DRAMATIC INTERPRETATION (DI)
Time limit: 10 Minutes. The art of interpretation is an activity wherein the competitor recreates the characters in the story presented to make them seem living and real to the audience. Narrative, if included, should be vivid and animated so as to be an interesting and integral part of the story rather than just “filler” between portions of dialogue. A test of good interpretation is sharing the literature effectively. Each performer embodies a character and finds motivation in that character’s intentions. A superior performance means all these elements work together to create a presentation in which vocal skill and physical control combines to create characters that will captivate the audience. The test of good interpretation is the ability to use these factors so successfully and unobtrusively that the hearer forgets this is a contest in a created atmosphere and is carried away to the time and place of the story being unfolded.
Dramatic interpretation competitors perform a selection of one or more portions of a piece up to ten minutes in lengths using a play, short story, or other published work. Dramatic Interpretation is focused on the student’s ability to convey emotion through the use of a dramatic text. Dramatic Interpretation, contrary to its name, is not all about drama. Despite dramatic elements being key aspects of the event, melodramatic or overly-sad selections are not ideal choices for performance. Competitors focus on suspending the disbelief of the audience by portraying a realistic, emotional journey of a character(s). Competitors of DI address topics of serious social subject matter, in their selection, such as coping with terminal illness, significant historical situations, events, and figures, and racial and gender discrimination, suppression, and oppression.
Selections must be cuttings from published novels, short stories, plays, poetry or other printed, published works, PDFs, e-books, as well as limited online works. Cuttings must be from a single work of literature. The selection will be judged for its appropriateness as contest material and its suitability to the particular contestant using it.
Contestants must name the author and the book or magazine from which the cutting was made. The presentation should include an informational, relevant, enticing-in-content, and conversational-in-delivery introduction. Effective introductions enhance the presentation and are included, along with transitions, as part of the allocated time.
Competitors may portray one or multiple characters. The contestants will be evaluated on poise, quality and use of voice, inflections, emphasis, pronunciation, enunciation, physical expression, and especially the ability to interpret characters correctly and consistently.
Physical objects or costuming are not allowed during the presentation. Changes to the script may only be used for the purpose of transition or to eliminate profane language. Transitions may be used to clarify the logical sequence of ideas. Presentation shall be from memory at all state and national qualifying tournaments. They are not to be used for the purpose of embellishing the humorous or dramatic effect of the literature.
Dramatic Interp Ballot
(Click to Download)