Speech

2023-2024 Competition Schedule: 

• Friday - December 15 - Lincoln Southeast
• Saturday - January 6 - Plattsmouth Invite
• Saturday - January 13 - Ashland Greenwood
• Saturday - January 20 - Lincoln Southwest
• Friday - February 2 - Skutt
• Saturday - February 3 - Elmwood-Murdock
• Saturday - February 10 - Auburn
• Monday - February 12 - Trailblazer Conference Speech Meet
• Friday - February 16 - Lincoln East
• Friday - February 23 - TBA
• Saturday - February 24 - TBA
• Friday - March 1 - TBA
• March 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 - District Speech Competition (Only one of these dates and we will not know until late fall)
• Wednesday - March 20 - Kearney High School - State Speech Competition - (must qualify in top 3 in your event @ Districts to attend)

**Speech schedule is subject to change as needed

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Speech is an NSAA event and involves 10 Different Unique Events. 

Extemporaneous - This event is about current events and research. You would write a new 5-7 minute speech each round. The contestant should be held accountable for strict adherence to the precise statement of the topic drawn & discounted for shifting to some other phase of the topic on which s/he might prefer to speak. The information should be well-chosen, pertinent, and sufficient to support the central thought.

Program Oral Interpretation - Can include a combination of Prose, Poetry, and Drama, with at least two genres of material being included. The purpose of this event is to encourage students to obtain a wide knowledge and appreciate of the various forms of literature. With a spotlight on argumentation and performative range, POI focuses on a student’s ability to combine multiple genres of literature centered around a single theme. Speakers are expected to portray multiple characters. Performances also include an introduction written by the student to contextualize the performance and state the titles and authors used in the program. 10 minute Time Limit. No Visual Aids. Script/Book is required.

Poetry - Poetry is writing which expresses ideas, experience, or emotion through the creative arrangement of words according to their sound, their rhythm, and their meaning. The speaker should be given free choice of style and material and should be judged solely on the effectiveness of its presentation. 8 Minute Time Limit. No Visual Aids. Script/Book required.

Serious Prose & Humorous Prose - Prose expresses thought through language recorded in sentences and paragraphs: fiction (short stories, novels), non-fiction (articles, essays, journals, biographies), or drama (plays or monologues). Multiple characters may be represented and used to aid plot and action. Characterizations should be consistent with performance theme and style, and should be distinct from each other, embodying distinguishing characteristics (gender, age, height, etc.) which enliven characterizations. 10 minute Time Limit. No Visual Aids.

Oral Interpretation of Drama (OID) - At least three and no more than five students will interpret a play for an audience through the scene or scenes being presented. As the name implies, this event involves interpreting a script as opposed to acting it out. Performers bring the text alive by using voice, facial expressions, and gesture, developing the characters through physical and vocal interpretation. An introduction should be provided to give the audience information needed for understanding the performance. 15 minute Time Limit. No Visual Aids. Script/Book is required.

Persuasive - A persuasive speech is written to persuade or convince the listeners of the validity of the speaker’s argument. It is aimed at influencing the values, ideas, beliefs, and/or attitudes of the audience. 10 Minute Time Limit. No Visual Aids.

Entertainment - The speech should have a central theme or a focus and speakers should avoid merely constructing a series of jokes. In other words, entertainment speeches have a real point to make and are not merely a comedy routine. Effective speeches to entertain typically mix humor with more serious morals, lessons learned, or experiences. They examine a familiar subject from a different and unexpected viewpoint or take a lighthearted look at a particular issue. 8 Minute Time Limit. Visual Aids Allowed.

Duet Acting - The purpose of Duet Acting is to have two actors exercise creativity and imagination in choosing an appropriate script of theatrical value, adapting the script to the situation and time limits, and presenting the memorized scene to a contest audience. 10 minute Time Limit. No visual aids and no scripts allowed.

Informative - An informative speech is one that informs and educates the audience. It needs to provide interesting, relevant, useful, and unique information to the audience so that they understand the main points of your subject. The text of the speech should be well-developed, explain concepts & ideas clearly, and organized. 10 minute Time Limit. Visual Aids Allowed.