Wealth, fame, power! Finding the perfect piece for Interp can feel just like discovering a treasure chest filled with gold. It is also a journey unlike any other speech-and-debate event.

财富、名望、权力！寻找最完美的表演性演讲（Interp）文本，就像是去发掘一箱装满黄金的宝藏。这是一段独特且充满魔力的旅程，与任何其他演讲与辩论项目都截然不同。

Are you ready to discover your treasure? Today, Coach Paul is here to help you on this journey and guide you through one of the crucial steps: choosing and cutting your piece. 

你准备好发掘属于你的宝藏了吗？今天，Coach Paul将在这段旅程中为你提供帮助，带你走过最关键的一步：如何挑选并剪裁你的作品。

Let's dive in!

让我们现在开始！

First group: TV shows and movies. I highly recommend this option for performers trying Interp for the first time. Why start with a movie or a TV show?

第一组：电视剧和电影。我强烈推荐第一次尝试 Interp 的选手选择这个选项。为什么要从电影或电视剧开始呢？

Pros / 优点：

Share Your Passion:

First, this is a great opportunity to share what you are personally passionate about. Over the years I’ve been coaching Interp, I’ve learned about so many great stories my students have introduced me to. As a coach, seeing the passion they bring to every session, whether it’s cutting, acting, or blocking it, is priceless.

分享你的热爱： 首先，这是一个分享你个人热爱的绝佳机会。在我指导 Interp 的这些年里，我的学生们向我介绍了许多非常棒的故事。作为一名教练，看到他们在每一节课中展现出的热情——无论是剪裁剧本、表演还是舞台调度——都是无价的。

Global Pop Culture:

Second, TV shows and movies are part of global pop culture. Even if your acting skills aren’t fully developed yet, there’s a good chance most audience members and judges will be familiar with the story.

全球流行文化： 其次，电视剧和电影是全球流行文化的一部分。即使你的演技还没有完全熟练，观众和裁判也有很大可能对这个故事很熟悉。

Visual Reference:

Third, you can use the original actors and the scene sets as a frame of reference. Analyze how the actors deliver their lines, how the setting looks, and how the characters interact with objects in the scene.

直观的视觉参考： 第三，你可以将原片演员和场景布景作为参考框架。分析演员是如何说台词的、布景如何，以及角色是如何与场景中的物品互动的。

Cons / 缺点：

The "Original Actor" Trap:

All this sounds like a perfect setup for a great Interp piece; however, there are significant cons to choosing your favorite movie or TV show. First: acting-wise, it’s hard to compete with the original actors. The shoes you’re trying to fill might be too big. Sure, everyone loves a good impression, but even the best impression won’t be as good as the original performance. Remember, interpretation is about your vision, and it’s not an impression contest. While you work on your piece, use your creativity to change the vocalization and physicality of the characters to fit your way of telling the story.

“原片演员”的陷阱： 这听起来像是优秀 Interp 作品的完美开端；然而，选择你最喜欢的电影或电视剧也有明显的缺点。第一，在演技方面，你很难与原片演员竞争，你要填补的差距可能太大了。当然，每个人都喜欢精彩的模仿，但即使是最好的模仿也不如原汁原味的表演。记住，表演性演讲展现的是你的视角，而不是一场模仿比赛。在打磨作品时，要发挥你的创造力，改变角色的发音和肢体动作，以符合你讲故事的方式。

Lack of Impact:

Second: lack of impact. Last year, Zootopia 2 came out, and the WSDA tournament saw a flood of students doing Zootopia for their Interp. Many talented actors retold the story of beloved characters Judy and Nick. However, as one judge said, they all lacked impact. If you choose something as popular as Zootopia, don’t retell the main story, what’s the point of showing a story everyone already knows? Finding the right angle and focusing on a character’s journey will make your piece stand out. Choose a character and show how they change throughout the story, or focus on the relationship between characters and show how it develops.

缺乏冲击力： 第二，缺乏冲击力。去年《疯狂动物城2》上映，WSDA 赛场上便涌现出大量学生在 Interp 中表演《疯狂动物城》。许多优秀的选手重新讲述了深受大家喜爱的朱迪和尼克的故事。然而，正如一位裁判所说，它们都缺乏冲击力。如果你选择像《疯狂动物城》这样热门的作品，不要只重复主线故事，展示一个大家都已经知道的故事有什么意义呢？寻找合适的角度并聚焦于角色的成长轨迹才能让你的作品脱颖而出。选择一个角色并展示他们在整个故事中的变化，或者专注于角色之间的关系并展示它是如何发展的。

Moving on to the next option: theatre plays. Plays are like a bridge between what I call “visual art” and “written art.” This option is more suitable for performers who’ve done some acting before and who have a passion for more “academic” acting. Often, students who choose plays for their Interp have acted in that play before in a local drama club or have seen the play in the theatre and been inspired by it.

