Speech & Drama

New and revised syllabus rules and classes for 2023 are highlighted in yellow.

THE FESTIVAL COMMITTEE DOES NOT WISH TO DISQUALIFY ANY PERFORMER.

  • All competitors, parents, teachers and choreographers are sincerely advised to carefully review and abide by the regulations and spirit of the festival so that infractions do not occur.
  • We streamlined the fees for all classes this year as detailed in the General Rules.

 

Please review the main Syllabus page and the General Rules & Regulations as well as this syllabus for more information.

Contents

Speech & Drama Syllabus

Special Notice for Novices

Non-Competitive Classes for Adjudication Comments Only

To encourage the participation of students entered by elementary schools, consideration is being given to establishing special classes for adjudication only, and which would not be eligible for either Bursary or Provincial selection. Such special classes for elementary schools would be for novice students entering solo selections for:

Solo Age Level Class
Poetry, own choice Grades 1 to 3 (Primary) 626
Poetry, own choice Grades 4 to 7 (Intermediate) 627
Prose, own choice Grades 1 to 3 (Primary) 628
Prose, own choice Grades 4 to 7 (Intermediate) 629

Similar consideration will be given to elementary teachers who enter elementary speech choirs in these grade categories. Selections would be two contrasting own choices.

Group Age Level Class
Speech Choirs Grades 1 to 3 (Primary) 630
Speech Choirs Grades 4 to 7 (Intermediate) 631

NOTE: STUDENTS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO ENTER IN COMPETITIVE CLASSES RATHER THAN NON-COMPETITIVE, WHENEVER IT IS APPROPRIATE.

Rules

  1. One good-quality copy of each selection must be received by the Speech Arts Chairperson at least two weeks before the Festival date.
    1. Failure to observe this rule could result in the withdrawal of the contestant in those classes for which selection copies have not been received.
    2. ALL COPIES OF OWN CHOICE SELECTIONS SHOULD BE CLEARLY MARKED WITH BOTH THE COMPETITOR’S NAME AND CLASS NUMBER.
  2. Due to copyright laws, students should select work from school texts or readily available publications as they must have such publications available for the adjudicator’s use at the performance.
    1. Using photocopied material is prohibited unless approved through CanCopy or a publisher’s letter.
    2. Downloaded material from the Internet is acceptable as long as a receipt of payment is presented.
  3. OWN CHOICE SELECTIONS: YOU MUST BRING THE PUBLICATION CONTAINING THE SELECTION WITH YOU FOR THE ADJUDICATOR’S USE.
    1. Original publications must be presented to the adjudicator’s secretary when proceeding to perform.
    2. The publication must be opened to the appropriate page for the selection and show the start and end of the selection being performed.
    3. Such publications will be available after the adjudication. The Festival does not accept responsibility for unclaimed publications.
  4. In duo and group entries, the appropriate class is determined by the age of the OLDEST entrant.
  5. Groups should be entered under the name of the group, giving the number of participants and not as individual entries. ONE entry for a duo or group with ONE complete form.
  6. In duos, substitutions may be allowed for one member if the Speech Arts Chairperson is notified immediately. Such replacements will be at the discretion of the chairperson (see general rules).
  7. AWARDS AND BURSARIES: Competitors wishing to qualify for bursaries must enter a minimum of two solo classes within their age grouping. Winners will be chosen by the adjudicator (see General Rules).
  8. PROVINCIAL FINALS: For current information, please go to www.bcprovincials.com
  9. Performers aspiring toward a Provincial recommendation are required to enter poetry, prose and dramatic monologue classes, and should contact the chairperson regarding Provincial requirements.
    1. Competitors in the Senior Class are required to perform a Sonnet as well as Poetry, Prose and Drama.
  10. All speech presentations must be memorized, except for Sight Reading, Readers’ Theatre and story-reading sections.
  11. Contestants are reminded that time limits must not be exceeded. If exceeded, a bell will sound, and competitors must stop immediately.
  12. Competitors, teachers or parents must not communicate directly with the adjudicator (see general rules).

 

Definitions

The following definitions have been established as guidelines for competitors at the Provincial level and are the definitions used by the MIPAF.

Prose

A prose passage is a selection from a story, novel, essay or similar writing that forms a concise unit. The prose is non-metrical writing: thus, stories written in verse are not appropriate. In prose, the speaker is the narrator. The focus should be on the voice. Vocal characterization is encouraged, but the quality of prose must be maintained. The selection should include narration, description and dialogue. It should be spoken in the story-telling style, but should not be performed as a dramatic scene, i.e. there is to be no acting, with only very limited movement around the stage. Competitors may stand or be seated.

Drama

In drama, the speaker is the character. The selection should be taken from a play written to be presented on the stage by an actor assuming the character’s language, movement and dress. The selection should be the words of one character only, with words of other characters omitted. Shakespeare selections must be taken from his plays and not his non-dramatic poetry. Movement, character development and relationships are essential in this section, thus “stand-alone” monologues (not from longer plays) are poor choices at the provincial level.

