SACFL3 Duval Charter School Baymeadows Jacksonville
2017 — Duval Charter School, Jacksonvi, FL/US
Duo Interpretation of Literature
Event Description:
Time Limit • Maximum - 10 minutes, including introductory and transitional material other than the author’s words. Material thus used should be limited to one minute. If the speakers go over a 30 second grace period, those contestants must not be awarded first place. No minimum time.
Judging Criteria • Introduction: The introduction should name the work and author, provide necessary background information, and establish the mood. If using a teaser or if lines from the selection are used in the introduction, the speakers must adhere to the rules of the event.
• Material: The material being presented should allow for interesting character choices and reasonable plot structure. The material should be appropriate for the students. Consideration should be given to the literary merit of the selection.
• Interaction and Environment: The performers should convince you that they truly see the other character(s). Each character should listen and react with face and body especially as the other is talking. What one character says or does should provoke a fitting vocal, physical and emotional response from the other character. The characters should see and respond to what is around them. They should take the audience into the physical world of their story. The interpreters will vocally and physically respond to each other’s verbal and non-verbal cues while maintaining an offstage focus.
• Characterization: Each character should convey a distinct, consistent personality, stance, and manner of gesturing. Each character should be sufficiently developed and should interact meaningfully with the other characters.
• Physicality: The physical movement and portrayal should contribute to the overall aesthetics of the presentation. A realistic environment should be established by the performers. Pantomime, if used, should be accurate and realistic.
• Vocal Quality: The interpreters, within character, should appropriately vary pitch, volume, rate, emphasis, quality, phrasing, and intensity to convey the various moods and messages in the story.
• Overall Effect: The overall performance should build to various moments and have a climax. The performance should be complete and easy to follow. The performance should display another world outside of the performance space. Additional Judging Criteria (from the Bylaws)
• The material may be humorous or dramatic, or may combine both tones, depending on the work selected.
• Except during introduction and transition, eye contact is aimed only in the audience’s direction; focal points are to be employed during dialogue; eye contact with specific audience members during narration is permitted.
• The selection should begin from the center stage area.
• The two interpreters should effectively utilize pitch, volume, phrasing, vocal quality, tone, articulation, enunciation, and fluency to create the characterizations desired. The dialogue between characters should reflect a genuine sense of interaction, not a mechanical exchange of lines.
• While singing is permitted, it should not be excessive or dominate the performance. Judges’ ranks may reflect if singing has dominated the performance.