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Play and Speech Rally

Contact Information

Speech Rally contact

Andy Luster, 337-475-5930 or Email Andy

Play Rally contact

Charles McNeely, 337-475-5041 or Email Charles

Rally Information

  1. SCHOOL CLASSIFICATIONS (Division status is based on High School (9-12) attendance only.):

    • Division I  -   1001 -  up
    • Division II -  501 - 1000
    • Division III  -  251 - 500
    • Division IV  -  151 - 250
    • Division V  -  1 – 150

  2. EVENTS:

    1. One Act Play: one play from each school.
    2. Extemporaneous Speaking: up to six speakers from each school.
    3. Impromptu Speaking: up to two speakers from each school.
    4. Interpretive Reading: up to six speakers from each school.
    5. Original Oratory: up to six speakers from each school.
    6. Radio Speaking: up to two speakers from each school.

  3. AWARDS:

    1. Speech Rally

      Individual Events: (Extemporaneous Speaking, impromptu speaking, interpretive reading, original oratory, and radio speaking) Each contestant will be rated and receive school sweepstakes points as follows: superior (5), excellent (4), very good (3), good (2), and fair (1). Superior rated speakers in extemporaneous speaking, interpretive reading, and original oratory will qualify for State Speech Rally competition.

      Outstanding individual event speakers (Divisions I & II and III, IV, & V) will be mentioned and receive trophies, but they will receive no extra points for final (elimination) round competition.

      In each of the divisions, Sweepstakes winners will be declared and awarded trophies.  Scholarship opportunities could also be available for outstanding speakers.

    2. Play Rally

      Catalogs of one-act plays may be obtained by writing the following publishing companies:

      1. Baker’s Plays, 1445 Hancock St. #206, Quincy, MA 02169
        2.         
      2. Dramatist’s Play Service, 440 Park Ave. South, New York, NY 10016
        3.         
      3. Samuel French, Inc., 25th West 45th St., New York, NY 10036

      One Act Play: Each group will receive points as follows: superior (20), excellent (16), very good (12), good (8), and fair (4). One Act Plays receiving superior ratings will qualify for State Play Rally competition.

      Play Rally trophies include: Most Promising Actor, Most Promising Actress, Outstanding One Act Play, & Outstanding Ensemble acting.

      Two $100 McNeese State University Overall Achievement Scholarships will be awarded to an outstanding actor/actress.

  4. CRITERIA:

    The rating sheets used by critic judges will be given to the schools at the close of the rally.

  5. REGULATIONS:

    1. One Act Plays

      1. The play itself may not run for more than 20 minutes.
      2. The playing group will have possession of the stage for 30 minutes. During that time the stage must be set, the play presented, and the stage cleared for the next play. Any one act play, or part of a full-length play that can be considered an artistic unit, may be presented.  Catologs of one act plays may be obtained by writing the following publishing companies:
        1. Baker’s Plays, 1445 Hancock St. #206, Quincy, MA 02169
          2.         
        2. Dramatist’s Play Service, 440 Park Ave. South, New York, NY 10016
          3.         
        3. Samuel French, Inc., 25th West 45th St., New York, NY 10036
      3. It is the playing group’s responsibility to make arrangements with the publishers for the right to use the play.
      4. Squires Auditorium in the Shearman Fine Arts Building will be used for play rally this year.  A floor plan showing the arrangement of the stage (door, windows, furniture, etc.) must be in the hands of the MSU Director of Theatre at least 7 days prior to the day of rally.  It can be faxed to the Performing Arts Department (fax # 337-475-5063).
      5. Each playing group must report backstage 30 minutes before its scheduled time.
      6. MINIMUM essential furniture, an outlet for sound equipment, some sound equipment, standard area lighting, and a small stage crew will be provided by McNeese. Participating casts must furnish costumes, make-up, special stage properties, and any sound equipment not provided by McNeese.
      7. It is suggested that directors using recorded sound effects furnish all tape recording equipment needed or bring cassette recorded effects.
      8. Plays will be rated by a critic judge who will also, if time permits, give a critique to each cast and director directly after each play.
      9. Cast members of each play should leave the stage and dressing rooms in good order.

