ONE ACT EVENT:
This is the same event as last year, the only difference is the new and improved name (Skit changed to One Act).
The One Act must be memorized. Index cards, cue cards, or audience giving the speaker prompts are not allowed. Props are NOT allowed (changed from last year).
Scroll down to view the following five sections:
1) Video Examples [intermediate school level directly below (very appropriate) AND high school EXPERTS at very bottom - (parental preview suggested for the 2nd video for humorous interpretation "Kick Me")]
2) Evaluation/Judging
3) How to create your One Act
4) Learn from the experts (parent should preview first before allowing their student to view videos in this section because intended audience is high school)
5) Evaluation sheets for the One Act event: These are the evaluation sheets the judges will use. Be sure to examine all three because each judge will be evaluating a different aspect of the speech.
To print judge forms, go to the "DOWNLOAD FORMS" page.
The One Act must be memorized. Index cards, cue cards, or audience giving the speaker prompts are not allowed. Props are NOT allowed (changed from last year).
Scroll down to view the following five sections:
1) Video Examples [intermediate school level directly below (very appropriate) AND high school EXPERTS at very bottom - (parental preview suggested for the 2nd video for humorous interpretation "Kick Me")]
2) Evaluation/Judging
3) How to create your One Act
4) Learn from the experts (parent should preview first before allowing their student to view videos in this section because intended audience is high school)
5) Evaluation sheets for the One Act event: These are the evaluation sheets the judges will use. Be sure to examine all three because each judge will be evaluating a different aspect of the speech.
To print judge forms, go to the "DOWNLOAD FORMS" page.
Evaluation/Judging the one act:
Below indicates the weight of each judging criterion.
15% Each:
1)**Content (Plot) - See below in red.
10% Each:
1) **Volume - Performer should clearly be heard by audience members in the back of the venue. Microphones are only used in the finals (top two students in each event).
2) **Eye Contact - During the personal introduction (name, title, author), and during any narration, the actor should look at
the entire audience. During these times, any look away from the audience will = 1 tally mark indicating one look away
from the audience. For every second of lost eye contact = 1 tally mark. Since one actor is playing all the roles in the skit, each
character should be looking at the characters he/she is talking to unless it supports the plot for them to look somewhere else.
Example: A sad child may look down at the ground when scolded by a parent etc. (no penalty)
3) **Enunciation - The only time a character should mumble etc. or speak quickly is if it supports the plot/characters. However,
too much can decrease the audience's understanding of the plot which would in turn, cause the
judges to penalize the performer.
4) **Length - (see judge form #3 in the DOWNLOAD FORMS page). Optimal time is 6-8 minutes. A white warning card will be waived at 8:01 and a red penalty card will be waived at 8:11. Speakers going over 8:20 or speakers having a speech shorter than 3:00 will be disqualified.
(3 - 3:59 = 0 points) (4 - 4:59 = 5 points) (5 - 5:59 = 8 points) (6 - 8 min.) = 10 points, a perfect score
5) **Inflection (emotion) - Emotions of each character should support the plot
6) **Inflection (character) - Each character should use a different pitch, accent, or speech pattern so that the audience can differentiate each character.
5% Each:
1) **Personal Introduction/Personal Conclusion -
Introduction - Actor provides first and last name, title of the story, and author of the story
Story or story adaptation can come from ANY source. Original stories or adaptations are encouraged,
but no extra points are given for originality. Introduction can be given at the very beginning OR after the
opening scene.
Conclusion - Actor thanks audience and bows
2) *Pace - (talking speed) Pace should support the plot, however if actor speaks too fast and it makes the plot confusing, the actor
could be penalized.
3) *No Distracting Behaviors - Behaviors should support the plot and characters in the plot. Possible distracting behaviors
include, but are not limited to: space fillers like “um”, fixing clothes, fixing hair, fidgeting, picking or scratching, laughing,
unplanned pausing, or hair covering eye/s of more than one character or during the personal introduction.
4) Facial expression - Facial expressions should support the plot and characters.
5) Body Language - Body language should support the plot and characters.
Content Specifics:
(Story or story adaptation can come from ANY source. Give credit towards the original author. Original stories or adaptations are encouraged, but no extra points are given for originality.)
Exposition
1% Setting Clear
Main Rising Action:
5% Problem/Goal
Climax:
5% Depends on M.R.A. above:
Option 1 & 2 - Problem solved or not
Option 3 & 4 - Goal achieved or not
Resolution:
1% Effects of climax
2% Lesson
1% Happy ever after of not
15% Each:
1)**Content (Plot) - See below in red.
10% Each:
1) **Volume - Performer should clearly be heard by audience members in the back of the venue. Microphones are only used in the finals (top two students in each event).
2) **Eye Contact - During the personal introduction (name, title, author), and during any narration, the actor should look at
the entire audience. During these times, any look away from the audience will = 1 tally mark indicating one look away
from the audience. For every second of lost eye contact = 1 tally mark. Since one actor is playing all the roles in the skit, each
character should be looking at the characters he/she is talking to unless it supports the plot for them to look somewhere else.
Example: A sad child may look down at the ground when scolded by a parent etc. (no penalty)
3) **Enunciation - The only time a character should mumble etc. or speak quickly is if it supports the plot/characters. However,
too much can decrease the audience's understanding of the plot which would in turn, cause the
judges to penalize the performer.
4) **Length - (see judge form #3 in the DOWNLOAD FORMS page). Optimal time is 6-8 minutes. A white warning card will be waived at 8:01 and a red penalty card will be waived at 8:11. Speakers going over 8:20 or speakers having a speech shorter than 3:00 will be disqualified.
