Playwriting

One-Act Play Competition A literary composition developed for the stage.

Overview
Create an original, one-act play that captivates audiences and showcases your literary talent. Your play should be a unique and engaging piece of dramatic literature, suitable for stage performance.

Notes for Judges ● This competition is interview based and requires advanced screening of the contestants materials in order to adequately interview them on the day of the competition. Each contestant will only have an allocated time allotment of 10 minutes. ● You should not under any circumstances engage with the students before or after the competition until the Awards Ceremony has concluded. ● You must provide honest constructive feedback for each contestant that you are judging. ● Scoring Rubric: ○ 95-100 - Qualifies as a Gold Medalist ○ 90+Up - Qualifies as a Silver Medalist ○ 85+Up - Qualifies as a Bronze Medalist ■ Please take heed that the identifying word here is “Qualifies”. There can be multiple contestants that can qualify as gold medalist and if that’s the case the highest score will receive the gold, and silver and bronze will be allocated to the next two highest scores. ■ In the event the highest score is a 90 then there is no gold medalist and there’s only a possibility for a silver and bronze medalist as long as the remaining scores land within the 85+Up region

Requirements:

1. Originality: The play must be your original work.

2. Submission: Submit one notarized copy of your completed one act play.

Formatting:

a. Typed and double-spaced

b. Maximum of 20 pages

c. Include a one-page synopsis

d. Each page should include your name, page number, unit name and number (Coraopolis NAACP #26AB-B).

4. Deadline: send in your work by the deadline of March 20. Email to coraopolisnaacp@gmail.com

Preparation: Be prepared to answer questions from the judges about your play.

Contestants Will Be Judged By The Following Criteria:

Characterization (10 pts)

Is there a protagonist of some type?

Is there an antagonist?

Are the characters in the play developed?

Are the roles defined?

Clarity (10 pts)

Is the author’s theme and purpose clearly stated?

Content (25 pts)

Is the subject matter or situation of the play relevant, creative, and/or controversial?

Dialogue (10 pts)

Is the word usage or phrasing consistent with the character?

Does the dialogue advance the plotline or develop the character’s background?

Mechanics (10 pts)

Is the manuscript clearly typed?

Are there errors in spelling and/or grammar?

Plot (25 pts)

Has the story-line been clearly defined?

Has the action of the play been chronologically developed?

Is there evidence of:

a. Exposition

b. Complication

c. Climax

d. Conclusion

Style (10 pts)

Has the playwright established a definitive method or style?