TECHNICAL INDIVIDUAL EVENTS

Costume Construction

​

1. The student must fully construct one complete costume from neck to ankle. This costume must be for any main character in the chosen play.

2. Costumes must be an entirely original construction by the student. Store bought garments or embellishments made to stock costumes are not acceptable.

3. Only one student may be involved in the construction. NO COLLABORATION.

4. Any patterns may be used, but the cost must be considered within the given budget.

5. The costume must utilize at least three (3) different fabrics or trims. For example, a men’s costume may consist of a white shirt, black pants, and a grey vest. A women’s costume may consist of a dress with a lace collar and an apron, or it may be a single gown with several trims.

6. Proof of acquisition of all materials used in the construction of the garment must be documented. The student must provide an itemized expense sheet and receipts as proof. This sheet must be mounted on the display board mentioned below.

7. In addition to the costume, each student will create a costume research collage. This may include environmental background pictures of the time period in which the play takes place, costume renderings, pattern envelopes, fabric swatches, etc.

8. The collage must be presented on a 20″ x 30″ black art board.

9. The board will be labeled in the following manner:

   • Upper Left-hand corner: Name of show and author

   • Upper Right-hand corner: Name of character, act, and scene

   • Lower Right hand corner Student’s name and troupe number

10. The costume must be presented on a hanger so the judges may look at the garment both inside and out.

11. Do not wear the costume to the adjudication.

12. The event will not exceed ten (10) minutes. The student presentation is not to exceed five (5) of these ten (10) minutes.

​

Costume Design

​

1. The student must present five (5) character renderings. These may represent five (5) different characters and/or may follow a single character through several appropriate changes.

2. Computer assisted design is acceptable.

3. Each design must be executed in full color and displayed on a 10″ x 15″ white display board. The display board cannot be mounted on any other surface. All figures must be 10″ tall. Children and unique characters may be varied in size but need to be in proportion to the 10″ high standard. The base of the figure should be 3″ from the lower edge of the board. A human figure may be traced to use as a template upon which a costume creation may then be placed. Tracing of a costume outline or silhouette is unacceptable.

4. The board should be labeled in the following manner:

   • Upper Left-hand corner: Name of the show and author.

   • Upper Right-hand corner: Name of the character, act, and scene.

   • Lower Right-hand corner: Student’s name and troupe number.

5. The character renderings may or may not have drawn faces.

6. The student must attach fabric swatches, measuring a minimum of 2″x2″, by the top edge of the swatch only. Mount the swatch on the right side of the presentation board so that the swatch may be lifted and felt to evaluate appropriate fabric texture, draping ability, weight, grain, etc.

7. Other costume embellishments (buttons, trim, etc.) can be placed on the presentation board on the right side with the swatches.

8. The student must present a justification of the designs. Note cards may be used.

9. Only one student may be involved in the set of designs. NO COLLABORATION.

10. All artwork used must be the original work of the entrant.

11. The event will not exceed ten (10) minutes. The student presentation is not to exceed five (5) of these ten (10) minutes.

12. A bibliography is required documenting all resources used including but not limited to written and electronic sources. The bibliography must be in MLA style. Events will be disqualified if there is no bibliography presented.

13. Budgetary consideration will not affect adjudication.

 

Make-up Design

​

1. Only ONE entrant may be involved in the design process and each design should be the student’s own work. No collaborations are allowed.

2. The student must select FIVE SEPARATE characters from the INDIVIDUAL play and present an Instructional Face Chart and Color Photo (head shot) for each. Professional stage makeup (Mehron, Kryolan, or comparable.) is the preferred medium whenever possible.

3. Face Chart: Use the BLANK face chart provided on the website printed on card stock. Face charts must show instruction and design for the makeup as if it were to be given to an actor for application. A full rendering is optional but instruction such as color, texture, lining & special effects placement, etc. are mandatory.

4. Photos: Photos of the completed makeup application may be 8 x 10 glossy/matte finish or may printed on card stock to match the face chart size. Regardless, the chart and photo should be centered and mounted neatly, and the overall presentation should maintain a professional appearance.

5. Each face chart and corresponding photo should be mounted together on black display board that is 14” x 22” (This size provides the needed area to mount both pieces centered uniformly with a 2” border.) Only one set (chart/photo) per display board is allowed and display boards may not be mounted to any other surface. (Black foam-core is appropriate for display boards and this size will require modification of the standard sizes available.)

