User:Eacoughlin/sandbox

Humorous Interpretation FAQ http://speechdebate.pbworks.com/f/Humorous+Interp.pdf

Humorous Interp Wiki page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humorous_Interpretation

Coaching Humorous Interpretation http://debate.uvm.edu/NFL/rostrumlib/interpGoins0302.pdf

These introductions are original and must introduce both the title of the piece and the author. It is okay to say the this, but often people will maybe incorporate a quote or a brief explanation that relates to the piece. The introduction may be placed anywhere throughout the piece. Some people choose to do it at the very beginning. Many choose to perform the very beginning of their piece as a bit of a teaser, come out of character to state their intro, and then continue the piece from there. There is no "correct" place to put the introduction, but it is best closer to the beginning as it is an introduction. The number of characters that can be present in the piece is entirely dependent upon the competitor's level of ability. It may range anywhere from one character to multiple characters. Each different character is distinguished by a different posture and character voice. Throughout the piece, competitors switch back and forth between characters with character pops. Pops are a quick transition between characters where the performer quickly re-adjusts his/her body to the appropriate character. Different regions have adopted different styles. It is common in the Midwest for performers to pop very quickly and crisply. Competitors on the coasts, though, typically pop differently. A different style of pops is one that is more of a slide into the other character, it is much less abrupt. Regardless of how one decides to go about alternating between characters, though, the one thing performers must make sure of is that it is very clear they are portraying a different character. This doesn't have to be done with posture alone, a competitor may also utilize different voices to differentiate between characters.

Picking a Piece
When choosing a piece, competitors may use any form of published material- whether it be a dictionary, movie script or a novel. Pieces that tend to be more popular, though, are movie scripts, novels and plays. Picking a piece that can be cut down to ten minutes can be very difficult, but it is important that when choosing a piece, performers keep in mind how they might go about cutting it down. In addition, it is very important that performers pick out pieces that are not commonly done. According to Darren C. Goins, picking a "fresh" piece is one of the best ways to ensure a successful season. One very good source students can turn to in order to find good pieces is winning pieces of play writing contests and such.