Duo Interpretation
Encyclopedia
Duo Interpretation, or often simply called Duo Interp, or just Duo, is an official speech event of the National Forensic League
, the National Catholic Forensics League, National Christian Forensics and Communications Association
, American Forensics Association, and the National Forensics Association. The event involves a pair of performers acting out a short literary piece or program under certain restraints, including not making eye contact with and touching your partner, and no props. Pieces used often include published short stories
, plays
, or poems. Participants may cut anything out of their piece, but cannot add any dialogue.
are also utilized. To overcome the restriction of looking at one's partner, participants often pick a point on the wall in front them to look at, pretending it is their partner's face. Performers must convince the audience with believable facial expression that the person they are talking to is truly up against the wall.
Participants also overcome the rule against touching by creating timed movements, such as when one actor pushes straight out in front of themselves, while their partner pretends to be hit at the same time.
Some movements, such as lying on the floor or kneeling with both legs, are prohibited but performers can get around these rules by keeping one limb raised.
There is no definite time minimum but official rules say that a duo piece should be ten minutes long. Any team going over this time shall be granted a thirty second grace period.
Current NCFCA National Champions: Phoebe Bermudez and Jennie Lee (Bermudez/Lee), with "The Miracle Worker".
Current NFL Champion: Austin Groves and Darius Wilson of Blue Springs Senior High School, with the piece "The Wiz".
National Forensic League
The National Forensic League is a non-partisan, non-profit educational honor society established to encourage and motivate American high school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: debate, public speaking and interpretation. NFL is the America's oldest and largest...
, the National Catholic Forensics League, National Christian Forensics and Communications Association
National Christian Forensics and Communications Association
The National Christian Forensics and Communications Association is a speech and debate league for Christian homeschooled students in the United States. The NCFCA was established in 2001 after outgrowing its parent organization, the Home School Legal Defense Association , which had been running the...
, American Forensics Association, and the National Forensics Association. The event involves a pair of performers acting out a short literary piece or program under certain restraints, including not making eye contact with and touching your partner, and no props. Pieces used often include published short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
, plays
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
, or poems. Participants may cut anything out of their piece, but cannot add any dialogue.
Performance
Interpretation is highly valued in this event. Performances may be dramatic, humorous, or a blend of both. Performers often twist the meanings of words for comic effect, or play on an unintentional pun. Other common ways to change the meaning of the text is to sing, dance, gesture, or simply change the tone of your voice. Performers are often judged on their characterization and the "stance" associated with it. Since each performer is usually responsible for more than one character and as there are no costumes, he must signal a change clearly and performers will often use this to their advantage with humorous voices and elaborate body positions, some involving both partners' participation, the jargon for this being "inter-blocking." Hand-gestures and pantomimingMime artist
A mime artist is someone who uses mime as a theatrical medium or as a performance art, involving miming, or the acting out a story through body motions, without use of speech. In earlier times, in English, such a performer was referred to as a mummer...
are also utilized. To overcome the restriction of looking at one's partner, participants often pick a point on the wall in front them to look at, pretending it is their partner's face. Performers must convince the audience with believable facial expression that the person they are talking to is truly up against the wall.
Participants also overcome the rule against touching by creating timed movements, such as when one actor pushes straight out in front of themselves, while their partner pretends to be hit at the same time.
Some movements, such as lying on the floor or kneeling with both legs, are prohibited but performers can get around these rules by keeping one limb raised.
There is no definite time minimum but official rules say that a duo piece should be ten minutes long. Any team going over this time shall be granted a thirty second grace period.
Current NCFCA National Champions: Phoebe Bermudez and Jennie Lee (Bermudez/Lee), with "The Miracle Worker".
Current NFL Champion: Austin Groves and Darius Wilson of Blue Springs Senior High School, with the piece "The Wiz".