Popular Oral Interpretation Websites

The following web pages are ways for you to explore the world of speech and oralinterpretation. These allow you to network with others/from across the United States that areinvolved in this activity. Many of these sites are very informative and interesting.

. www.nflonIine.org - the official website for the National Forensic League.

./ stu~ents may view their points as well as theirl

schoolS and other schools across thenatIon

./ online store if you want to purchase any NFL merchandise

./ online version of the Rostrum - the official NFL Magazinewww.forensicsonIine.net - a chat forum where students from around the nation postinformation about tournaments and selections. I

www.speechgeek.com - a new website for interpers or debaters.www.sdhsaa.com - click on rme arts, then speechfor all State events and results.

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Play Publishers: here are some of the best sites Where!yOUkind find thousands of selections.. www.samuelfrench.com - popular play publisher. www.dramatists.com - popular play publisher

. www.dramabookshop.com -largest source for all pla~s, carries a variety of publishers. www.dramaticpublishing.com - popular play publish!r. www.tcg.org - Theatre Coinmunications Group, several play companies located on this site. www.ieshillingford.com - Canada's premier play publishing source

. www.mushroomcloudpress.com - great site specifiCa~IYcatered for Oral Interp pieces. www.dramatree.com. www.playscripts.com - a newer site with over 500 titles from successful playwrights

www.texol.net/secure/brookpub.com/order.htm - B

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OOklynPublishers site

www.dramex.org

www.bakersplays.com - caters to High School and Semi professional groups

www.mh.com - great source for Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals

www.mtishows.com - great source for Broadway an

iOff-Broadway musicals

www.J..ovplavs.com

www.pioneerdrama.comwww.ieclark.com

www.hitplays.com

www.histage.com

www.broadwayplaypubl.comwww.amazon.com-bestsitetofindneW&USedno

fvels.Children.s books, plays, poetry, etc.

www.bn.com - Barnes & Noble site, excellent for fi ing Children's books & novels

www.abebooks.com - excellent site for hard-to-find ew or used novels, plays, books, etc

www.poetrymagazine.org - a great source to find poetry

www.writer.org - oldest continuously published poe1;rysource in the United States

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NAME: ORAL INTERPRET ATIO

Material Selection wJrksheet

1. Name of selection:

2. Author:

3. Category:

4. What seems to lie at the heart of the piecei What does it seem to teach 0help you to understand? I

5. What is it about the piece that strikes you *s new, unique, or different?

6. In what ways can you relate to the materia~? In what ways do you thinkmost other people can relate to it? I

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7. Is the subject matter and text/language of Jhe piece appropriate for you andyour potential audience?

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8. Who is/are the most interesting character~)?

9. What is it about the character(s) that provJdes the interest?I

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10. What do you think the character(s) look atd sound like?

11. How would you describe the setting of thr piece?

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12. What objects and/or props are used in the piece?I

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13. What will be the most challenging aspect/of the piece?

ClimaxI

. The point of greatest intensityin a serieslof events: culmination.

WEBSTER(S COLLEGE DICTIONARY

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. At some point late in a play, the major forces of conflict have ateach other. That ultimate fray results inIrestoration of an equilibrium

- either the equilibrium that started the play or a new equilibrium.

Many readers find it useful to see the e1tire shape of a playas agradual, step-by-step rise in intensity towards the clash that is theclimax, followed by a rapid drop in intersity during the resolution.

BACKWtRDS AND FORWARDSBy Davict Ball

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. An exciting moment to which dramatif tension builds. The climaxusually changes the dramatic situatio~. There can be manyclimaxes in a play and several climax:is ina very exciting scene.

ANACTOR'SHANDBOOKI

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. An intense or explosive moment late iJ the play to which thedramatic tension builds. Theclimax o~the major conflict oftenresolves the conflict or leads directly to itsresolution. The climax isoften an embrace or an assault. I

ProfessorCharles ConwellIIIII

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NAME: ORAL INTERPRETATIO

Character Profil~

Name (of character): I

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Gender:

Age:

Body Type or Style:

Distinguishable Gestures:

Clothing:

Hair:

Footwear:

What parts of your body are important to you?

