Inge Festival offering High School Scholarship Acting Competition

High school students can perform at the William Inge Theatre Festival, Kansas' Official State Theatre Festival, and compete for significant scholarship funds.



The William Inge Theatre Festival will host its first annual High School Scholarship Acting Competition during its annual celebration May 1-4, 2013.  This year's festival will celebrate William Inge's 100th Birthday celebration.

• $1,000 The winning scene will perform at the Saturday evening Tribute on May 4 before an audience of national theatre luminaries and each of the two student actors will receive a scholarship of $500 to be paid directly to the students.
• $500 The two actors in the runner-up scene will receive $250 each, to be paid directly to the students.
• $500 Five performers will receive $100 Outstanding Individual performance scholarships to be paid directly to the students.

Each participating scene will receive:

• Professional feedback from theatre professionals on their performance.
• Certificate of Participation from the Inge Center
• Day Passes to the Inge Festival on Saturday, May 4 for each participant and one chaperone per scene (value $105)
• Invitations for the two student actors to the Inge Festival Picnic Lunch with special guests on Saturday May 4 (value $36)
• Tickets to the Multi-Media Tribute to William Inge for each participant and one chaperone per scene. (value $105)

Early Bird Registration by 5:00 PM Friday, March 1, 2013  : $45 per scene (non-refundable)

Late Registration by 5:00PM Friday, March 15th, 2013:  $75 per scene (non-refundable)

April 1, 2013: Registrants will receive a welcome packet, detailing instructions for arrival and describing the events of the day.

May 1-4: 32nd Annual William Inge Festival in Independence, Kansas

May 4, 2013: Competition Day! Winners perform at evening Tribute performance.
Rules for the scholarship competition:

Each two-person team will select a scene from the six available choices (available online at www.ingecenter.org).  Actors may only appear in one scene. Each two person scene should be accompanied by a teacher, parent, or guardian (hereafter referred to as the scene's "sponsor"). Sponsors may be responsible for more than one scene.

What We Provide: Each scene will have access to:

• four - straight-back chairs without arms
• one - 30"-round table
• four - 18"-square acting cubes
• four – 15'' x 15" x 24" acting rectangles.

Each scene must provide its own:

• Hand props and set decoration
• The props/decoration must be able to set up and clean up in 60 seconds or less.
• Clothing should be suggestive of character, but full costume and make-up is discouraged.
• Any sound or technical cues can be performed by the scene's sponsor.

Criteria for Judging Scholarship Scenes

1.      Ability to urgently pursue strong, clear objectives.
2.      Ability to partner: showing clear focus on the other character in the scene.
3.      Ability to make varied, specific and bold acting choices.
4.      Mastery of expressive and flexible vocalization and physicality.
5.      Demonstration of facility with language and a clear understanding of the text.
6.      Ability to demonstrate range and contrast.
7.      Ability to demonstrate layering of character (e.g., the sadness behind the smile, internal conflict with main action).
8.      Clear demonstration of change to character throughout the scene.
9.      Overall effectiveness of scene

Numbers 1-8 will be judged on a Rubric of 1-5
1 = didn't follow criteria
5 = superb

Number 9 will be judged on a rubric of 1-15
1 = didn't follow criteria
15 = superb

Only the following scenes from William Inge's plays are permitted for the 2013 competition.  The scenes, with the cuts, are available at http://ingecenter.org/high-school-inge-scene-acting/

SCENES FOR TWO WOMEN

Summer Brave:  MADGE and MILLIE –Top of Act II, from MADGE: I don't know why you couldn't have helped us in the kitchen. through MILLIE: I . . . I just wonder.

A Silent Call: EMMA and LOUISE – A Complex Evening p 17-23, from second phone call/LOUISE: No. Let me answer it this time. through LOUISE: Of course.

SCENES FOR TWO MEN

Picnic: HAL and ALAN – Act I, from ALAN: Where did you come from? through HAL: Yes. That's something I must learn. Patience! (with cuts)

Natural Affection: DONNIE and GIL – Act I Scene 2, from GIL: Nice pad. Through GIL: You can leave a message for me there.

SCENES FOR A MAN AND A WOMAN

Bus Stop: BO and CHERIE – Act III, from CHERIE: Bo? Through BO: Ya would? Ya would? (with cuts)

Come Back, Little Sheba: MARIE and TURK – Act I Scene 2, from TURK: He hates my guts. through TURK: O.K.


It is strongly suggested that all actors read the full script of the scene they are performing.

Note: "A Silent Call" is in the anthology "A Complex Evening" available through amazon.com or from the Inge Center.  The remaining excerpts are available through published acting editions or other sources.