion in audience