What is inside your pockets, purse, change pursJ, wallet?

What is inside your chest drawers at home?

What are your relationships? (Friends, lovers, e~emies, etc.)

What is the character's past?

Where are you?

What things ifanything, do you have with you riJht now?

Name two action verbs that accurately stat~ you~characters motivations:

Name two action verbs that accurately state yout characters emotions:

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NAME: ORAL INTERPRET ATIO/N

Character AnalyJisI

DIRECTIONS: Use this analysis to analyze the main ch~racter in your competition piece.Write as much as you can and everything you think mightlwork to develop your character. Useclues from the script, even if it is not in your cutting. If the

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'work does not specify, createresponses that make sense for your character.

Physical CharacteristicsI

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3. Height (how tall do you see the character, NOT 1°W tall you are):

4. Weight:

1. Full name of character:

2. Exact age of character:

5. Hair color and eye color:-+

6. Does this character have any special phys'cal traits? (i.e. a limp, arthritis, et~.)

7. Walk and Demeanor (manner of walk, sitting, qverall carrying of self):

Vocal Characteristics

8. Posture (stand straight or slumped)

9. Physical Habits (i.e. biting fingernails, keeping 6 musical "beat" with hands, etc.)

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I1. Dialect (In what area or region of U.S. or what country does he/she originate?)

I2. Pitch (high/low) and Vocal Inflections (what tre characteristics of the voice for

different emotional levels: anger, happiness, jealousy, etc.)

10. Gestures (inward, outward, small, large, etc.)

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NAME:

TRAIT

Vocal Pitch:High, medium, or

low?

Volume:Loud, medium, or

soft?

Vocal Rate:Fast, medium, or

slow?

Quality orResonance:

Rich or thin, etc.?Nasal, throaty,

chesty, open, etc.?

PhrasingPatterns:

Use of pauses,typical placement

of stress oremphasis, etc.?

VocalNerbalQuirks:

Accent, dialect,speaking

impediment,affection, etc.?

Vocal CharacteristicsT

Character A: Character 8: TI

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Character C:

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Oral Interpretation

Charact~r D:

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NAME:

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ORAL INTERPRETATIO

Competition Performance Rubric

Title of Selection:

Author:

Choice of Selection and Cutting: Doesthematerialoi' literary merit? Is it appropriate for thespeaker as well as the audience? Was the cutting original?

Choice of Selection (10) - pts

Adequacy of Introduction: Are the title and author clearly stated? Is the mood set? Is theinformation relevant and sufficient to get your attention? Is it mtmoriZed?

Introduction (10) - pts

Insight and Understanding: Does the interpreter appear to fully understand the material and

appreciate it? Does the interpreter put originality into the pert°1mance?

Understanding (5) - pts

Physical Mechanics: Are gestures used in an effective Janner? Did the interpreter use blockind togive the audience a sense of setting? Does the interpreter ap~ear to be poised?

(10) IGestures - pts

-pts

- pts

- pts

Voice Mechanics: Is pronunciation acceptable? Are rate! pitch, tone, and volume appropriate to theselection? Is vocal variety adequate?

Rate/Use of Pauses (10)

(5)

- pts

Pitch - pts

ToneNocal Quality (10) - pts

Volume/Projection (10)

-Overall Effectiveness: Is the total effect of the pertormJnce pleasing to watch?

- pts

Effectiveness (5)

(5)

- pts

Time: 7 - 10 minutes - pts

TOTAL Performance Points 1arned (100 points):- pts

Script Placement (5)

Movement/Blocking (5)

Posture/Poise (10)

NAME: ORAL INTERPRET ATIO

The SIX Steps

DIRECTIONS: These are SIX Steps to fully develop YO

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Character. Read tf:1efollowing

questions and analyze those aspects when it comes to yo r performance selection. You will basked to write a minimum 2-paQe response paper answen 9 each of these six questions as W

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as each sub question. The response paper should be siz 12 font, Times New Roman, anddouble-spaced with the proper heading. It should be writt ,n as a response paper, not simplyanswering the questions.

