FOR MORE ASSISTANCE DOWNLOAD A SAMPLE SCRIPT HERE!
Write a 10-20 page one-act play and enter it in the Playwriting Competition for adjudication and you can possibly get your work produced at the WV State Thespian Festival! Your play will be adjudicated by ArtsLink, Inc. of New Martinsville, WV. They will choose a 1st and 2nd place winner of all entries submitted and will perform the 1st place winners of the Novice (Freshmen & Sophomores) and Advanced (Juniors and Seniors) catagories. Just imagine! Your play being performed in front of hundreds of students, teachers and parents
The WV State Thespian Board would like to thank ArtsLink, Inc. of New Martinsville, WV for their support in this endeavor!
Script specifications
1. The script must be the original work of one student.
2. The text must contain dialogue and have a minimum of two characters and a maximum of 8 characters.
3. Playing time must be a minimum of ten pages and a maximum of twenty pages.
4. Students are to submit only 4 copies of their script with the understanding that no scripts will be returned.
5. Scripts must be typed according to the West Virginia State Thespian Guidelines (see STANDARD ELEMENTS FOR STAGE PLAYS and the sample script below). All printed text must be in the TIMES NEW ROMAN FONT or ARIAL FONTat 12 pt. Both Left and Right Margins are to be set at 1.5” (inch and a half). Top and Bottom Margins are to be set at .75” (three quarters of an inch).
6. The script needs to be printed on normal, white 20lb typing, copy or printer paper.
7. The first page of the script will be the TITLE PAGE, and is to include: the title, playwright, grade level of student, sponsor, troupe number (if any), school address, and completion date.
8. The second page of the script will be the SYNOPSIS PAGE, and is to include: the title, character gender breakdown (male/female), and a forty to sixty word summary of the play.
9. The third page of the script will be the CHARACTER PAGE, including an alphabetized list of characters.
10. The fourth and successive pages will be the TEXT PAGES of the script, and will include the title, page number, actual stage play dialogue and stage directions. This section must be no less than ten (10) nor more than (20) pages.
11. Format for text pages will follow West Virginia State Thespian Guidelines. See attachment: STANDARD ELEMENTS FOR STAGE PLAYS and attached examples.
12. Any script that is improperly formatted is in violation of the specified West Virginia State Thespian Guidelines and is subject to disqualification prior to adjudication. Any plays not disqualified will be penalized for each error.
13. Judges may make comments in the margins of the script, on the evaluation form and/or during the verbal adjudication.
14. The student may not submit a play more than once. In addition, if a play was submitted at the novice level, it may not be submitted later at the Advanced level.
15. The adjudicator will meet with the playwrights in a workshop at the beginning of the State Festival. All playwrights need to be in attendance at this workshop.
16. Scripts are to be received at the address below no later than Monday, February 27, 2012.
17. Mail scripts to: Donna Earley, Artslink Coordinator, ArtsLink, Inc., 141 Main Street, New Martinsville WV, 26155
PLAYWRITING Judging Critera
The adjudicator, while reading your play, will consider the following topics:
Character
· Are goals established?
· Is the goal pursued in a manner consistent with the character’s personality and limitations?
· Can an audience empathize with the protagonist?
· Are the supporting characters vital to the development and resolution of the plot?
· Do the characters relate to each other?
· Do the characters show growth?
· Does each character have a purpose?
Dialogue
· Is each character’s diction (choice of words) consistent with the given circumstances?
· Is all dialogue necessary to the development of the plot and each character?
· Does the dialogue fit the nature of each character?
Plot
· Does the author provide all exposition necessary to understanding the characters and their situations (who, what, when, where, why)?
· Once the initial incident is introduced, does the rising action follow a logical sequence of events to an appropriate climax and resolution? (Beginning, Middle & End)
· Is the plot believable in the context of the story?
Stageability
· Can this work be easily performed in any theatrical venue given the limitations of a stage play?
· Are the sets, props and costumes readily available, adaptable or easy to make?
Creativity
· Is there a recognizable style of theatre? (Drawing Room, Comedia del Arté, Modern, Improvisational, etc.)
· How is the work unique?
· Does the story flow easily?
· Is the theme dealt with in a new or different manner?
· Is the language interesting or unusual?
· Does the play make us think, react or feel?
Standard Elements For Stage Plays (Revised 30 May 2002)
Stage Directions
State Directions are actions related to character and they can also relay scenic information. They are to be indicated by plain text that is italicized within parenthesis. If a typewriter is used and italics are not possible, then make sure all stage directions must be enclosed by parenthesis.
For example:
(He crosses downstage. The moonlight reveals a figure in the shadows.)
(Times New Roman font, 12pt., Italics, Left Justify)
Character Name
Character names precede dialogue, and indicate who is talking. They are always written in bold, capital letters and followed by a colon.
For example:
HOMER:
(12 pt. Times New Roman, Bold Caps, Left Justify)
Dialogue
Dialogue is the spoken word of the actor. It is always preceded by the character name, and in plain text. When a new character starts a new line of dialogue, the two lines of dialogue are to be double-spaced.
For example:
Sally! Sally! Why have you left me? Where is the letter?
(12 pt. Times New Roman, Plain text, left Justify)
Page Headers & Numbers
Page headers identify the stageplay’s title and page numbers only. Each page after the first page of dialogue or stage directions must have these on the upper right hand corner. These are always in bold word caps, title italicized, and followed by a period.
For Example:
Coal Mining Remembrances Page 49.
(12 pt. Times New Roman, Capital Letters, Bold type, Title Italic Only. Right Justify)
FOR MORE ASSISTANCE DOWNLOAD A SAMPLE SCRIPT HERE!
Return to State Festival Events
