Humorous interpretation

Humorous interpretation is an interpretive speaking event in the NCFCA and Stoa. The student takes a piece of literature and creates a humourous and original rendition for the purpose of entertaining the audience. This event it not intended for stand-up comedy or jokes without a plot, but rather as an outlet for humorous acting.

Goal
The goal of a Humorous Interpretation is to bring a piece of literature to life through the use of comedic acting, blocking, characterization, etc. in a way that entertains the audience.

Preparation rules
The competitor’s presentation must be taken from a single published work, and may be from any genre of literature: Plays, Prose, poetry, 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.

The 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 may also quote material other than the chosen book, but in the introduction only. 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.

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 Humorous 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 the 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. Failure to do so 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 Humorous Interpretation are very similar to the Stoa rules, with a few exceptions:

1. The only online sources that may be used for NCFCA Humorous Interpretation are Ebooks with an ISBN number.

2. Competitors may not assign original dialogue (dialogue written by the speaker and not the author) to a character, and there must be a clear distinction between the author’s words and the competitor’s words.

3. If directly quoted material is used in the introduction, it must be counted in the 150 added words and cited in a Works Cited Page and in the verbal delivery of the speech.

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

5. 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.

Primary judging areas
Judges tend to rank based off the blocking, characters, and whether or not the speech is truly humorous and not dull. Many judges also rank speeches higher if they have a moral or a redeeming quality to the speech.