Tip of the Day

[ria]

oh, thougth of another one that affected a lot of our people at the state tournament:

Even if you're completely sure that your piece is perfect on time, keep timing it. If you get too comfortable with your piece, you will start to slow down, and you never know when you might go overtime. Time your piece every time you practice it, and you're guaranteed to keep a tight reign on your time.

[Jesus]

Interp:
(HI, DUO)

"Make sure when you buy shoes that the bottom is slick and doesnt have good grip. Otherwise, you're pops won't be as strong"

(and make sure u pack your own shoes so u dont wind up with new shoes that your mom packet that have the greatest grip in the world, so you have to bum electrical tape off an exposer and tape the bottom of your shoes for half of prelims and 3 break rounds....hmmm)
so...

General:

"Pack your own bags for tourniments"


(two best ones iVE heard so far:
"Check fly frequently"
"dont go into autopilot")

(all of the tips on this page are really funny if u apply them to *** when they make sense.)

[theatrix04]

PROSE and VERSE

Use black background pages and non-glare sheet protectors - if your state requires little black book. Work on memorizing piece, but make sure you look at your script to have a happy medium between reading and interping your selection.

HI
Make sure you have distinct focal points, physical characterists, and vocal characteristics for each character. Work on quick pops, both physical and vocal. Slow pops, whether physical or vocal soften your performance.

TEASERS and INTROS
Make sure your teaser is less than 1 min 15 seconds in most cases and your intro should blend or showcase your selection. Remember :
Natural, Character, concise, clever, and make it yours.....Connect with specific people in the audience, and do not swallow the title and author.

Hold a second before and after intro.

INTERPS
Always hold your last moment at least a second and make it count!
Remember facial expressions and actions can be much louder than words!


LESS IS MORE.

DUOS
Listen, act, react, and interact. Remember to savor the moment.

[theatrix04]

Be courteous audience members in rounds.

Listen, react, do not detract from someone elses performance.

Always turn off cell phones, pagers, clock and stop watch alarms.

Always drink water before a round or carry cough drops,mints, or aquadrops.

Never talk negatively about competitors or performers in public areas. You never know if a coach, teammate, or judge may be near and count it against you at some point.

Be constructive with critiques or criticism.

DUOS
Dress for your movement but always in a professional image.


ATTIRE
Always take all change or extra materials out of pockets of pants, jackets, or notebooks before performing. Make sure you do so before the round starts (not just before going up to perform).

[Jesus]

ATTIRE
Always take all change or extra materials out of pockets of pants, jackets, or notebooks before performing. Make sure you do so before the round starts (not just before going up to perform).

in berkely semis last year for duo, my partner realized he had a quarter in his pocket while walking up to the audatorium stage, so he slyly took it out of his pocket and placed it on the podium on the way to the stage and the first thing one judge wrote on her ballot was

"TAKE YOUR SH*T OUT BEFORE YOU GO UP THERE!"
(but she wrote the real word...but u cant because this board is retarded)
:shock:

she still gave us the 1 8)

[theatrix04]

1. Go for it as often as possible. The more you do Impromptu Speaking, the easier it gets and the better you present. So volunteer to fill in at a tournament for your team!

2. Repeat the topic . This gives your mind a few extra seconds to think of something to say.

3. Remember an off the cuff topic is a mini-speech with an opening, a body, and a closing. Begin your Impromptu Topic with an opening personal sentence Think of three points. If time is running out and you see the warning signal, End by summarizing what you said. Then turn control back opening. Unified analysis.

4. Personalize your response—even if you need to make up your answer: “This reminds me of what happened to me (or to my brother or my daughter).” or, “I remember when….”

5. If you know nothing about the topic, do not panic. Utilize this to your advantage .....Just tell what you don’t know about the topic: “What a great topic. I know nothing about the topic. But I will make it a point to study up on the subject just in case I ever get it again. I will research it on the Internet, assuming I can spell it. I may even go to the library. On second thought, why should I bother? Let’s face it. The topic just does not interest me. If it did, I would already know about it.

6. Stay within time. Watch the timing signals. Consider ending just after seeing the warning signal and before the out of time signal. Follow these strategies and we guarantee you’ll develop into a dynamic off the cuff speaker and give winning impromptu presentations.

[Jesus]

i dont agree with number 4 or 5.

We had the impromtu state champion on our team and he would never personalize it and gave the tip never to do that as it may come off unprofessional.

Five is just a bad idea. You will get nothing higher than a 4 in the round if you do that. I would say completely make it up. Maybe he doesnt know about it either...or warp it into something u do know and give a good speech.

[theatrix04]

State Champion in Illinois in Extemp and Impromptu for the past three years have utilized opening personal story, analogy, or such. The main tip is to ....make the speech yours, natural, intelligent, and utilize unified analysis.

There are always exceptions to all rules or tips. Use what works best for you. Be confident, intelligent, and professional.

Yes, it is also possible to do this and utilize personal approach.


These were tips for the moderator to review and then decide what to post. I was not trying to open any debates. I agree it is better to make something up with confidence, but remember this can backfire.

I have judged many rounds where the competitors did not know the topic and tried to make it up.....and failed miserably. However, there is a way to utlize what you don't know to your advantage as long as you tie it all together with something you do know.

You may fool some but not most.

Good luck.

[arimolly]

These are fun. Ok, first, on the topic of Impromptu, it's better to BS than confess ignorance...ALWAYS! Whether you make it seem like you know what you're doing or you make it totally obvious you have no clue in h-ll, get up there and speak for the full time. Ok, on to other advice.

"Ladies, NO cleavage, midriffs, legs without hose, open-toed shoes, skirts more than 2 inches above the knee, or too-tight blouses which reveal bra lines. Never attractive."

"In Congress, whether you're re-emphasizing someone's point because you also planned to say it or you're extending it, if it's been said, give the person credit."

"Boys, wear dress socks and shoes. Clean, black skater shoes do not count."

"This isn't the time to pull out your zoot suit or tweeded and bowed skirt suit...save those things for plays that you're in and society lunches (pearls excepted)."

"Don't be afraid to deviate from the standard three-point speech in OO or Impromptu. If 2 or 4 points work better, go for it."

Maybe this only happens in CA, but
"Don't be ridiculous on stage while receiving an award. Jumping up and down, hinge-ing towards the ground (yes, it happened), etc., only makes you look like a jacka-s."

[DrFushman]

Fill out critiques legibly so the judge doesn't have to decypher your name.

Make sure to write all double entries on the board before the rounds starts, and make sure to tell your judge if your duo partner is double entered, and that the speaking order may need to be rearranged.

Always know the speaking order, because sometimes when people are double enterred it messes up the order and it is never a good idea to get caught off guard.

When you get up to the front of the room, make eye contact with as many people as possible. Be confident. Wait for the judge to give you the signal that she/he/it is ready.

If you blank out in the middle of your speech, try your best not to show it. If it is interp, it is usually possible to make it look like it is part of the piece. Don't give up right away because what seems to you like a long time to you may have just been a few unnoticable seconds.

That's all I could think of for now. Most of them are just etticut(sp), but nevertheless important.