Addition of Material to a Piece

**MiStaKe** · 12-29-2004, 11:23 AM

I'm wondering what people's opinion is regarding the addition of material (text) to a piece. I've seen it done mostly in HI and humorous Duos, but I suppose it could happen in any interp event.

I understand the addition of a small bit of text to assist with a transition in a cutting, or changing a "she" to an "I" in a narration to assist with a cutting making sense - what I don't understand is the addition of text not original to the published work with the sole purpose of adding humor.

For example (and I'm totally making this up so as not to offend anyone that I've actually seen do this): Someone is performing a piece and to add to/enhance the humor of the moment/scene - has the character sing a few lines of Brittany Spears' "Oops I Did It Again" ... it is very funny and the audience loves it, but it is NOT a part of the published piece.

I think the addition of "tech" (not written in the piece) is fine and shows creativity and personal interpretation - but, personally, I don't think it is okay to ADD "lines" for the purpose of comical enhancement.

Certainly, it is often hard to identify what has been "added" to a piece if you are not familiar with it - and that's how I think it often slides by (I'm pretty sure adding material is against NFL rules).

What do others out there think?

**Ryan** · 12-29-2004, 11:54 AM

I actually saw a duo get disqualified in Florida competition this last year for adding a reference to a pop culture individual. If you get a judge or competitior in round that knows anything about the piece (even just the vague year of publishing) and then they see this reference of something happening within a year, they'll know something is fishy and may DQ you.

Personally I've never had a problem with altering sparatic lines to assist with the piece if it doesn't do something really out there. Like in one of my pieces, I wanted to adapt a character to be very similar to a person I know in real life, so I altered some of their lines to match more of the dialogue style of the person that I know.

**sassafrassz** · 12-29-2004, 02:03 PM

I've never seen anyone be disqualifed, but there are two girls doing "The Bible" as a duo, and I swear they added stuff in. There is no way some of their lines acctually came from the bible. They're from our town, so my partner and I decided if they ever final, we're going to challenge them. But I'm always wary of adding stuff.. especially to well known pieces. My friends are doing "Shakespeare, Abridged" and they started adding stuff.. which in my opinion is risky, because people know that piece and could easily figure out that stuff was added.

I dunno, it just seems to risky for me.

**Nocturne** · 12-29-2004, 04:47 PM

Alot of people at local tournaments ad lines to there pieces. No one really bothers to challange them, since it's just locals (unless you have some serious jerks in your events) It's not really a big deal, as long as its relevant and not out of control.

**theatrix04** · 12-29-2004, 06:47 PM

It is different state to state and league to league.
However, it is part of the rules and can be challenged and HAS been challenged in Illinois and at Nationals before.

less than 15% of material may be added is how it is worded in Illinois.

**ria** · 01-01-2005, 01:46 PM

i'm not sure exactly what the official rule is in kentucky, but it's just a kind of common understanding that you can't add too much. as far as adding just for the sake of humor, it depends.
for example: my brother did a piece a few years back in storytelling, a spoof of jack and the beanstalk. he changed the funny little man on the side of the road that sold the beans to jack into elmo from sesame street. he was hilarious. i don't think he did anything wrong, b/c it was only a few lines, and the character still served the same purpose. besides that, the piece he did was at the time bordering on overdone, simply b/c it was a "jack" piece. so he added an element that made the audience go from "oh yay, another jack piece" to "hey! that was really good!"
people really do have to be careful when adding things to their pieces, though. at local tournaments, it's usually not a big deal. but when you get into state and national level tournaments, you don't want to be adding stuff.

**sassafrassz** · 01-02-2005, 12:10 AM

Originally Posted by ria

at local tournaments, it's usually not a big deal. but when you get into state and national level tournaments, you don't want to be adding stuff.

yea, but if you're adding stuff at local tournaments, it would suck to have to take it all out when you go to state and nationals, etc. Better to make it as good as it can be without adding anything, than adding something and having to take it out later.

**ria** · 01-02-2005, 12:46 AM

that is true. that is very very true. it's better just to not add to begin with, and then if it can't be avoided, add as little as possible.

**MiStaKe** · 01-03-2005, 09:36 AM

As a competitor, would you be frusterated if someone you were competing against was seemingly doing really well in part because of the material that was added? (assuming if they were doing the piece completely as written/published, they wouldn't be as dynamic as they were with the additions) Or, would be complimentary at their creativity?

I mean, personally I think everyone should be on a level playing field ... either everyone should feel free to "add" or no one should.

I am certainly often impressed with the talent and creativity displayed by those who "enhance" a performance and what they come up with, but I think altering a piece too much becomes a totally different category... "creative interp" (hee hee).