INTRODUCTION TO HUMOROUS INTERPRETATION

Humorous Interpretation Starter Guide

What is Humorous Interpretation (HI)?

In HI, competitors will take a cutting from any published material and perform it alone, without props, costumes, or furniture. Different characters are distinguished by voice and physicality (postures and mannerisms), and the setting/interactions with the environment are shown through creative blocking, pantomime, and sound effects. As the name suggests, these pieces are comedic, though they often have an underlying message. Competitors are judged based on characterization, technique, creativity, storyline, comedic effectiveness, and overall performance quality. If you enjoy making people laugh and/or theater, this is the event for you.

Rules

Competitors may choose any piece of published material, including but not limited to books, movies, plays, TV shows, and short stories. As long as it has an ISBN, you can use it. Your script must be no longer than 10 minutes and 30 seconds total. If you go over this limit, the only penalty is that you cannot be ranked 1st in the round. You cannot write or add to any part of the script yourself except for the intro (more on that later), but you are free to remove and move around the existing material as much as you want as long as it does not change the author's intent (e.i. create plot points that were not originally there, change the meaning of the piece, create moments of humor that were not there initially)

The only exception to this is for changes made "for transition or to eliminate profane language," as per the NSDA rule guide. In other words, the only time you could change or add material to your script is to eliminate profanity or to help transition from one scene to another. You cannot use props, costumes, or furniture of any kind in your performance. I would advise avoiding touching yourself (e.g., running your hands through your hair or putting your hands in your pockets), as some stricter judges may consider these "props" as well.

Structure

HI pieces begin with a Teaser. This is a taste of your piece and generally lasts about 1 minute to 1:45 minutes. You will introduce the first character or two, as well as some of the exposition. Following the Teaser is the Intro. This is the ONLY part of your piece that you will write yourself. In it, you are required to mention the title of the source material and the author. People generally place this at the end of the intro. In your intro, explain how your piece connects to the overarching message you aim to convey. Believe it or not, comedy and advocacy can go hand in hand, and the best interpers do have a message or point. People often share anecdotes or statistics to back this message. This segment is usually 30-45 seconds long.

On the note of overarching themes: You are not required to have an overarching message or address a real-life issue with your piece, but pieces with some sort of message do tend to perform better, particularly at more competitive tournaments. There is nothing wrong with choosing a piece that is purely for entertainment if you so wish, particularly if this is your first time and you want to get your feet wet. Additionally, a powerful message will not make up for poor technique. When moving from the Teaser to the Intro, performers usually do a sort of "freeze frame": they freeze in place in whatever posture they were in at the end of the Teaser, wait a beat, then relax and move into a more neutral stance for the Intro. Following the Intro is the rest of the piece, which is exactly what it sounds like. Your piece must have a coherent, complete storyline and be no longer than 10 minutes and 30 seconds (counting Teaser, Intro, and Body).

Choosing a Script

As mentioned before, you can choose from any published material: plays, books, movies, TV shows, short stories, etc. There is even an entire industry of short scripts written specifically for Forensics competitions (You can find plenty of them on sites like https://www.brookpub.com and https://jddramapublishing.com)

Make sure you choose a script that you enjoy with a message you care about. If you do not like your piece, it will show in your performance. Additionally, you will be using the same piece all year, so choosing a script you enjoy decreases the chances of you getting bored and losing motivation.

Once you have your script, it's time to start cutting. If you have a shorter script, do a cold read. This just means you read the script out loud, while timing it, often in front of others. This can help you get a feel for the script, inspire character or blocking ideas (the people watching may also have some suggestions!), and give you an idea of how much you need to cut. If you have a longer script (say, a movie, a book, or an entire play), it's best to come up with a preliminary cut first, then cold-read it to see how you like it and whether it fits the time limits.

Basic Tech

Fundamental techniques for HI include popping, pantomime, characterization, sound effects, and blocking. Since you cannot use costumes or props, your physicality must convey characters, setting, and actions in their stead.

• Popping— This is just how performers switch from one character to another in HI. It is done by rapidly switching from the voice/physicality of one character to those of another. When popping, DO NOT hop from one place to another to show characters standing in different places; popping should always be done in place.

• Pantomime— Just a fancy word for pretending to hold/interact with things. Since you cannot use props, you will interact with a make-believe world. When pantomiming, consider what it would look like to actually interact with that object, such as size, weight, etc. How do you open a door? Drink from a glass? If you're having trouble making it realistic, practice doing the motion with the real object, then switch to doing it without the object.

• Blocking— Blocking is usually used as an umbrella term for all the actions you do in your piece, from walking across the room to pantomiming to body language. Through blocking, you will convey the action, setting, and emotion. Often, your script will include blocking (stage directions in a play or what the characters do on screen in a movie). However, you can use as much or as little of the included blocking as you want. You will also need to come up with your own blocking in areas where the script itself doesn't. This helps add depth and complexity to your piece. When blocking, consider: What would your character be doing in this situation and why? What is the setting, and how might they interact with it? How does your character feel, and how can you show this through body language?

• Sound Effects— Performers can make sound effects either vocally (such as a "chkka—eeeeerrrrr" for opening a door) or physically (stomping for knocking on a door). Sound effects can clarify blocking, add complexity to your piece, and even create a humorous moment.

• Characterization— Use varying voices and postures to differentiate between characters. For instance, you could have a character with a deeper voice and their hands on their hips, and another with a higher voice and their hands by their side. This part is entirely up to your imagination. Just make sure the postures and voices are distinct.

One of the best ways to learn and improve (aside from practicing) is to watch past national finalists. This will give you new ideas and give you a much better sense of what a great HI looks like than any guide could. Pay attention to technique, characterization, and piece selection.

Good luck!