Open interpretation

Open interpretation is an interpretive speaking event in the NCFCA and Stoa. The student takes a piece of literature and creates an original rendition, which can be humorous, dramatic, or a combination of the two.

Goal
The goal of Open Interpretation is to bring a piece of literature to life through the use of accents, blocking, characterization, etc. in a way that entertains or captivates the audience.

Preparation Rules
The competitor’s presentation may be taken from one or more published or unpublished works, and may be from almost any genre of literature: Plays, Prose, poetry, original work or otherwise. Media transcripts are not allowed, so the piece may not be a transcribed script from a live or recorded performance or a pirated script.

Whatever literature the competitor chooses for their presentation may be cut to fit the 10-minute time constraint. Dialogue from one character can be directed at another character. The competitor is allowed to add as many words as he or she wishes. There is no constraint on the number of words added, or how the words are used.

The interpretive selection may be used in any league during the competitive year, but once the competitor has competed with the selection, it may not be used in any future years of competition. The speech also may only be used in one category per tournament, but the competitor can switch the speech to another category in a later tournament. The competitor may only do one Open Interpretation. They cannot enter two speeches in one category.

For script submission, the competitor must submit a photocopy of the original source - which would include all pages used in a book, as well as the copyright page. The student must also submit a completed Interpretive Speech Script Submission Form and a typed copy of their script, following the guidelines for script submission which can be found on the Stoa website.

Presentation Rules
Near the beginning of the speech, the competitor must cite the author and source of his story. If the speech is an adaptation, the speaker must cite the original author as well as any contributing authors for the adaptation. Failure to cite the source means the competitor will incur a 1-rank penalty. Singing and dancing is allowed, if it fits with the story.

No visual aids of any kind may be used. The competitor must must wear tournament attire, and only feet may touch the floor at any time. Gratuitous vulgarity is forbidden.

No notes or script may be used by the competitor. If a script is used, the competitor will incur a 2-rank penalty. The time of the speech starts when the speaker begins speaking and ends when the speaker is finished. No time signals will be given.

Speaking time limit is 10 minutes, and there is no minimum time.

NCFCA Rules
The NCFCA Rules for Open Interpretation are very similar to the Stoa rules in the basics, but have a few major differences:

1. Because of the addition of Original Interpretation, self-written pieces are not allowed.

2. The student may only use one piece of literature, not several stories stringed together.

3. The competitor is allowed to add a maximum of 150 words for introductions, transitions, and whatever else is needed. Changes of pronoun and verb tenses (I.E. changing “him” to “her” or “it”) do not count as added words. The statements of the title and the author also do not count as added words.

4. Any direct quotes from outside sources must be counted as added words. The source of the direct quote must be cited both in the verbal speech and in the script/Works Cited Page.

5. Students may not use the added words to change the author’s intent in the piece.

6.Sound effects may only be used if they cannot be recognised by a dictionary. “Fzzwop” would be acceptable, while “Bang!” would not.

7. No published song lyrics or tunes may be used.

8. If the topic is unsuitable for younger audiences, the speaker should warn the audience before the speech begins and allow families and younger audience members to leave the room.

9. The speech script must be memorized, and the script or notes cannot be brought into a round, otherwise a 2-rank penalty will ensue at any National Open, Qualifier, or Regional tournament. If a script is used at the National Championship, the competitor will be disqualified. Prompting from audience members is also not allowed. If audience laughter causes the speech to go overtime, the speaker should not be penalized.

Primary Judging Areas
Judges tend to rank based off the blocking, characters, accents, etc. Many judges also rank speeches higher if they have a moral or a redeeming quality to the speech.