(3 - 3:59 = 0 points) (4 - 4:59 = 5 points) (5 - 5:59 = 8 points) (6 - 8 min.) = 10 points, a perfect score
5) **Inflection (emotion) - Emotions of each character should support the plot
6) **Inflection (character) - Each character should use a different pitch, accent, or speech pattern so that the audience can differentiate each character.
5% Each:
1) **Personal Introduction/Personal Conclusion -
Introduction - Actor provides first and last name, title of the story, and author of the story
Story or story adaptation can come from ANY source. Original stories or adaptations are encouraged,
but no extra points are given for originality. Introduction can be given at the very beginning OR after the
opening scene.
Conclusion - Actor thanks audience and bows
2) *Pace - (talking speed) Pace should support the plot, however if actor speaks too fast and it makes the plot confusing, the actor
could be penalized.
3) *No Distracting Behaviors - Behaviors should support the plot and characters in the plot. Possible distracting behaviors
include, but are not limited to: space fillers like “um”, fixing clothes, fixing hair, fidgeting, picking or scratching, laughing,
unplanned pausing, or hair covering eye/s of more than one character or during the personal introduction.
4) Facial expression - Facial expressions should support the plot and characters.
5) Body Language - Body language should support the plot and characters.
Content Specifics:
(Story or story adaptation can come from ANY source. Give credit towards the original author. Original stories or adaptations are encouraged, but no extra points are given for originality.)
Exposition
1% Setting Clear
Main Rising Action:
5% Problem/Goal
Climax:
5% Depends on M.R.A. above:
Option 1 & 2 - Problem solved or not
Option 3 & 4 - Goal achieved or not
Resolution:
1% Effects of climax
2% Lesson
1% Happy ever after of not
Creating/writing the one act:
Dramatic Speech Introduction: (use formal speaking techniques for intro.)
"Good (morning/afternoon), my name is _______, the title of the story I am presenting today is (title) written by (author's name).
Act out at least 75% of the story. Show the story and don’t tell the story.
Story or story adaptation can come from ANY source:
novel, movie, short story, youtube video etc, internet, blog, life story, life story of someone else, fairy tale, fable, magazine, biography, autobiography, newspaper, television episode, or any other source. The easiest and possibly the most interesting stories can be taken from the student's life, but extreme exaggeration is encouraged to increase interest ("...based on a true story")! Original stories or adaptations are encouraged, but no extra points are given for originality.
Planning out your story – Plot Summary
Exposition – Introduce characters and setting
Rising Action – Provide foreshadowing example
The problem was ______ . (OR) The goal was _______ .
It is acceptable to have more than one problem or goal, but there should be one
prevailing where the whole story is focused on.
If goal is chosen, actor must clearly why achieving the goal is so important AND show the forces
working against the protagonist. The stronger the forces the greater dramatic impact.
Climax – (Depends what was chosen above)
The problem was solved when _____ . (OR) The problem wasn’t solved when _____.
(OR) The goal was achieved when _____. (OR) The goal wasn’t achieved when _____.
Characters must show a dramatic reaction as a result of the climax!
Falling Action – Details leading to the resolution
Resolution –
Effects of the climax (resolved)
Lesson to be learned - to clearly show the lesson, the characters in the story
must make mistakes and experience the consequences of those mistakes.
Those characters should reflect back on what they should have done
differently. If the lesson is positive (don't quit, work hard, and be honest etc.)
then similar reflection should happen or other characters should comment
on the accomplishment and HOW the protagonist became successful.
Did the characters live happily ever after?
"Good (morning/afternoon), my name is _______, the title of the story I am presenting today is (title) written by (author's name).
Act out at least 75% of the story. Show the story and don’t tell the story.
Story or story adaptation can come from ANY source:
novel, movie, short story, youtube video etc, internet, blog, life story, life story of someone else, fairy tale, fable, magazine, biography, autobiography, newspaper, television episode, or any other source. The easiest and possibly the most interesting stories can be taken from the student's life, but extreme exaggeration is encouraged to increase interest ("...based on a true story")! Original stories or adaptations are encouraged, but no extra points are given for originality.
Planning out your story – Plot Summary
Exposition – Introduce characters and setting
Rising Action – Provide foreshadowing example
The problem was ______ . (OR) The goal was _______ .
It is acceptable to have more than one problem or goal, but there should be one
prevailing where the whole story is focused on.
If goal is chosen, actor must clearly why achieving the goal is so important AND show the forces
working against the protagonist. The stronger the forces the greater dramatic impact.
Climax – (Depends what was chosen above)
The problem was solved when _____ . (OR) The problem wasn’t solved when _____.
(OR) The goal was achieved when _____. (OR) The goal wasn’t achieved when _____.
Characters must show a dramatic reaction as a result of the climax!
Falling Action – Details leading to the resolution
Resolution –
Effects of the climax (resolved)
Lesson to be learned - to clearly show the lesson, the characters in the story
must make mistakes and experience the consequences of those mistakes.
Those characters should reflect back on what they should have done
differently. If the lesson is positive (don't quit, work hard, and be honest etc.)
then similar reflection should happen or other characters should comment
on the accomplishment and HOW the protagonist became successful.
Did the characters live happily ever after?
below are expert video clips of one acts
(Dramatic/humorous Interpretation).
content is aimed at high school students and adults.
parent preview is highly recommended before allowing students to view the second video clip.
Resources for the One Act event
(Dramatic/humorous interpretation)
How the experts get material:
http://nfltv.org/2011/10/12/interp-101/
Believability, Physicality, & Character Transitions:
http://nfltv.org/2011/01/03/interp-characterization-and-performance/
http://nfltv.org/2011/10/12/interp-101/
Believability, Physicality, & Character Transitions:
http://nfltv.org/2011/01/03/interp-characterization-and-performance/
Judge Evaluation forms:
To view/print judge forms go to the "DOWNLOAD FORMS" page for the pdf version.