6. On the bottom right corner of each presentation board there should be a Title Block with the following information:

7. The Title Block should be 5” x 2”, typed and printed on card stock as in the above example and neatly attached to the presentation board. 

   • Show Title and Author

   • Character Name, Act and Scene

   • Designer’s (Student) Name and Troupe Number

8. Accompanying the design presentation should be a notebook containing the following:

   • The designer’s concept statement (one paragraph) which supports the design choices.

   • A typed, step-by-step instruction sheet which could be given to an actor for application purposes along with the aforementioned face chart. (Note: These instructions should be simple to follow and free of technical jargon.)

   • Script and research imagery that supports design choices should be included and may be used as a reference for the actor in the application process.

9. The designer must present a verbal justification of the designs. Note cards may be used.

10. Budgetary consideration will not affect adjudication.

11. The presentation will be five (5) minutes and the overall session will not exceed ten (10) minutes, including setup and Q & A.

12. Things to consider:

    • Does the design visually reinforce the mood, style, character and theme of the play?

    • Are face charts clearly labeled so an actor could apply this makeup?

    • Is the design justified by the script and your research?

​

Publicity Design

​

1. The following materials are to be presented:

   • poster design on 11 x 17 paper

   • ticket design

   • program design and full layout of no less than four pages

   • two press releases: an information article and a feature article

   • a proposal for a promotional project

   • a budget for the publicity campaign and justification of expenses (Note: this budget may be designed for the publicity campaign of a high school, community theatre, or professional production. You are asked to note which of the three you are designing. Your work will be judged on how you spend the money.)

2. Computer aided design is acceptable.

3. The student must present justifications of the designs. Note cards may be used.

4. Only one student may be involved in the design. NO COLLABORATION.

5. All artwork used must be the original work of the entrant.

6. The event will not exceed ten (10) minutes. The student presentation is not to exceed five (5) of these ten (10) minutes.

7. A bibliography is required documenting all resources used including but not limited to written and electronic sources. The bibliography must be in MLA style. The event will be disqualified if no bibliography is presented.

​

Scene Design

​

1. The student must construct an original, three-dimensional model OR perspective rendering executed to the scale of EITHER 1/4″ = l’0″ OR 1/2″ = l’0″ showing the set and its relationship to the theatrical space. Renderings and/or models must be done for at least one set required in the production.

2. Computer assisted design is acceptable.

3. At least one figure must be included in the rendering or model to show proportion and scale.

4. The student must draw a floor plan to the same scale which justifies the storage and shifting for ALL sets in the show.

5. The set is to be designed for a stage with a proscenium opening of 38′ w x 20′ h, an apron 6′ deep, and wing space. The stage has a maximum depth of 30′ from the proscenium line to the back wall with a wing measuring 15’x30′ on each side. The proscenium arch and wing space must be represented in the model.

6. The student must present a justification of the design. Note cards may be used.

7. Only one student may be involved in the design. NO COLLABORATION.

8. All artwork used must be the original work of the entrant.

9. The event will not exceed ten (10) minutes. The student presentation is not to exceed five (5) of these ten (10) minutes.

10. A bibliography is required documenting all resources used including but not limited to written and electronic sources. The bibliography must be in MLA style. The event will be disqualified if no bibliography is presented.

11. Budgetary consideration will not affect adjudication.

 

Playwriting

​

1. The script must be the original work of one current student OR the collaborative work of no more than two current students from the same Thespian troupe.

2. The text must contain dialogue, and have a minimum of two characters

3. The script submitted must be in the form of a non-musical one-act stage-play with a maximum total length of 30 pages (Excluding title, and optional second page).

4. The script should be produced using the designated elements and their specified pagination, and according to the Florida State Thespian guidelines.

5. The Florida Thespian Festival has adopted the DRAMATISTS GUILD MODERN STAGE PLAY FORMAT.

6. All text must be in: Times New Roman, Palatino, or Courier font.

7. The Board suggests using professional scriptwriting software such as Final Draft, Script It, Scrivener, Slugline, Trelby, Storyist, or StoryO. Most of these have the pre-loaded template for Modern stage play as an option in the program.

8. Scripts must be saved as a PDF file and emailed/submitted through online form to the District Chair or State Director per the given competition deadlines. It is the responsibility of the playwright(s) and Troupe Director to ensure the safe, complete, and timely transmission and receipt of all necessary digital documents. No paper copies of the script will be accepted.

