Cypress Falls TFA Tournament
2025 — Houston, TX/US
Program of Oral Interpretation
Event Description:
Program Oral Interpretation
POI is a program of oral interpretation of thematically-linked selections chosen from at least two genres: prose, poetry, drama (plays). At least two pieces of literature that represent at least two separate genres must be used. Unlike the other interpretation events, Program Oral Interpretation may use multiple sources for the program.
1. Acceptable Material: All selections must be verbally identified by title and author. Competitors are encouraged to devote approximately equal time to each of the genres used in the program. This distinction pertains to these genres as a whole, not types of literature within a genre (such as fiction/nonfiction). Prose expresses thought through language recorded in sentences and paragraphs: fiction (short stories, novels) and
non-fiction (articles, essays, journals, biographies). Poetry is writing which expresses ideas, experience, or emotion through the creative arrangement of words according to their sound, their rhythm, their meaning. Poetry may rely on verse and stanza form.
2. Manuscript: The use of a manuscript during the performance is required. Common practices include the use of a binder or folder. Reading from a book or magazine is not permitted. The intact manuscript may be used by the contestant as a prop, so long as it remains in the contestant’s control at all times. No costumes or props other than the manuscript are permitted. The contestant must address the script; however, introduction and transitional material may be memorized.
3. Time Limit: Maximum time shall be ten minutes with a thirty-second grace period. Overtime violators SHALL NOT be ranked first in the round by the judge. Any other penalty is at the discretion of the judge. Judges may consider audience reaction and its impact on official time before enforcing any overtime penalty.
4. Documentation Requirements: Each year, specific documentation will be required by the Executive Council for entry into the State Tournament. All material used in POI must be published. Published can mean traditionally printed, commercially available E-Books or PDFs, or material from websites. During the online registration process, coaches will be required to provide the POI title(s) and ISBN number(s), URLs from a website, and/or publication information for each source used. Coaches and/or students must provide the
original source, in print or electronically, including ISBN, or website URL, if one exists, to the tournament director upon request. Coaches and/or students are solely responsible for providing any electronic device upon which electronic sources may be verified. No tournament is ever responsible for providing electronic devices or internet access for verification purposes. A photocopy of the original print source is acceptable if the publication page is included. Violation of this rule will result in disqualification. The competitor’s original source material and copied, highlighted scripts are required to be checked at registration and must be available at the State Tournament.
a. A flat copy of the source material with page numbers and all lines being performed highlighted is required.
b. A copy of the bibliographic information page, or front page of the website with visible URL, for all source material is required.
c. A cover sheet with title(s), author(s), ISBN number or URL from website, date of publication, number of transitional phrases, student’s name(s), coach’s name and signature, and the school name must be completed. The cover sheet form can be found online at www.txfa.org.
d. The original source material, and highlighted copies need to be available for the duration of the tournament.
5. Transitional Phrases: Transitional phrases may be used in Program Oral Interpretation but must meet the following word requirements. Violation will result in disqualification.
a. No selection may use more than 100 total transitional words.
b. These words cannot be used to write new scenes to any piece of literature.
c. The 100 words cannot all be used in one particular location within the selection.
d. All transitional phrases must be written in the margin, by hand, on the highlighted photocopies of the original source material for checking in case of protest. At TFA State, this will be used to check that the number does not exceed the 100-word limit.
e. Introductions do not count as part of the transitional phrases.
6. Prior Topics: No student may use the same selection at a tournament in more than one event, but may change events with the selection during a tournament season. No student can use the same selection in more than one tournament year. Violation will result in disqualification. In addition, a student may not qualify for nor compete with the same selection at the state meet. A selection shall be defined as a standalone piece of
literature, often further delineated by the title of an individual piece. For example, anthologies shall be considered a collection of separate selections; books of poems shall be considered a collection of separate poem selections; a novel or an autobiography shall be considered a single selection; a news article shall be considered a selection, while the publication shall be considered a collection of separate selections.