1. WHO AM I?a. What is my present state of being?b. How do I perceive myself?c. What am I wearing?

2. WHAT ARE THE CIRCUMSTANCES?a. What time is it? (The year, the seaso~, the day? At what time does

my selected life begin?)b. Where am I? (In what city, neighborhpod, building, and room do I find

myself? Or in what landscape?)c. What surrounds me? (The immediat

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landscape? The weather? Thecondition of the place and the nature of the objects in it?)

d. What are the immediate circumstanc s? (What has just happened ihappening? What do I expect or plan to happen next and later on?)

3. WHAT ARE MY RELATIONSHIPS?a. How do I stand in relationship to the~ircumstances, the place, the

objects, and the other people relatedlto my circumstances?

4. WHAT DO I WANT?a. What is my main objective? My imm~diate need or objective?

5. WHAT IS MY OBSTACLE?a. What is in the way of what I want? Hcbwdo I overcome it?

6. WHAT DO I DO TO GET WHAT I WANT?a. How can I achieve my objective? Wh~t's my behavior? What are m

actions?

NAME: Orallnterp~etation

Character Analy~is

DIRECTIONS: Use this analysis to analyze the main charact.. r in your competition piece. Write a muchas you can and everything you think might work to developyou character. Use clues from the scri t, even

The goal is to focus on the physical and vocal characteristics 0 your character(s) in order to fully e bodyyour character(s).

Phvsical Charactenstics

Character A: Character B: Character C: Charact~r D:TRAIT

FootPlacement:

Forward, outward,inside, wobbly?

KneePlacement:

Locked, bent,angled, loose?

Back/Spine:Erect, jutted

forward, pulledback, tilted?

Shoulders:Square, pulledback, pulled in,curled, sloped?

Neck/Head:Jutting out, pulledin or back, titled?

FacialPosition!

Expression:Position of eye,

mouth, chin?

BodyAttitude:

Tense, relaxed,neutral?

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Oral Interpretation Te~t Analysis

Super Obiective: ,

What is the overall message or call to actipn of the play or selection.What does the play want the audience to qloas a result of seeing theplay or selection?

Units of Action or Beats:A major change of thought, action, or situ tion. Every play is divideinto units. By breaking the play down int smaller chunks you areable to commit to the play moment by mo ent rather than attemptinto act the entire play or selection at one ti e. A unit is usually ,whensomeone enters or exits from a scene or hen a major eventhappens. Also, units of action can be bro e up by major jumps orcuts in the script. Think dramatic structu e!

Goal or Obiective:System of wants and needs of a characte

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from unit to unit. Thepurpose of an objective is that one chara ter is always needing orwanting something from the other charac er or the audience and haa desperate need to win.

Obstacle:The thing/person/

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place that stops you fro

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getting what you want. Inevery scene there is conflict because one character wants one thingand vice versa. You must figure out what stops your character fromgetti ng what they want.

Tactic:The way the character goes about overco~ing an obstacle in order toachieve an objective. Tactics are verbs o~.actions that you do to getwhat you want. Examples: persuade, uplIft, demand, convince,connive, lie, etc.

Stakes:"'I, "" . , " ""

How important is it to your character to W

rn your objective? The

higher the stakes the better the scene. W en stakes become life ordeath the characters will do anything to a hieve them, which makes litexciting to act the scene and to watch it.

NAME: ORAL INTERPRET A TI([)N

Analysis of Selected Performance Material

DIRECTIONS: You must do the fol/owinganalysis forYEurdramatic cutting and your seriou.prose cutting. Type up the answers to aI/the questions or a separate sheet of paper.

We get to know our characters the same way we get to k

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Ow people in our lives. We askquestions! Questions designed to tell us something abou the person; where they are from,likes, dislikes, etc. The following is a list of basic questio .s to get you and your characteracquainted.

To learn all you can about a character, consider:

1. What the author says about the character.2. What the character says about himself or t3. What others say about the character.4. What others think about the character.5. How others treat the character.

