Directors and Coaches,

We are excited to be hosting Grand Prairie High School’s Middle School Theatre
Festival on December 7, 2024. The tournament will take place at Grand Prairie High
School in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area. All events are open to 5th graders through 8th
graders. Students in 5th grade may enter any event, however, only 5th graders are
allowed to enter the 5th grade monologues. Participants may not cross-enter in more
than two events per section and that is at their own risk.

Registration will be through Tabroom.com and you will need to make an account. We
have instructions below, and Google also has lots of tutorial help.
We hope to make the events as student friendly and fun as possible. Our goal is to
make sure your students have a great time and continue to love theatre!

Contacts:
Ernesto Manzano – ernesto.manzano@gpisd.org
Jordan Fetter – jfetter@1234digitalsolutions.com

SCHEDULE AND SECTIONING

7:00 – 8:00 Registration
8:00 – 9:30 Section I Prelims (Group Improv, Vocals, Poetry)
9:30 – 11:00 Section II Prelims (Lip Sync, Audition Monologues, Storytelling)
11:00 – 12:30 Section III Prelims (TV Commercial, Prose, Duet Pantomime)
12:30 – 2:00 Section IV Prelims (Impromptu, Readers Theatre, Duet Acting)
2:00 – 3:00 Section I & II Semis
3:00 – 4:00 Section III & IV Semis (5 th Grade Monologue Prelims)
4:00 – 5:00 Section I & II Finals (5 th Grade Monologue Semis)
5:00 – 6:00 Section III & IV Finals (5 th Grade Monologue Finals)
6:30 Awards (Time Subject to Change)
*** Technical Events are not listed in a section.
*** Lip Sync Finalists will perform at the awards ceremony.

LOCATION AND ADDRESS: (The DFW Area)
Grand Prairie High School
101 Gopher Blvd
Grand Prairie, Texas 75050

FEES
Fees (per entry):
5 th Grade Monologues - $8.00 per entry
Individual Events – $10.00 per entry
Duet Events - $16.00 per entry
Group Events - $20.00 per entry
Building/Custodial Fee - $45.00 per school.

Payment:
Please make all checks payable to “Capers Theatre Booster Club”. Our W9 is
available on our Tabroom.com registration site.
Either bring you payment to the tournament or mail to our Booster Club Treasurer at:

Gigi Endersby

901 Lakeside Circle #7307

Lewisville, TX 75057

Security Information:
GPISD requires that all outside doors are locked and secured at all times. The main
school entrance is the only place anyone will be allowed to enter (and that is locked
too.) We will have staff at the door most of the time, however, they will still be locked.
Please advise visitors/parents coming to watch that they may be locked out until an
adult/staff member lets them in. If they are locked out, have them call/text you for
assistance, or let a staff member know that someone needs to be let into the school.

Food/Concession Information: We will have an excellent concession stand with food,
drinks, snacks for students. We ask that you please utilize our concession stand (not
ordering outside food). We buy our food/drinks based on students attending the
tournament and we price all the items very low. There is no coaches/directors lounge,
however, the official coach(s)/director(s) will be given a pass for any food, drinks or
snacks from the concession stand all day.

EVENT RULES/REQUIREMENTS
ACTING EVENTS:

Audition Monologues – Audition Monologues are based on how most Colleges and
Professional auditions are done. The performer will perform two different published
monologues to be performed in one single performance. Students will prepare two
contrasting selections (may be different in period, style, mood, Comedy vs. Drama,
Classical vs. Modern, Etc.) You may not combine multiple characters’ lines to create a
monologue from what was written as a scene. One chair may be safely used during the
performance. No other scenic elements or furniture is allowed. The students will slate
their name followed by the plays/authors they are performing. Time will start after they
slate. The total performance time for the two selections must be between 3 to 4
minutes. Having a time between 3 to 4 minutes will be judged. Under or over time will
be reflected in judging and placement.

Prose - This is an individual event where the selection(s) must be from a published
work of prose, NOT anything classified as poetry, from a play, or screenplay. Work must
be read from a folder. Students may do a single selection of prose or a program
(collection) of multiple prose with a cohesive theme. A memorized introduction stating
the title and author is required. Time limit is 7 minutes. There is no minimum time limit,
however, it may be a ranking factor from the judges.

Poetry - This is an individual event where the selection(s) must be from a published
work of poetry NOT anything classified as poetry, from a play, or screenplay. Free-
Verse poetry is allowed, but must be published as poetry. It may be a single poem or a
program (collection) of multiple poems with a cohesive theme/message. Work must be
read from a folder. A memorized introduction stating the title and author is required.
Time limit is 7 minutes. There is no minimum time limit, however, it may be a ranking
factor from the judges.