    2. Extemporaneous Speaking:

      1. The time limit is 5-7 minutes per speech.
      2. The essential requirement of this contest is that the speaker presents a brief informative talk on a current topic in a informal, conversational manner.
      3. Contestants prepare for this event by familiarizing themselves with topics of current state, national, and international events. Topics will   be limited to items that appeared within three months prior to rally in accepted news media.
      4. The contest is conducted as follows:
        1. 30 minutes before the contestant’s panel is scheduled to speak, each contestant will draw three topics, then select one topic on which they will speak.
        2. The contestant then has 30 minutes to review their thinking and any research materials he wishes to bring; during that time, they will prepare the speech and may rehearse it. Only the contestants themselves are allowed in the drawing and practice room.
        3. Speakers will then present their completed speeches (in the same order as they drew topics) in a common room. Speakers may use notes and other aids; however, those notes and aids should not interfere with the effectiveness of the speech and its delivery.

    3. Interpretive Reading:

      1. The time limit is not more than eight minutes, including the introduction. There is no minumum time limit.
      2. The reading should be selected from good literature, either prose or poetry, and should be within the range of understanding of high school students.
      3. The purpose of the event is the recreation of the thought and mood of a work of literary art for an audience. Please note “for an audience.” The reader is not acting at one extreme, nor are they reading aloud to themselves at the other. They are  performers who appeal to the imagination of the audience. They fail if they call attention to themselves, yet they must establish immediate contact with the audience.
      4. Extemporaneous introductory remarks should precede each reading.
      5. Selections may be presented from memory or from a book or manuscript.
      6. Large body movements, such as an actor or impersonator might make, are inappropriate to the interpretation. Judges will deduct for large body movements, such as movements with large or distracting gestures and excessive facial expressions.
      7. Since the idea of this Rally is to learn, we do not believe that a student should read the same piece at rally after rally, nor that all members from the same school should read the same selection.
      8. Recorded music or musical instruments are not allowed in this event.

    4. Original Oratory:

      1. Time limit is 6-8 minutes.
      2. The oration must be strictly original with the student. Plagiarism will disqualify the student from competing in the contest.
      3. Students are urged to select timely topics on current affairs. They should be discouraged from attempting to speak on abstact subjects. Organization should be carefully planned. The language should be simple and direct. Much thought, careful writing, and thorough practice of delivery should be elements in the preparation.
      4. The speech must be memorized. Prompting or failure in memory may disqualify a contestant.
      5. Typed manuscripts must be handed in to the Speech Rally Coordinator at the time of registration. These will not be returned to the speaker. Copies should include sources used.

    5. Impromptu Speaking (not a State Rally Competition):

      1. The time limit is not more than seven minutes – during which a speaker draws an item, prepares, and delivers a short speech.
      2. The essential requirement of this contest is that the speaker should present a brief informative talk explaining or disproving a drawn item. The material presented may be humorous, personally reflective, satiric, or serious in nature. The quote must be included at some point in the speech.
      3. The contest is conducted as follows:
        1. At the assigned time, the speaker draws three quotes (items), selects one, and returns the other two.
        2. The speaker then uses their seven minutes to both prepare and present the speech.
        3. A timekeeper will be present to inform the speaker of the time left.

    6. Radio Speaking (not a State Rally Competition):

      1. Each student will be given news material resembling copy used in most broadcast settings. Material will be provided by McNeese. The order of story presentation will be formatted by the student. Following presentation of news, students will present a brief commentary on a topic or one of the news stories.
      2. Each student must report to the radio room during the time scheduled.
      3. Each student will receive 20-30 minutes of preparation time immediately prior to their news delivery/commentary.

  6. ENTRY REGULATIONS:

    1. No one student may enter more than three individual events. No student may enter more than two events in one flight of events.

      Event Flights:

      • FLIGHT A: Interpretive Reading, Radio Speaking, Impromptu Speaking
        •         
      • FLIGHT B: Extemporaneous Speaking, Original Oratory
    2. No one student may enter more than four events total (three individual events and one act play).
    3. Students entered in more than one individual event will be considered for overall achievement scholarships, if entered on entry blank.

  7. COSTS OF PARTICIPATION:

    1. Individual Events:

      $ 2.00 for each individual event slot entered.

    2. One Act Play:

      $ 25 for each one act play (limit one per school).

  8. OTHER INFORMATION
    1. Deadline for Event Substitutions: before 4:00 p.m. on March 16, 2012.  Please make note of the entry deadline on the Rally Checklist.
    2. Play & Speech Rally Awards Ceremony times will be announced on Rally Day.

**** Please feel free to contact the Play Rally Coordinator, Speech Rally Coordinator, or Rally Director with any questions.