Poetry

In poetry, the language is molded into a design; in prose, it is not. Speakers may choose to perform any type of poetry: lyric, narrative, dramatic or slam – matching performance choices to author intention and style:

  • Lyric: a short unified poem expressing the poet’s own experience and emotion, usually presented in a relaxed stance with no movement. The speaker interprets rather than identifies with it.
    • e.g. Solitude, by Bliss Carman;
    • To Autumn, by Keats;
    • Sonnets of Shakespeare and Wordsworth.
  • Narrative: a poem that tells a story and usually has dialogue: the telling of a story is the primary concern of the speaker.
    • e.g. The King’s Breakfast, by A. A. Milne;
    • The Raven, by E. A. Poe;
    • The Cattle Thief, by Pauline Johnson.
  • Dramatic: in a dramatic poem, a character distinct from the performer and poet speaks, revealing personality and attitudes. The primary concern of the poem is to show character, and not tell a story.
    • e.g. My Last Duchess, by Robert Browning;
    • Patterns, by Amy Lowell.
  • Slam Poetry: an idea or thematic connection poems with voice, humour, rhythm, exaggeration, wordplay, written for performance to an audience. Excerpts may be presented as these poems are often very long. Suggested resource books include:
    • Word Warriors (Olsen)
    • Take the Mic (Smith)
    • Poetry Slam (Glazner)
  • Sonnet: a sonnet is a fixed form lyric poem, traditionally consisting of 14 lines of iambic pentameter with a set rhyme scheme. In Senior Speech, modern sonnets with variations in rhyme scheme and stanzaic structure are permissible, as are caudate, curtal and double sonnets, provided their inclusion fits the overall time allowance. Sources:
    • The Penguin Book of the Sonnet
    • Making of a Sonnet (Hirsch)
    • The Art of the Sonnet (Burt)

Costumes and Props

Costuming and props are only permitted for the Drama selection. Competitors should select material that requires an absolute minimum of props, and these should be portable. All props and costumes remain the sole responsibility of the competitors. Competitors should use good judgment in selecting suitable dress for their presentations. It is not intended that students use elaborate costumes.

Note: no live flame is permitted on stage.

Classes

Canadian Poetry – Own Choice – Of Festival Standard

Class Age Level Time Limit
520 9 and under 2 minutes
521 11 and under 2 minutes
522 13 and under 2 minutes
523 16 and under 3 minutes
524 18 and under 5 minutes
525 Open 5 minutes

Poetry – Own Choice – Of Festival Standard

Class Age Level Time Limit
526 7 and under 2 minutes
527 9 and under 2 minutes
528 11 and under 2 minutes
529 13 and under 3 minutes
530 16 and under 3 minutes
531 18 and under 4 minutes
532 Open 5 minutes

Poetry – Sonnet – Own Choice – Of Festival Standard

Class Age Level Time Limit
533 13 and under 2 minutes
534 16 and under 2 minutes
535 18 and under 2 minutes
536 Open 2 minutes

Original Poetry – Written and Spoken by Entrant – Of Festival Standard

Class Age Level Time Limit
537 13 and under 2 minutes
538 16 and under 3 minutes
539 18 and under 5 minutes
540 Open 5 minutes

Prose – Own Choice – Of Festival Standard

Class Age Level Time Limit
541 9 and under 5 minutes
542 11 and under 5 minutes
543 13 and under 5 minutes
544 16 and under 8 minutes
545 18 and under 8 minutes
546 Open 8 minutes

Dramatic Monologue – Own Choice – Of Festival Standard

Class Age Level Time Limit
547 9 and under 5 minutes
548 11 and under 5 minutes
549 13 and under 5 minutes
550 16 and under 6 minutes
551 18 and under 7 minutes
552 Open 8 minutes

Shakespeare Monologue – Own Choice

Class Age Level Time Limit
553 16 and under 3 minutes
554 18 and under 4 minutes
555 Open 6 minutes

Dramatic Duologue – Own Choice – Of Festival Standard

Class Age Level Time Limit
556 9 and under 5 minutes
557 11 and under 5 minutes
558 13 and under 5 minutes
559 16 and under 8 minutes
560 18 and under 10 minutes

Mime

Class Age Level Time Limit
561 11 and under 2 minutes
562 13 and under 3 minutes
563 16 and under 4 minutes
564 18 and under 5 minutes
565 Open 5 minutes

Duo – Mime

Class Age Level Time Limit
566 11 and under 2 minutes
567 13 and under 3 minutes
568 16 and under 4 minutes
569 18 and under 5 minutes
570 Open 5 minutes

Group Mime

Class Age Level Time Limit
571 9 and under 4 minutes
572 11 and under 5 minutes
573 13 and under 5 minutes
574 16 and under 7 minutes
575 18 and under 10 minutes

Improvisation

CLASSES WILL REQUIRE CONTESTANTS TO BE ISOLATED. The Adjudicator will give each individual a subject around which to improvise a scene. Some preparation time will be given (3 to 5 minutes).

