SF for a Dramatic Interpretation - Science Fiction Fantasy Chronicles: forums

PoeticExplosion · 26th August 2006, 01:23 AM

I do high school speech competition and I'm looking for a good SF piece to interpret. Basically I have ten minutes to do a scene from any published work. Do you have any recommendations about what pieces I could do?

It has to:

1) Either be simple enough to be condensed to ten minutes or have a scene that could be done seperate from the rest of the work.

2) Rely as little on narration as possible. Monologues and/or conversations work best.

3) Be relatively clean, since it's a Christian league I compete in.

I'm considering "Flowers for Algernon" (short story version), but I'm having trouble thinking of anything else.

Thanks in advance!

-Peter

carrie221 · 26th August 2006, 01:32 AM

Maybe you could do a part from The Time Traveler's Wife, one of the conversations between Claire and Henry.

Good Luck with the beginning of your season, I am a former high school Lincoln Douglas Debater and I also did a little Impromptu.

Cloud · 26th August 2006, 01:34 AM

a good one is Galadriel's speech when she's showing Frodo the mirror.

j. d. worthington · 26th August 2006, 03:50 AM

There's also "The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin, about a scouter pilot on an emergency mission with limited fuel who finds he has a stoaway -- usual policy is to kill and eject (otherwise the scout will crash, taking stoaway, pilot and whatever emergency supplies out altogether); but what is one to do when one finds that the stoaway is a young girl who did this just to see a brother she hasn't seen in years?.... Could be handled as a dialogue piece, brief, and very powerful. Also could be a good point for discussion on the realities of space travel (the harshness of the unforgiving environment), the need for it nonetheless, various ethical questions.... So could serve as both a dramatic piece and a wonderful opening for good discussion on relevant points (our changing attitude about space exploration given the various shuttle disasters, etc.).

Coops · 26th August 2006, 04:05 AM

How about a dialoge between Dave Bowman and the HAL9000 computer from Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Not the famous "open the pod bay door, Hal" part, But from earlier when HAL is inquiring about his performance during the chess game.

26th August 2006, 01:23 AM	#1 (permalink)
PoeticExplosion Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Illinois Posts: 11	SF for a Dramatic Interpretation I do high school speech competition and I'm looking for a good SF piece to interpret. Basically I have ten minutes to do a scene from any published work. Do you have any recommendations about what pieces I could do? It has to: 1) Either be simple enough to be condensed to ten minutes or have a scene that could be done seperate from the rest of the work. 2) Rely as little on narration as possible. Monologues and/or conversations work best. 3) Be relatively clean, since it's a Christian league I compete in. I'm considering "Flowers for Algernon" (short story version), but I'm having trouble thinking of anything else. Thanks in advance! -Peter

26th August 2006, 01:32 AM	#2 (permalink)
carrie221 Darkness is my friend :) Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 711	Re: SF for a Dramatic Interpretation Maybe you could do a part from The Time Traveler's Wife, one of the conversations between Claire and Henry. Good Luck with the beginning of your season, I am a former high school Lincoln Douglas Debater and I also did a little Impromptu.

26th August 2006, 01:34 AM	#3 (permalink)
Cloud Rahvin's Grammy Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 405	Re: SF for a Dramatic Interpretation a good one is Galadriel's speech when she's showing Frodo the mirror.

26th August 2006, 03:50 AM	#4 (permalink)
j. d. worthington Moderator Join Date: May 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 8,723	Re: SF for a Dramatic Interpretation There's also "The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin, about a scouter pilot on an emergency mission with limited fuel who finds he has a stoaway -- usual policy is to kill and eject (otherwise the scout will crash, taking stoaway, pilot and whatever emergency supplies out altogether); but what is one to do when one finds that the stoaway is a young girl who did this just to see a brother she hasn't seen in years?.... Could be handled as a dialogue piece, brief, and very powerful. Also could be a good point for discussion on the realities of space travel (the harshness of the unforgiving environment), the need for it nonetheless, various ethical questions.... So could serve as both a dramatic piece and a wonderful opening for good discussion on relevant points (our changing attitude about space exploration given the various shuttle disasters, etc.).

26th August 2006, 04:05 AM	#5 (permalink)
Coops Registered User Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: New Jersey Posts: 43	Re: SF for a Dramatic Interpretation How about a dialoge between Dave Bowman and the HAL9000 computer from Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Not the famous "open the pod bay door, Hal" part, But from earlier when HAL is inquiring about his performance during the chess game.

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