NEW YORK STATE FORENSIC LEAGUE
VARSITY ORAL INTERPRETATION of PROSE and POETRY BALLOT
Judges:
1. Points should be given on a 100 point basis. Please award a minimum of at least 75.
2. The speaker with the highest point total should be given the rank of 1.
3. No two speakers may be given the same rank.
4. Time Limit: Maximum of ten (10) minutes with no minimum. There is a mandatory thirty (30) second grace period during which time no penalty may be assessed. Speakers that exceed this grace period may not be ranked first in the round.
5. Alternating rounds will feature either all prose of all poetry selections, which must be from published, printed literature, either as a complete piece, a cutting, or a series of short pieces united by a common theme or author. Speakers shall, as part of their presentation, name the author(s) and the source(s) used. Coaches are encouraged to guide their speakers in the direction of literary awareness.
6. The selection(s) must be read from a manuscript. A reasonable balance of eye contact with the script and audience should be maintained.
7. Gestures should be suitable to a reading rather than a stage performance – natural rather than mimetic. There should be no walking during the presentation – the speaker’s feet should be planted in a fixed position.
This is a contest in oral interpretation. Movement of character(s) should not be represented or pantomimed. The speaker should allow the scene presented to unfold in the mind of the audience rather than to locate it on the performance stage or inject him/herself into it. The speaker should exhibit the literature rather than him/herself. The audience should be presented with a unified scene, theme or story. Speakers should be evaluated on: poise, vocal quality (inflection, emphasis, enunciation, pronunciation, diction, phrasing) and especially the ability to accurately and consistently interpret character(s) and the piece of literature as a whole.
ROUND______ DATE_______ ROOM_______ JUDGE’S CODE__________