Class Age Level Time Limit
576 9 and under 3 minutes
577 11 and under 3 minutes
578 13 and under 3 minutes
579 16 and under 5 minutes
580 18 and under 5 minutes
581 Open 5 minutes

Duo – Improvisation

CLASSES WILL REQUIRE CONTESTANTS TO BE ISOLATED. The Adjudicator will give each class a subject around which to improvise a scene. Some preparation time will be given (3 to 5 minutes).

Class Age Level Time Limit
582 9 and under 3 minutes
583 11 and under 3 minutes
584 13 and under 3 minutes
585 16 and under 5 minutes
586 18 and under 5 minutes
587 Open 5 minutes

Sight Reading

CLASSES WILL REQUIRE CONTESTANTS TO BE ISOLATED. The Adjudicator will select an unseen piece. No preparation time.

Class Age Level
588 9 and under
589 11 and under
590 16 and under
591 16 and under
592 18 and under
593 Open

Story Telling – Own Choice

Class Age Level Time Limit
594 13 and under 4 minutes
595 16 and under 5 minutes
596 18 and under 6 minutes

Group Scenes – Own Choice – Of Festival Standard

Minimum of 3 and a maximum of 7 participants.

Class Age Level Time Limit
597 13 and under 6 minutes
598 16 and under 8 minutes
599 18 and under 10 minutes

Formal Speech – Own Choice

Class Age Level Time Limit
600 9 and under 2 minutes
601 11 and under 2 minutes
602 13 and under 2 minutes
603 16 and under 3 minutes
604 18 and under 3 minutes
605 Open 3 minutes

Story Reading

CLASSES WILL REQUIRE CONTESTANTS TO BE ISOLATED. Word-for-word memorization is forbidden—the book must be used.

Class Age Level Time Limit
606 7 and under 3 minutes
607 9 and under 4 minutes
608 11 and under 5 minutes

Speech Choirs and Readers Theatre

Marks will not be awarded and only an adjudication comment will be given.

Readers Theatre – Own Choice

MAXIMUM TEN (10) PARTICIPANTS PER GROUP

Class Age Level Time Limit
609 9 and under 8 minutes
610 11 and under 8 minutes
611 13 and under 10 minutes
612 16 and under 15 minutes
613 18 and under 20 minutes

Speech Choirs – Own Choice – Two Contrasting Selections

Class Category Time Limit
614 Kindergarten 2 minutes
615 Grade 1 2 minutes
616 Grade 2 2 minutes
617 Grades 3 & 4 2 minutes
618 Grades 5 & 6 3 minutes
619 Grade 7 3 minutes
620 Grade 8 – 10 3 minutes
621 Grade 11 – 12 3 minutes

Humour – Own Choice – Any Selection

Class Age Level Time Limit
622 13 and under 2 minutes
623 16 and under 4 minutes
624 18 and under 6 minutes
625 Open 6 minutes

Non-Competitive Novice Classes

Poetry – Own Choice

Class Age Level Time Limit
626 Primary Grades 1 – 3 2 minutes
627 Intermediate Grades 4 – 7 3 minutes

Prose – Own Choice

Class Age Level Time Limit
628 Primary Grades 1 – 3 3 minutes
629 Intermediate Grades 4 – 7 4 minutes

Speech Choirs – Own Choice – Two Contrasting Selections

Class Age Level Time Limit
630 Primary Grades 1 – 3 2 minutes
631 Intermediate Grades 4 – 7 3 minutes

Provincial

Public Speaking and Storytelling

  • One selection of original Public Speaking and one selection of Storytelling, performed consecutively in either order, with one minute between selections if required.
  • The selection of Public Speaking must be an original extemporaneous speech and not memorized.

    • Notes should be used but not read from.
    • The speech can be persuasive, informational, or entertaining, on a topic of the speaker’s choice.
  • The selection of Storytelling can include an original story or the competitor’s adaptation of a folktale, fairy tale, myth, legend or story.

    • Stories must be told and must be in the competitor’s own words without the use of notes.
    • Appropriate sounds, props, or limited movement may be included.

A minimum mark of 85 is required for qualification to Provincials. Need not enter Speech and Dramatic Arts classes.

Class Age Level Time Limit
632 11 to 13 10 minutes
633
17 and under
12 minutes
634 23 and under
15 minutes

Provincial Excellence in Speech Arts

  • A wellrounded program consisting of selections by different authors representing a diversity of time periods.
  • The program must include five to seven selections, including one piece by a Canadian author and two contrasting dramatic scenes; one of the scenes must have been written prior to the year 1900. Classical scenes such as Greek, Shakespeare, Restoration or 18th Century dramatic selections may be considered to meet this requirement. 
  • All selections must have a unifying theme. Performers must introduce their theme to the audience at the beginning and then, before the performance of each selection, briefly explain the selection’s connection to the theme.

A minimum mark of 85 is required for qualification to Provincials.

Class Age Level Time Limit
635 23 and under 35 minutes
For the current Provincial syllabus, go to www.bcprovincials.com
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