Last time, we addressed four questions you should ask when selecting an interp piece across all categories. Now, let’s apply these principles to each event.

Dramatic Interpretation

Some people see DI as an event where you scream, flail, and cry to elicit an emotional reaction from the judges. This could not be farther from the truth. Di is an oration of literature intended to provoke non-comedic emotions. Secular brokenness and tragic events may be the subject of some speeches - but there are plenty of options beyond these. Here are some basic traits to look for in a DI story.

Emotionally Dynamic

Emotion is not limited to tragedy. Humans experience a wide variety of feelings and so should your characters. Focusing your entire presentation on a single emotion is exhausting for your audience. For instance, a presentation on a war hero that only explores the anxiety produced by PTSD will wear out the audience after the first few minutes. There is a limit to the intensity an audience member is willing to experience on a consistent level before they become uninterested. An emotionally dynamic story would be a presentation that explores the entire experience of a war hero – the anxiety produced by PTSD, the small victories and glimmers of hope during the healing process, and the impact his or her war experience has on family and close friends. Wholly realistic, dynamic, and compelling stories contain at least three major emotional shifts. For example, the central character may experience disappointment, loneliness, anger, and hope all in the same storyline.

Character Development

One of DI’s primary purposes is to portray character development. Since people in real life are constantly changing with each new experience, your characters should develop as they interact with events on the plotline.

To discover and evaluate the central character’s growth, ask yourself the following questions:

What motivates my character in the plotline and does it change?
What changes: my character, their circumstances, or both? Do they change for the better or the worse?
Should my audience be sympathetic or unsympathetic to the central character at the beginning of my presentation? Does this change by the end of my presentation?

Humorous Interpretation

Finding a Humorous Interpretation selection can be tricky. There are numerous types of humor and each taste is subjective. When searching for a humorous piece, be sure to keep your judging pool in mind.

Your Script Should be Funny

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it is often overlooked. Even though timing and delivery often make a joke, you should laugh out loud, not simply smirk when reading your piece. Timing and delivery go a long way, but nothing can substitute great comedic lines. The dialogue in the story itself should be humorous enough to stand alone.

Balance Wacky with Normal

The first step in choosing a great humorous piece is identifying the particulars of the story your judges will resonate with. When analyzing a selection’s relatability, identify its themes. Are the circumstances or emotions experienced by the central character common in the life of your judge? Your selection should not be exactly like the life of your judge, but instead, playoff common circumstances and frustrations. For instance, your judges may not actually be a young child on their first day of school, but they can probably relate to the feeling.

Identifying what’s familiar and expected - whether that be the setting or the characters - is the forerunner to the most important characteristic of hilarious pieces: a violation of expectation. The most notable comedic sitcoms, movies, and plays either violate the audience’s expectation by placing normal characters in a wacky environment or placing wacky characters in a normal environment. The best Humorous Interpretation pieces capitalize on the familiar by disrupting what’s ordinary and turning it on its head.

In the next article, we’ll cover story selection strategies for Open and Duo Interpretation.

Picking the Right Story: HI and DI