Duet Acting - The selection must be from a published novel, play, short story, or poem.
No props or costumes are allowed. Two chairs will be provided. A memorized
introduction stating the title and author is required. Duet Acting is for exactly two
performers and must be memorized and cannot have been used by either contestant
prior to this year in this event. Time limit is 10 minutes. There is no minimum time limit,
however, it may be a ranking factor from the judges.

Vocals - This is an individual event. Students will present one musical selection from a
published script/score written. The selection may contain dialogue; however, this is
primarily a “sung and not spoken” selection. Contestants will introduce the performance
with title of the piece and title of show. Students MUST provide both their own music
and music playing device. Performers must use pre-recorded, non-vocal musical
accompaniment, no live music is permitted. A cappella performances are not permitted.
Props, costumes, chairs and theatrical makeup are not allowed. Time limit is 5 minutes.

Lip Sync- An individual or group of up to six people will lip sync to a song that they
have chosen to perform with. Any style or genre of music is allowed. Song “mash-ups”
are allowed. All songs and choreography should be appropriate for middle school
students to view/perform. Material inappropriate in nature will not be tolerated, such as
inappropriate language, suggestive choreography or drug/drinking references). A good
rule of thumb Students are allowed to use props, costumes, and simple scenery.
Students MUST provide both their own music and music playing device. Students
cannot make any noise/sounds themselves. Choreography appropriate for the song(s),
creativity and originality will be part of the judging criteria. However, lip synchronization
is the major criteria. This is not a dance competition. Time limit is 5 minutes.

Duet Pantomime – This event is for exactly two performers. Pantomime is a
performance in which the performers use highly exaggerated movements to recreate an
abstract idea, scene, or event. The performers CAN NOT make any noise at all. The
performance should be original, created by the student. No props are used, but music
and pre-recorded sound effects are allowed, as long as the student(s) provides their
own music/sound playing device. The performer(s) cannot mouth words to the recorded
sound. No costumes, makeup, or props can be used. One chair for each performer
may be used. Emphasis is on facial expression, exaggerated movements, and precise
movements. Creativity and originality are appreciated. Judges will also be looking for a
clear and understandable story. Performers should state the name of their original
pantomime at the beginning. Time will start after the introduction. The time limit is 5
minutes. There is no minimum time limit, however, it may be a ranking factor from the
judges.

Storytelling – This is an individual event. The student will choose and prepare a
children’s story or story meant for children to perform. The story must be published, and
the student must give an introduction with title. and author stated. No props or
costumes allowed. Each character should be bold and distinct. Time limit is 5 minutes.
There is no minimum time limit, however, it may be a ranking factor from the judges.

T.V. Commercial - TV Commercials are for teams between 1 and 6 students. The use
of Props/Costumes/Chairs/Desks/Music (etc.) is allowed and encouraged. Movement
and/or blocking are also strongly encouraged. The art of a commercial lies in the
student’s ability to say a lot about the product in a short amount of time. The product
being presented must be an original idea of the team, not something taken from another
source (such as spoofs from Saturday Night Live). Props, costumes, music, and
anything else necessary to try to sell the product will be allowed, as long as it is in good
taste. Catchy jingles or phrases are encouraged. Judging will be based on originality,
persuasiveness, creativity with props and costumes, vocal/facial/body expression, and
use of space by the whole team. The commercial, props, and costumes should be done
in good taste and appropriate for a middle school environment. Students must provide
both their own music and music playing device. Time limit is 5 minutes maximum.

5th Grade Monologues - An individual event where selections shall be cuttings from a
published source: printed novels, short stories, plays, poetry, or any other printed-
published materials. The monologues can be dramatic or comedic in nature.
Presentations must be memorized, without props or costumes. All selections cannot
have been used by this contestant to a tournament prior to this year or another event.
Note: There will be a Prelims round and a Finals round. Time limit is 1-3 minutes.
Performer’s need to Slate by stating their name and the title and author of their
monologue. There is no minimum time limit, however, it may be a ranking factor from
the judges.

Reader’s Theatre- A group of 3 to five students will perform selections from a
play, short story, or poetry. Each member of the group will have a small
binder from which to read their scripts. Parts are not memorized but each
student should be familiar enough with their script to look up from the binder
occasionally. A memorized introduction stating the title and author is required. There will
be one chair per person in the group. Time limit is 10 minutes. There is no minimum
time limit, however, it may be a ranking factor from the judges.

Group Improvisation- A group of three to five students will draw three topics from an
envelope then choose one. The group will have five minutes to prepare an improv skit.
There should be a beginning, a middle, and an end in the scene. Performances will not
be longer than five minutes; at five minutes, the performers will be asked to stop. When
running a group improv round, proceed as such:
1. After taking role and all the groups are present, call the first group to draw their
topics.
2. The first group will go out in the hall and have only five minutes to prepare.
3. At the end of the five minutes, allow the second group to draw their topic, and when
you send them out to the hall, tell them to bring in the first group.
4. The first group will perform their skit. Their scene should be no longer than five
minutes.
5. Once the five minutes is up, call the third group to draw, bring in the second, and
repeat the rotation.