9. The first page of the script will be the Title page, including information relating to the title, playwright(s), sponsor, troupe number, school name, and completion date, and will be arranged according to the Florida State Thespian guidelines.

10. The (optional) second page of the script may contain a synopsis, character list and breakdown, floor-plan, or any other information the playwright(s) deem(s) necessary to understanding the script.

11. All successive pages of the script will contain the actual text of the stage-play and will be arranged according to the Florida State Thespian guidelines.

12. The script will contain only pages specified by the Florida State Thespian guidelines. It is most important, however, that each script have consistent formatting within itself.

13. A script that is improperly formatted is in violation of the specified Florida State Thespian guidelines and is subject to disqualification prior to adjudication.

14. Judges may make comments on the evaluation form and/or during the verbal adjudication.

15. A festival evaluation (if possible) will include ten (10) minutes of verbal interaction to be used as the judges see fit to expand the learning process of the playwright(s).

 

STANDARD ELEMENTS FOR STAGE-PLAYS

​

Type setup:

• Font. Times New Roman, Palatino, or Courier. Size 12.

• Spaces. Proper typesetting dictates ONE space after periods.

​

Styles setup:

• CHARACTER: All Caps. Centered on the page. A single space hard return after.

• Dialog: Left justified. Left indent to allow for binding (1.5″) and One inch from right margin (1″).

• SCENE HEADING: Use all caps, center with no indent.

• Stage Action: Action is centered and extends to the right margin. Action that is reliant on dialogue is left indented to left of the Character name.

 

See the attached PDF for formatting tips and options. Again, the most important thing is that the play itself is consistent with itself.

 

Dramatists Guild Modern Format for Plays

Play-Formatting-Example (Word)

Play-Formatting-Example

Title Page

Recommended Second Page

 

Student Choreography

​

1. The student choreography may select any song from the list from any acceptable musical (see above).

2. Students must submit a prompt book for the dance. The submitted prompt book must include, but is not limited to:

   • Thematic statement of the dance

   • Character summary: include relationships with each other and their surroundings, using the characters who are present in the musical number.

   • Floor plan for the dance: provide a complete ground plan to a scale as you would stage it in full performance for the dance.

3. Examples of additional materials that may be included in the prompt book:

   • Staging/movement notes written above the staff on the songs’ sheet music.

   • Chronological listing of formation changes within the song.

   • Chart of the music and notation the dance steps in a list format

4. Only (1) one student may be the Choreographer. NO COLLABORATION.

5. Student Choreographer MUST choose performers who are participating in one other event at the district level in order for them to qualify for state.

6. Be prepared to answer questions based on the performance of the dance.

7. Time limit: five (5) minutes for the required uninterrupted performance. The remainder of the time is designated for justification and questions. The event shall not exceed ten minutes.

8. 1 to 16 performers.

9. The Choreographer may not perform in the dance.

10. Allowable Options:

    • One (1) chair per character in the chosen dance.

    • One sturdy table provided.

    • Prop(s) may be used, at the student choreographers’ discretion, if it is an integral part of the dance: for example, a cane or hat commonly used in a Fosse style dance.

 

Student Directed Scene

 

1. The submitted prompt book must include, but is not limited to:

   • Thematic statement of the play

   • Character summary: include relationships with each other and their surroundings, using the characters in the required scene

   • Plot summary of the play

   • Floor-plan for the scene: provide a complete ground plan to a scale as you would stage it in full performance for that scene in the act that it occurs as it would be presented in the final production

   • Copy of the designated scene with blocking notes and technical cues on the copy

2. Only (1) one student may be the director. NO COLLABORATION.

3. Student directors MUST choose performers who are participating in one other event at the district level.

4. Be prepared to answer the following conceptual questions, for example:

   • the playwright’s choice of title

   • tempo for this scene

   • use of line, shape, texture, color, and/or music to reflect mood and style

5. Time limit: five (5) minutes for the required uninterrupted performance. The remainder of the time is designated for justification and questions. The event shall not exceed ten(l0) minutes.

6. A bibliography is required documenting all resources used. The event will be disqualified if no bibliography is presented.

7. Participants are limited to 2-16 performers in the student directed scene.

8. STUDENT DIRECTOR MAY NOT PERFORM IN THEIR OWN SCENE.