10-Minute Play Festival
Guidelines
The 10- Minute Play Festival has been organized to give students the opportunity to explore different aspects of the theatre process. The festival allows acting and non-acting students opportunities to express and challenge their artistic abilities, and hone their skills.
There will be a limit of 50 students participating in this festival.
Schedule of Events:
| Friday | ||
| 4-5 pm | Registration | |
| 5-6 | Icebreakers and explanation of rules | |
| 6:30-7:30 | Dinner | |
| 6:30-9:30 | Playwrites write their plays. | |
| 7:30-8:00 | Auditions (30 second prepared monologue) | |
| 8:00-10:30 | Theatre games and presentations by college groups if possible | |
| 9:30-10:30 | Run off scripts | |
| Saturday | ||
| 8:30-9:30 | Students arrive. Directors select casts, rehearsals begin | |
| 12:00-1:00 | Lunch | |
| 1:00-6:00 | Rehearsals | |
| 6:00-7:00 | Dinner | |
| 7:00-9:30 | Productions |
Rules and Regulations
- The 10- Minute Play Festival is open to any school or organization in the State of Mississippi . This includes public and private high schools, performing arts schools, dual enrollment institution, charter schools, and home school groups.
- Participants must be enrolled in a school program and must be accompanied by a sponsor. Each group and each participant must be a member of MTA.
- The 10-Minute Play Festival adheres to all rules and regulations set forth by MTA.
- Eight schools can register with six students.
- Each school should bring 5 props and 5 costume pieces each.
Membership Membership is effective upon payment of dues and fees and must be renewed annually. Current dues as stated on the registration form and may be sent with the registration packet. Procedures
- The festival will take place over the course of 27 hours and will be contained in one location.
- Four institutions from each Mississippi High School Drama Festival regions will each submit six students to participate in the 10- Minute Play Festival for a total of eight participation schools. Arrangements can be made for schools that have less than six students wanting to participate. Contact the 10-Minute Festival Chair.
- Each school will send the following: 1 writer; 1 director; 1 assistant director; 3 actors
- Number of participants: 50 participants
- Participants will not work together as a school. Each writer will write on a topic of his or her choice; directors will randomly draw for the plays; and actors will be cast through a general audition. Each play group should be composed of students from different school groups.
- will have not less than two hours but no more than three hours to write a ten minute, three-character play.
- may write on a topic of their own choice and any style
- may not submit previously written or previously produced material
- may use electronic paraphernalia (i.e. laptops…etc. )
- will have no input during the production aspect of the play
- will choose plays at random
- will cast from action pool
- may not cut scripts or make significant changes (except in the case of gender due to the availability of actors)
- will assist director
- will act as technical director
- will act as stage manager
- will audition immediately after the opening meeting
- must fill out an audition form and include a photograph
- must present a 30-45 second monologue of his or her choice
- Plays will be assigned randomly.
- Each play will be assigned a number. The directors will then choose numbers. The play corresponding with the chosen number is the play each director will direct.
- Casting must be done from the pool of actors participating in the 10- Minute Festival portion of MTA.
- Rehearsal schedules outside the performance area and breaks will be determined by the directors of each play group.
- A floor plan of the performance area will be distributed to the directors and ADs when scripts are distributed.
- General furnishing, lighting, and a sound system will be supplied by the festival. However, these aspects may be limited. Any other aspects (music, costumes, make-up, props…etc.) will be the responsibility of the director, assistant director, and actors.
- Each play group will have 45 minutes in the performance area.
- All play groups must be in the designated holding area one hour before performance time. All participants may watch the other shows but must be in the designated green room area 30 minutes before their group's performance time.
- Each play group has 15 minutes for setup, performance and strike. A play going over time will not be considered for the Best Play Award. The time clock may be stopped for extenuating circumstances at the discretion of the Festival Chair.
- Two Respondents, selected by the Festival Chair and knowledgeable in the field of dramatic production, shall share a 30- minute oral critique following all the performances. Critiques shall be open to the audience.
- Among the criteria to be considered:
- Are the characters will?
- Does the dialogue reflect thoughtfulness?
- Is the material appropriate for the group?
- Is the material worthy of the time and effort?
- Is the concept appropriate for the material?
- How well has the structure of the play been controlled?
- How effective are movement and stage pictures?
- Was attention given to pacing, tempo, variety, and subtle nuances?
Acting
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Is the acting believable?
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Is the acting technically skillful?
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Are the characters well interpreted?
- Do the technical elements support the production?
- Set Props
- Sound (if applicable) Lighting
- Costuming Make-up.
- Does the company display ensemble work?
- How well is the concept realized by the group?
- How effective was the total impact?