Impromptu- Much like group improv, but only one student will perform their selected
topic. Students will draw three topics and choose one. They will have 5 minutes to
prepare a speech on their topics. There should be a definite beginning, middle, and end
to the performance, and the student/s have a 5-minute time limit. There is no minimum
time limit, however, it may be a ranking factor from the judges.
Example Topics: "If I ruled the world for one day..." and "What is more important? Love
or Money?"

-To run an Impromptu round, see the rotation for Group Improv.
TECHNICAL THEATRE EVENTS:

COSTUME and MAKEUP DESIGN – Student is to design costumes, makeup, and hair
designs for at least four characters from a published play or musical of their choice. All
costume, makeup and hair renderings must be hand-drawn (not computer designed,
except for the template). You can combine the costume, hair, and makeup into one
design, meaning you are not required to have different templates for each aspect. Each
design should include a short description and justification of the design stated below the
design/character. All designs must be displayed on one poster board or in one portfolio
folder. Individual sheets for each design that are not on a posterboard or in a portfolio
folder will not be judged (No loose paper). Glitter is not allowed. Please be sure the
student's name and school are clearly marked on the back of the posterboard or the
portfolio notebook. Designs will be judged on creativity, style, originality, and depiction
of author's intent. Designs by the student used or submitted in a previous year(s) are
NOT allowed.

SCENIC DESIGN - The student should create a complete set design for a published
play or musical of their choice. The student should include design justification, initial
sketch rendering, and complete/final design rendering. Designs must be hand drawn,
with the exception of template stages. All designs must be displayed on one poster
board or in one portfolio folder. Individual sheets for each design that are not on a
posterboard or in a portfolio folder will not be judged (No loose paper). Glitter is not
allowed. Please be sure the student's name and school are clearly marked on the back
of the posterboard or on the portfolio notebook. Designs will be judged on creativity,
style, originality, functionality, “real-life” ability to construct, and depiction of author's
intent. Designs by the student used or submitted in a previous year(s) are NOT allowed.

POSTER DESIGN - Create an original poster design for a published play or musical of
your choice. Students should use a standard poster-size poster board or print a
standard poster after creating a digital design. Design must include: the title of the
selected show, playwright, music & lyrics (if applicable), proposed show dates, the
name of the group performing, location of performance, show times, and ticket
prices. No posters should have any 3D elements. They are meant to represent an
advertisement that would be able to be mass produced from a Print Shop. Glitter is not
allowed. Be sure the school is clearly marked on the back. Designs will be judged on
creativity and depiction of the author’s intent. Designs by the student used or submitted
in a previous year(s) are NOT allowed.

NOTE ABOUT ALL TECHNICAL EVENTS:
No technical event designs are being displayed to the public. Students will not receive
written feedback on their designs because we have EVERY and ALL judges from our
festival vote on the top designs. So, the technical events are being judged by a huge
number of people. The top scorers are the winners.

TOURNAMENT GUIDELINES/RULES
- All material presented at a middle school tournament should be appropriate for middle
school students to view/perform. Material inappropriate in nature (cursing, off color
language, sexually suggested language/choreography, gang violence, drug/drinking
references, etc.) will not be tolerated. Tournament staff and judges tolerated reserve to
right to stop the performance of any material deemed inappropriate or rank that piece
last in the room. If you would like to run material by the tournament staff for approval,
feel free to do so. A good rule of thumb is if your schools’ superintendent, principal and
parents were watching the performance, would they approve of it or feel uncomfortable?
- Students may enter two events in each section. Most importantly, students cross-
entered must sign in at each room. However, signing in does not guarantee that the
judge will wait. Judges are only required to wait 15 minutes after the last performer in
the room performs. So, please plan and handle cross-entries with care and thought.
After a judge has left the room, the round is officially over. Again, cross-enter at your
own risk.
- Any issues that need to be addressed with tournament staff need to be brought to the
tab room/tournament officials by the coach of record for that school. Parents will not be
allowed in the tab room.
- Time will be kept in all rounds. Students will have a 30 second grace in each round
following the max time for each event. If a student exceeds the given time limit for that
event, they shall not be ranked first and they can be ranked lower at the judges’
discretion. The reason for doing this is to ensure that the tournament runs on time.
Please be sure your students are aware of these changes.
- Smoking on GPISD property will result in squad disqualification.
- Vandalism of GPISD property will result in disqualification of the entire squad.
- No student will be allowed to enter a room without a judge present. No one is allowed
(students, coaches, parents or judges) to be around or behind a teacher's desk. No one
is allowed to touch or play with any objects in the classroom.
- An adult sponsor must be in attendance with students at all times.