Mount St Mary Academy Forensics Festival
2025 — Little Rock, AR/US
HS Dramatic Interp
Event Description:
CRITERIA: If a rule is broken, judge should lower the performer one ranking.
Dramatic Interpretation (DI) focuses on a student's ability to convey emotion through the use of a dramatic text. Competitors may portray one or multiple characters. No props or costumes may be used. Performances may also include an introduction written by the student to contextualize the performance and state the title and author.
*Selections should be drawn from published, printed novels, short stories, plays, poetry, or other printed, published works. Selections used must be cuttings from a single work of literature listed above .
*Scene must be presented from memory. Scripts may not be used; use of scripts is against NSDA-event rules adopted by ACTM per the Qualifying Document.
*Use of focal points and/or direct contact with the audience should be determined by the requirements of the literature being interpreted .
*An introduction should be presented containing information necessary to understand character(s) and scene. Title and author should be presented in introduction.
*Time limit,inclusive of introduction, is 10 minutes with a 30 second grace period. (If the performer goes beyond the 30 second grace period, the performer may not be ranked first.) There is no time minimum.
* Note: It is the expectation that performances are the artistic creation of the performer(s). It is plagiarism to copy a performance in detail from a video online. If there is suspicionof plagiarism, please be prepared to cite the source that was copied and consult with the tournament director. The tournament director will then consult with the coach of theperformer(s) concerning consequences, which may result in their disqualification from the tournament.
Comments:
Introduction: Did it capture your attention? Did it establish background information?
Selection: Did the selection meet literary standards? Was the selection worthy of study on the part of the student?Was the cutting adequate?
Delivery: Were the voice, gestures, and facial expressions adapted to the selection? Was tempo correct?
Understanding: Did the speaker understand the issues within the topic? Did the student understand the author’s theme and purpose?
Characters: Were the characters differentiated clearly? Were the emotional and mental elements of the charactersunderstood and projected efficiently?