接下来是下一个选项：舞台剧。剧本就像是我所说的“视觉艺术”与“文字艺术”之间的桥梁。这个选项更适合有一定表演经验、且对更“学院派”演技充满热情的同学。通常，选择舞台剧做 Interp 的学生之前在当地的戏剧俱乐部演过这部剧，或者在剧院看过去并受到了启发。

Pros / 优点：

Previous Acting Experience:

Here’s the first reason to do a play-based Interp: previous acting experience. If you’ve done the play already, you probably already have a full script at home, no need to waste time looking for one online. If you’ve done the play recently, you may still remember the lines you memorized before, which is a huge confidence boost and a great head start in memorizing your piece.

过往表演经验： 以下是选择舞台剧进行 Interp 的第一个原因：过往的表演经验。如果你已经演过这部剧，你家里可能已经有完整的剧本了，不需要浪费时间在网上去找。如果你最近刚演过，你可能还记得之前背过的台词，这会大大提升你的自信心，让你在背诵作品时赢在起跑线上。

Variety of Visions:

Second, in terms of visual reference, everything true for movies and TV shows also applies to plays. But for plays you get even more variety, because every director and theatre has its own vision of the same play. If you’re up to it, watch different versions of the play you chose, take the best from each, and apply it to your performance.

多样的视角演绎： 第二，在视觉参考方面，适用于电影和电视剧的所有规则也适用于舞台剧。但对于戏剧，你拥有的多样性甚至更多，因为每个导演和剧院对同一部剧都有自己的理解。如果你愿意，可以观看你所选剧目的不同版本，取长补短，并应用到你的表演中。

Cons / 缺点：

Harder to Navigate:

 What are the challenges in choosing a play? First, it’s significantly harder to navigate the script. You will have to do more script analysis on your own, reading deeply into the text. To act out part of the story, you have to understand the whole play.

剧本研读更难：选择舞台剧挑战是什么？首先，研读剧本的难度明显更高。你需要自己做更多的剧本分析，深入阅读文本。要想演好故事的一部分，你必须理解整部剧。

Advanced/Archaic Language:

Second, some language used in plays can be advanced or archaic, especially Shakespeare. Even native speakers struggle with some Shakespearean passages, so you’ll have to consult vocabulary notes and spend more time with translation tools to make sense of it. However, that will help you improve your English, and going the extra mile is always rewarding in the end.

语言晦涩或古老：第二，剧本中使用的某些语言可能非常高级或古老，尤其是莎士比亚的作品。即使是母语者也难以理解某些莎士比亚的段落，因此你必须查阅词汇注释，并花更多时间使用翻译工具来理解它。然而，这会帮助你提高英语水平，而付出格外的努力最终总是有回报的。

Finally: books and short stories. This is the hardest option to work with, in my opinion, but it’s also the most rewarding one. I recommend this route for performers with the most experience. If you can make acting and blocking decisions without consulting your teacher or coach, using a book for your Interp could be just what you need.

最后：书籍和短篇小说。在我看来，这是最难处理的选项，但也是回报最丰厚的。我推荐有丰富经验的选手选择这条路线。如果你可以在不咨询老师或教练的情况下做出表演和舞台调度的决定，那么选择一本书来做你的 Interp 可能正是你所需要的。

Pros / 优点：

Ultimate Creative Freedom:

First reason: lots of freedom to be creative. How do the characters sound? That’s up to you. How do they stand and move? Up to you. Everything you need to know about the characters is in the text, but you are the one bringing it to the stage.

极大的创作自由： 第一个原因：有很大的创作自由。角色听起来像什么？由你决定。他们怎么站立和走动？由你决定。关于角色你需要知道的一切都在文本中，但你才是将它带上舞台的那个人。

Purest Form of Interp:

Second, once you’ve finished cutting and acting work and bring this to a competition, something magical will happen: your piece will bloom like a beautiful flower because you made it all yourself. You planted the seed, nurtured it, and now it’s completely yours. This is interpretation in its purest form. Make no mistake, all this hard work will be noticed by the audience and the judges.

最纯粹的演绎形式： 第二，一旦你完成了剪裁和表演工作并将其带到比赛中，一些神奇的事情就会发生：你的作品会像一朵美丽的花一样绽放，因为这完全是你自己做出来的。你播下了种子，培育了它，现在它完全属于你了。这是最纯粹形式的演绎。毫无疑问，所有这些辛勤的付出都会被观众和裁判注意到。

Cons / 缺点：

Overwhelming Workload:

Downsides of using books and short stories? First, the amount of work can be overwhelming. Unless you’re prepared to work hard, thinking about the cut throughout the day and going to bed still thinking about it, you might want to put it off for now. Books and stories require the highest level of text analysis to make the cut and the highest levels of acting and directing skill to stage it.

工作量极其巨大： 使用书籍和短篇小说的缺点呢？首先，工作量可能是压倒性的。除非你准备好努力工作——整天都在思考剪裁，上床睡觉时还在思考它——否则你现在可能想先放一放。书籍和故事需要最高水平的文本分析来进行剪裁，也需要最高水平的表演和导演技巧来将其舞台化。

Page to Stage Gap:

Second, what works in a book doesn’t necessarily work on stage. You need to figure out how to translate the image in your head into action on the stage. If you lack experience in any of that, ask your coach or teacher for advice. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, we’re happy to help you with your passion.

