Speech (575)

            Well speech season Is coming up and I think that’s it’s about time to explain this type of performance art, which might take a while because speech is actually not just standing at a podium, talking to a lot of people. There are all kinds of categories for acting and singing to being totally silent. 

            Ensemble acting is when a small group does a small play, their only props being a table and some chairs. They are not allowed to wear costumes but are expected to look nice. In one school you can have multiple ensembles doing different shows.

            Musical Theater is kind of like ensemble acting in the way that there is a small group of performers and they put on a show. In musical theater though they have very little lines to speak it is mostly the song they sing that keep the show going.

            Choral Reading is a little more difficult to explain. It is a bigger group of students, with more speaking and singing then ensemble acting and musical theater. The lines are spoke either as solo lines, duet, a small group within the larger group, or the whole ensemble speaks as one. The whole choral reading show can be fifteen minutes long. Now and then the ensemble sings songs that go with their theme.  They also put on a show, but with more of a mystery to it. They are allowed to wear costumes and have multiple props; they also have to have their script on stage with them.

             Now Mimes. I think everyone knows what a mime is. The creepy people who wear white face paint and pretend to be trapped in a box on the streets of Paris right? No? Oh. Well in speech mime can be a group performance or a solo event. You have to act out a scene, either serious or funny, while not using any props or any words. Just facials and your body. You’re not allowed to have costumes, in fact our director makes us wear all black so we don’t distract from the performance.

            Now the competitions you take all these performances too,(I didn't talk about all of them by the way, if you would like to read more about the different categories click here, http://www.ihssa.org/) the first competition is called Districts. This competition is held in a high school, the gym is the “homeroom” for performers from all schools to warm up, or relax, or meet up with coaches. It is also where many props are stored. The performances take place in classrooms and the auditorium. There is one judge per room who will rate the performance. After districts if you get a one rating the performance will move on to state competition, held on a different day at a different high school. The premise is the same, the gym is the homeroom and the performances go on in class rooms. There are more judges per room and it is harder to get a one rating but if the performance does, and it gets recommended for it, it moves on to the highest competition; All State. All State is held at Iowa State University and the performers still have to perform in smaller spaces but they are bigger then class rooms. The top performance, chosen by one critic, is given the banner to hold on to for the rest of the year. The banner is the top prize from all state.