COMMUNITY
THE ‘PERFECT ’ PIECE Finding Great Literature
If you are looking for the ‘perfect’ piece—this article is not for you. If you are looking for the piece that will propel you to be your best, then let’s get started.
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E D I TO R’S
by Erik Dominguez Coaches, this article provides advice geared toward students in search of their next script. Please share!
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isualization is a key to success in any speech and debate event. Seeing yourself on the final round stage, performing and showcasing the hard work that you have put in for months and even years is critical to setting a goal and following through with that goal. However, every journey starts somewhere. Interpretation events are a bit unique in that, in order to have the end in mind, you have to start with something that may not always seem like it could fit the national stage. I am going to start with some bad news: there is no such thing as a ‘perfect’ piece. Most literature selections start off as okay options. Over the years, I have seen students pass over script after script after script, only to see someone else perform it on the national stage. Their excuses were generally the same: it doesn’t seem funny
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enough, it doesn’t seem dramatic enough, it doesn’t seem like there are enough opportunities for creativity and content. What these students didn’t see is the opportunity. Many students want the script to immediately pop off the page and be a very clear, dramatic, exuberant performance on first reading. This very rarely happens. So, know that you can and should visualize yourself on the national stage. But also know the details, the jokes, the pauses, the words you will use to wow the audience— those usually come months and months after cutting, practicing, exploring, researching, and revising a cutting. If you are looking for the ‘perfect’ piece—this article is not for you. If you are looking for the piece that will propel you to be your best, then let’s get started.
ROSTRUM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020
Where to Look? The first place to look for the best possible, most successful performance piece is the NSDA Unified Manual. Nope, that’s not a typo. That’s the truth. Let me clarify. You won’t find some great dramatic interpretation piece hidden between the time limits of Policy Debate and pairings for speech rounds. But what you will find are the rules as to what is allowed and appropriate for competition. Let’s be frank. Some people do their very best to circumvent the rules. And that is much more work than it is worth. First of all, it seems like a shortcut, but in the end, it is much more time intensive than you may think. You have to craft your justification, you have to communicate your justification, and when you get to the national semifinal round, you will be asked to submit your documents. The worst thing that can happen to you is that you
circumvent the rules, you work hard on developing your performance skills—only to be denied the national stage because you thought you could break the system. Here are some tips to keep in mind: • The amount of literature available to you, regardless of where you live, is endless. Really, endless— especially with the new rules surrounding what source material can be used. Check out page 46 of the 2020-2021 Unified Manual for details. • Remember, there is no such thing as a perfect piece. Circumventing the rules is not going to create a perfect piece for you. You still would have to dig into the literature, explore movement, and create the nuances of your character. • It is better to be safe than sorry! If you have a question about the legality of a selection, it is probably best to double check with your coach or district chair.