Collierville Holiday Classic

2026 — Collierville, TN/US

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Middle School Prose Interpretation

Event Description:

Prose Interpretation

Judging Rules and Guidelines

a. Contest requirements

1. Literature

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) 2. Time

(a) (b) (c) 3. Performance

(a) Literature for performance will be from a published, printed prose work

— fiction or nonfiction — such as novels, essays, short stories, etc., but not

from poetry or plays.

More than one cutting may be performed. Cuttings should be related.

Transitions may be used.

Material from the Internet that is not printed and published in any other

media is prohibited.

A student may not use a cutting from a work of literature that the student

used in THSSDL competition in any previous contest year.

The original published source of any selections used must be immediately

available at the tournament, as well as a complete script of the cutting.

The literature may not be the student's own work.

The maximum time limit is ten (10) minutes with a 30 second “grace”

period.

The introduction to the selection is considered part of the overall time

limit.

Penalties will be imposed for exceeding the time limit.

Vocal, facial and bodily expressions may be used as long as they do not

call attention to the interpreter as a performer or detract from the meaning

of the material.

A manuscript must be used.

(b) b. Judging criteria

Oral Interpretation of Prose Literature will be judged on the basis of the

appropriateness of the selection to the event and to the contestant. The

student’s understanding of the selection and the author, vocal and physical

control, communication of meaning and how well she/he handled the

manuscript will also be considered.