High School Festival: Speech & Drama
If you have a flair for the dramatic, love the idea of performing for an audience or want to stretch your creative writing skills, here’s your chance. Compete in playwriting, group or solo performance categories and receive feedback from our respected and award-winning theatre faculty.
Competitions
Dramatic Interpretation (Solo)
Dramatic Interpretation Guidelines
5–7 minutes
Dramatic Interpretation contestants should deliver a memorized dramatic cutting from a published novel or short story. Include a brief introduction for context. Preference will be given to classic stories and authors. While no props or technical effects are allowed, movement appropriate to the story is encouraged. A piece with multiple characters is recommended.
Acting (Group)
2+ Students | 7–10 minutes
Scene excerpted from published play by reputable author; brief introduction needed for each scene; quality of literature will be part of the evaluation. No Readers’ Theatre, lighting, makeup or sound effects.
Small table, two chairs and one stool provided; costumes, props and other set pieces left to discretion of performers. Students must be able to perform their scene in an acting space of approximately 20'x12'.
Humorous Interpretation (Solo)
Humorous Interpretation Guidelines
5–7 minutes
Humorous Interpretation contestants should deliver a memorized humorous cutting from a published novel or short story. Include a brief introduction for context. Preference will be given to classic stories and authors. While no props or technical effects are allowed, movement appropriate to the story is encouraged. A piece with multiple characters is recommended.
Poetry (Solo)
5–7 minutes
Poetry contestants should deliver a memorized poem from a reputable, published source. The piece can be in full or a cutting of a longer work, but not a compilation. Selections with strong imagery and/or narrative elements are preferred. While no props or technical effects are allowed, movement appropriate to the piece is encouraged.
Original Oratory (Solo)
5–7 minutes
Original speech to stimulate, convince, inform or move to action. May not deal with doctrinal interpretation or religious controversy. Must be delivered without notes or presentation aids (including PowerPoint).
Printable Guidelines for all categories
- Students may enter a maximum of 3 contests.
- Students may win first place more than once in successive years with different pieces.
- Any student who does not fulfill all of the contest requirements will forfeit their right to win but will receive judges’ written critiques.
1st, 2nd and 3rd Place Solo Performance Winners
- Plaque
- BJU EDUcamp Scholarship
Acting (Group) Winners
- Plaque
- BJU EDUcamp Scholarship
These experiences are available for any High School Festival competitors and sponsors, whether or not they are competing in the Speech & Drama categories!
- The BJU Theatre Department will perform a production exclusively for High School Festival attendees on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 7:45 p.m. in Performance Hall.
- Explore where creativity comes to life! The Division of Communication invites you on a tour highlighting our theatre, media, film, and communication programs on Thursday at 3 p.m. Your festival booklet will have location details.
- Video Competition entries will be shown on Thursday.
- Classes in the Theatre, Media, and Communication programs will be available to visit! The Festival Booklet you receive at check-in will have more information.
