Interpretation of Prose
Project Due: This project is due in three weeks depending on what day you are scheduled to perform. I will be assigning performance dates, so if you can’t perform on your scheduled date, it is your responsibility to exchange performance slots with another classmate. Your written analysis will be due on your day of performance.
This project is worth 100 points and has two parts:
• Written analysis of your piece of literature (60 pts)
• Performance of your piece of literature (40 pts)
Steps to completing the assignment:
1. Choose a piece of performance prose. Prose is defined as a published short story, novel, or any tale. Prose is not a play script or drama.
2. No two students will perform the same piece. Your selections are due to me at the end of the week.
3. Create a literary analysis for your piece (Directions below)
4. Perform the piece (Directions below) on the assigned day.
Literary analysis of your prose selection (60 pts):
This part of the assignment asks you to analyze the piece of literature chosen for your performance. Literary analysis helps you understand the piece, thus helps you to understand characters to make performance easier.
1. Refer to your notes that were taken in class. We discussed several types of literature and performance analysis styles (dramatistic, modal, and reader-response). Follow the outline in the book to see an example of a literary analysis.
2. Write a 2-3 page analysis in Times New Roman 12pt. font. The first section of the analysis will contain the investigation of interpretation and performance. Here you will explain how you are going to effectively set the scene, plot, and defend you cutting of the script. The second part of the analysis will revolve around character development. Describe the character(s) and how you will be portraying the character(s). The final part of the analysis will define the climax of your cutting. Defend the climax and tell me why it is so important. This analysis is due on the day you perform!
3. Include in the heading:
• Your name
• Mr. Campbell, Speech 100, your period
• Bibliography of performance piece
Interpretation of the prose selection (40 pts):
1. Your total performance time must be between 6-7 minutes (with a 30 second window on each end). Every 15 seconds you are over or under the ‘safe time’ you will lose five points from your grade.
2. You must include an insightful introduction into your performance and this will be included in your overall performance time. The introduction should not last more than 30 seconds.
3. It is your duty to cut this piece of literature. Most stories are too long for 6-7 minutes. Include the parts of the story you want; just make sure it makes sense in performance (a catchy beginning, informative body, climax, and resolution).
4. You piece should exhibit a clear main character as well as any possible supporting characters. You piece needs at least two different emotional levels.
5. Good stage presence is important (eye contact, character pops, vocal ranges, gestures, characterization) and will be a grading criteria.
6. This presentation does not need to be memorized. However, if it is not memorized, the piece needs to either be in a black performance book or on black construction paper. No points will be taken away or given for memorization or lack thereof. Do not become tied to the script. As stated above, effective eye contact is a performance criteria.
Today we are going to talk about Oral Interpretation of Prose. I am passing out a handout that spells out the guidelines for these events. There are two types of Prose interpretation – Serious and Humorous. I have invited some of the forensics team members to perform their speeches for you so you can see and hear what the handout is describing to you. If we have time today we will start the assignment. If we don’t have time, there will be homework!
Let’s start with the handout. (call on a student) Please read the first section. (student reads) (call on a student) what are the main points in that section? (to the class) What do you think that looks like? (let them discuss, ask questions) (to one of forensics team members) Can you please show us what this looks like? (call on student) Will you read the next section. (ask questions again) (to one of forensics team members) Can you please show us what this looks like? (pause for answer) (call on student) Please read the last section. (discuss again) (to one of forensics team members) Can you please show us what this looks like?
Is this making sense to everyone? Any questions?
(If there are students to perform:)
Before we go on to the next part of the handout I want the forensics team to perform for you. After they are done you can ask them questions if you want about why they do certain things, or why they don’t. And then we are going to let them talk about choosing and cutting a script. (student name) why don’t you go first? (let students perform)
Great job guys, thank you! So does anyone have any questions for the performers?
If there are no more questions, I am going to let these guys talk to you about how they chose their scripts and how they came up with the finished script.
(if there are no students to perform, I would perform something myself)
You are in for a treat today, you are going to get to see me act! Remember I am old, so cut me a little slack okay? Oh, remind me what we do after a performance? (The students should answer “round of applause” or “clap”) Right, thank you. Give me a second to set myself up, okay? (I would perform)
(students clap) Thank you very much. Alright, any questions?
If there are no more questions, let’s move on to choosing and cutting a piece. (Call on a student) Read the section on choosing a piece. (pause for reading) Right, the piece can be a play or a book. In high school forensics it doesn’t matter. If you decide to do a serious piece, it should include characters who are interesting and have depth. Serious speeches where the character goes on a journey work the best. The character should be different somehow at the end of the piece. And when you are cutting the piece, you need to include pieces of the journey so your audience feels like they have experienced the journey with the character. What should you avoid with Serious speeches? (student reply) Right, you want to avoid hitting the audience with too much. Cancer, the holocaust, death, and an affair all in one piece is a little overwhelming, and tends to make the audience disbelieve your story. Again, your piece should be down to earth, fantastical scenarios, and over dramatic characters all decrease the credibility and believability of your piece.
What about Humorous though? What does your hand out say? (call on student) Yes, stereotypical and overdramatic characters and storylines are great for humorous speeches. What makes a humorous speech great is the physicality with which you present the characters “situation.” A humorous piece should be witty, and funny, but at the same time, it needs to go somewhere. Ten minutes of two characters babbling back and forth and coming to zero conclusions is not interesting to an audience. Pick something with a bit of depth. Again, the character needs to go somewhere by the end of the story. Children’s books are a great source for humorous speeches. Don’t limit yourself to just that though. Be creative!
You have already done poetry, and OID, so this assignment shouldn’t be too hard. What I want you to do for homework is go to the school or public library or you can use my library of scripts, and bring back three possible pieces for your speech. Before you leave you need to tell me if you are going to do a serious or humorous speech. Make sure your pieces match your category. If you are going for serious, you need to bring back serious pieces not humorous ones! Tomorrow in class you are going to pick one of your pieces and we are going to work on cutting it. The next part requires a little extra time on your part. Your assignment will be to perform your piece at our home speech meet. I know, I know. If you can’t make the meet you can talk to me after school, I will be here until 4:30, and we can discuss some other options.
Tomorrow I will hand out the rubric for you’re the assignment so you can see what you are going to be graded on. I will tell you – your scores from the tournament will be included in your grade!!!!