文字与舞台的鸿沟： 第二，书中行得通的内容在舞台上不一定行得通。你需要摸索如何将你脑海中的画面转化为舞台上的行动。如果你在这些方面缺乏经验，请向你的教练或老师寻求建议。不要害怕提问，我们很乐意帮助你实现你的热爱。

Now that you have some food for thought before picking your script for Interp, here are some small tips on working with scripts to potentially save yourself precious time.

现在在挑选 Interp 剧本之前你已经有了一些可以思考的东西，这里有一些关于使用剧本的小建议，可以潜在地为你节省宝贵的时间。

1. How to Search Scripts Online / 如何在线搜索剧本

First and foremost: how do you search for scripts online? The most recommended search engine is bing.com. Just like in speech and debate when you search for evidence or research, Bing will give you results in English. For TV shows, movies, and plays you should search for SCRIPTS and TRANSCRIPTS. Only in case of emergency, if you can’t find anything better for your movie or TV show, use subtitle files. This is especially true for some recent releases. Some of the published scripts of the same Play/Movie/TV-show can also be different from each other, so make sure to read both versions and choose the one you like more.

首先也是最重要的：你如何在线搜索剧本？最推荐的搜索引擎是 bing.com。就像在演讲和辩论中搜索证据或进行研究一样，Bing 会为你提供英文结果。对于电视剧、电影和舞台剧，你应该搜索 SCRIPTS（剧本）和 TRANSCRIPTS（台词本）。只有在紧急情况下，如果你为你的电影或电视剧找不到更好的东西，才使用字幕文件。对于一些最近发行的作品尤其如此。同一部舞台剧/电影/电视剧的一些公开发表的剧本也可能彼此不同，因此请确保阅读两个版本并选择你更喜欢的一个。

2. The Three-Tab Method for Cutting / 剪裁剧本的“三标签页法”

Next, if you’re working on a TV-show or movie script, this is for you. As you cut your piece, have three tabs open: the original script, the PDF or Word file in which you’re compiling your cut, and the movie or TV show itself. The cutting process should look like this:

接下来，如果你正在处理电视剧或电影剧本，这是为你准备的。在剪裁作品时，请打开三个标签页：原版剧本、你汇编剪裁内容的 PDF 或 Word 文件，以及电影或电视剧本身。剪裁过程应该像这样：

Find your scenein the movie (timestamp) and match it with the script lines.

在电影中找到你的场景（记录时间戳）并将其与剧本台词相匹配。

Compare the movie cutwith the lines from the original script. Sometimes directors allow actors to go off script, while staying close to the original meaning. Decide what you want to keep.

对比电影剪辑与原剧本的台词。有时导演允许演员脱离剧本，同时保持接近原本的意思。决定你想保留什么。

Copy the linesfrom the original script into your cut file. After completing these steps, move on to your next scene.

将原剧本中的台词复制到你的剪裁文件中。完成这些步骤后，移至下一个场景。

How many scenes should you have?As many as you need to tell a complete story in 10 minutes. I suggest four scenes to start: one for your teaser (beginning) and three for middle and ending.

你应该有多少个场景？ 只要足够你在10分钟内讲完一个完整的故事即可。我建议从四个场景开始：一个用于你的悬念开场/Teaser（开头），三个用于中间和结尾。

3. Gold Rules for Selection / 剧目选择的金科玉律

Some final tips about choosing the story for your piece: try to avoid very recent releases. First, it can be hard to find published scripts for recent works. Second, some audience members or judges might not be caught up with the story, and you could end up giving them massive spoilers. Don’t be that person. Instead, choose something that came out a while ago that either:

关于为你的作品选择故事的一些最后建议：尽量避免选择最近发行的作品。首先，很难找到最近作品的公开发表剧本。其次，一些观众或裁判可能还没有赶上这个故事的进度，你最终可能会给他们带来巨大的剧透。不要成为那样的人。相反，选择一段时间之前出版的作品，它要么：

A) has a valid and relevant social issue and

B) is a story you resonate with.

探讨了有价值且相关的社会议题，并且是一段能引发你共鸣的故事。

Stories and characters whose journeys inspire you are the best to take to tournament. You’re already invested in that story and passionate about the characters; that will reflect in your performance and delivery.

那些其旅程能激励你的故事和角色是带去参加比赛的绝佳选择。你已经投入到了那个故事中，并且对角色充满热情；这会呈现在你的表演和表达中。

That pretty much sums up the choosing-and-cutting tips I have for you today. Remember, choosing and cutting it is just the first step of the journey, the most exciting part is to put it on stage. I hope this article helps you take that first step and find your treasured piece. And it’s up to you how to make use of this treasure!

以上基本上就是我今天为大家准备的挑选和剪裁技巧。记住，挑选和剪裁它只是旅程的第一步，最令人兴奋的部分是把它搬上舞台。我希望这篇文章能帮助你迈出第一步，找到你珍视的作品。而如何利用这笔财富，就看你的了！