The contest is scheduled for Friday March 30th, 2012 at 4 pm.  Interested persons should call and register their intent on or before March 28.   There is no fee for entering.  Winners will be invited to perform at the Brigham City USU campus  April 16, 17, and 18th.  First place prizes of $15 or more will be awarded.  An additional prize is being offered to the school with the most significant participation.  All entrants must be from Northern Utah:  Weber, Box Elder, Rich or Cache counties.

CATEGORIES:  Contestants will be judged by grade/age level  with no less than 3 categories Grades 1-3 ,  grades 4  & 5 ,   grades 6-8 , grades 9-12 , and ages 18 through adult  

JUDGING CRITERIA:  A copy of the judging criteria is available at the Fine Arts Center. It  includes: Engaging intro, poise, enunciation, voice expression, eye contact, facial expression, body language, appropriate gestures, pacing, enthusiasm, connection, satisfying ending, and  uniqueness of telling.  Stories for Elementary through Intermediate school age should be 3 to 5 minutes in length.  For highschool sturdents no more than 10 minutes. Entrants  will be expected to announce the title and the source of the story: ie author, or origin of the story. Additional points will be given for tying the story in to this year’s theme of  “On the Edge ”

HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS :

 

 1. Find a good story that you like.   For beginners, we recommend a folk tale or legend, a favorite book, or a family story.  Library sections 398.2 have many good “telling” stories.  Just make sure it has a clear beginning, middle, and end.  

2. Read your story several times so that you know it.  Learn the repetitious lines.  Then tell the main part of the story in your own words, ( so you don’t sound memorized. )

3. After you are familiar with your story, practice it out loud alone in your room so you can create characters comfortably.  Use different voices and actions to define each character.
4. If there is only narration in the story, change some of it into dialogue (what the characters say) to make it more exciting.
5. Make sure you speak clearly.  Speak up and be careful not to get quieter at the end of a line or sentence.  Think  “bring the end of the line up!”   (and not down).  
6. Look for and bring out emotion in your story: happiness, sadness, apprehension, etc.
7. Picture what is happening in your mind as you tell.  If you can visualize it, your audience will be able to “see it”, too.  This will also help you keep track of where you are in the story.
8. Practice your story out loud as much as you can.  Practice in front of a mirror, then practice in front of family or friends.  It is really good to get used to practicing in front of people.
9. Practice on a microphone can be arranged for Weds or Thursday after school March 28th  or 29th .  Call 435- 723-0740. 

10.  Good luck!  Have confidence and go for it!