6. What the character does for a living, for a ~obby, to unwind, to psych up.7. What the character owns in terms of clothipg, accessories, auto, dwelling

furniture, and so on. .

8. What the character dreams about - goals,

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CqUisitions.9. What the character associates with and av ids.10. How the character deals with conflict, conf ontation, and criticism.11. How the character relates to people.12. How the character feels in new situations.13. How the character was raised - UPbringin

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, environment.14. What typical and/or unusual experiences t. e character went through.15. How the character emerged from these ex eriences.16. What specific words the character choose to use.

Once you have answered these questions, organize the information so it isusable:

1. Group the clues from above into Identifiable Characteristics.

a. Based upon five clues (note them) the character seems to be ratherat the start.

b. Based upon five clues (note them) at th~ end of the script, the charactarseems to have changed, now more _n- J at the finish.

c. Note if, how, and when characters undergo change.

Dramatic StrulturePart I - Exposition: In this part of the work, the author or playwrightintroduces the environment, characters a~ well as the intent of theliterature. The situation is explained and t~e nature of the conflict isestablished. I

Part II - Initial Conflict: The protagOnist/is faced with a challenge orobstacle that requires the character to act! in order to respond to orresolve the conflict.

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Part III - RisinQAction: A series of events occur in which theconflict "heats up." The conflict and dramatic action accelerate.

Part IV - Climax: The conflict reaches itl most intense action, also

referred to as the "boiling point." There iSlno going back. Often, inface, there is some sort of major explosiv1 occurrence that marks achange in either character or situation. Usually, the antagonist losesthe conflict here leading to a happy or at I

fast satisfying ending.

Sometimes the protagonist will lose - res' Iting in formal tragedy andlessons learned.

Part V - FallinQAction: What happens row? At this point, there isusually some kind of indication as to howme is going to change forthe characters after the climax.

Part V - "Denouement" (Resolution)~ the literal meaning of thisFrench word is "of new-ness." As a r(3sultof the story's series ofevents, we are left, at the end, with some

!hing new and different. The

protagonist mayor may not have actually achieved his or her aim, buthe or she is somehow different as a result of having taken the

journey. I

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Factors to Consider When Finding a Piece

1. Individuality:Whenliteraturehas individuality,the writer'schoi

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e of words, images, method oforganization and overall style provide a fresh app oach to a universal subject. So,does the work seem to speak in a new or differen way?

2. Universality:When literature has universality, you will be able tp call on your own experiences trespond to it. While you may not have had an exwerience identical to that providedin the work itself, you may well have experienced

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to some degree or other) theemotions of joy or sorrow, fear or yearning, hope r love, which are evoked in thematerial. So, does the piece express ideas that a e potentially interesting to allpeople because of the way they touch on commo human experience?

3. Suggestion:When literature has suggestion, the writer has left

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. readers (and interpers) withsomething to do. We are not told everything on a, immediate, purely logical, level.This doesn't mean that the writing is obscure. Ra her it means that the author hasselected language and references that allow the r ader opportunities for enrichment.

4. Suitability for Audience:Whenliteratureis suitablefor the contestsetting,

iwill "play" for PG or PG-13

audiences of fellow students and judges. Here, y u need to think about the subjecmatter and language used in the text. This requir ...ment changes from state to statEas well as local to national competition.

5. Suitability for Performer:Whenliteratureis suitablefor you as a perfOrmer

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it offers you challenges that liewithin your range of capability. Can you, for exa pie, identify somehow with at leaStone major character? Are the characters interesti. g? Do they have some depth?Can they have interesting shapes and looks? cO

l.sider the vocal, physical, and

emotional range provided by the material. Is ther . room for physicality in thematerial? Is its setting interesting and something. ou can envision? Do you feelthat you can meet the challenges the material provides?

6. Personal Preference and/or Taste:It simply is not worth anyone's time and effort for

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ou to perform material that you d

not like. You will not do the material justice, and i. will not showcase your abilitieseffectively. Be sure, though, that you do not disca d material quickly or lightly -make an effort to get to the essence of each piec . before rejecting it.