One Act Play Competition at STCJ, Airoli (New Date Will Be Updated Soon)

Have questions about the One Act Play? We've tried our best to answer them all, make sure to read the entire article.

General Questions & Answers Q. Which are the dates to remember for this event? A. Dates will be announced soon

Q. Which language should the play be in?

A. Any language of your choice will be allowed for this play - English, Hindi, Marathi, Konkani, Tamil or a mix of 2 or more languages is also fine. Q. How many community members do we need for this play?

A. The act can be done by 1, 2, 3 or any number of community members. Q. Where can we perform and record the play?

A. The community members will have to be present in Church and the play will have to be recorded in Church based on the assigned time slot on the main day. The final slots will be assigned soon.

Q. Will the organizers provide us with a phone for recording? A. Whilst the organizers will have a device to live stream the play, community members are requested to bring 1 phone along with them for recording the entire play, which has to be done in one go. Q. Are we allowed to edit our video? A. Takes, cuts, breaks, extra sound effects during editing etc will result in disqualification. Once recorded, the video cannot be edited and no cuts or transitions will be allowed. You are allowed to add subtitles to your video and to add the voice recording of the play during editing. Q. Where shall we upload the recorded video?

A. Every play has to be uploaded on a YouTube channel of your choice with the title "STCJ Airoli One Act Play - Name of the skit" For privacy purpose, make sure to not mention the name of your community in the title or description and even during the play as it may lead to a point deduction. The play won't be uploaded on the Church YouTube channel. Q. How much time will we get on the main event day?

A. Each community will be given 15 minutes in total for setup, performance and exit. The performance time is 10 minutes. A point deduction will apply if you exceed this time limit. Q. Will the organizers inform us if we are about to exceed the time limit? A. Considering that the play will require a lot of focus, we would request community members to be present in the performance area along with a volunteer from their community who can help the actors with the time. Q. Will we be disqualified if we take a pause or do a retake or take a break in between? A. Any of the above will result in a point deduction and not disqualification. A pause or a retake or a break cannot be edited later on as well. Any such edit will lead to a disqualification. Q. Will we be allowed to record the audio separately and then edit it with the final video for better clarity? A. Yes, however, the audio has to be recorded at the time of the final performance only and has to be replaced with the original video audio. You cannot record the audio elsewhere and then add it to the video, doing the same can result in a heavy point deduction. Q. Will we be allowed to do commentary during the live play with the actors only lip syncing? A. Yes, that is allowed, however, that may not help you get maximum points. Use of a pre-recorded commentary audio will not be allowed. Q. Will we be allowed to bring volunteers for the setup, props and backstage work or will the organizers take care of it? A. Considering the amount of focus the actors will need, restrictions on edit and the time duration given, it is best to bring volunteers from your own community for any kind of backstage work when it comes to setup, props, lights etc. Q. Is it compulsory for every community to participate in this competition? A. While it is not compulsory to participate, it is crucial to remember that this competition will help you gain points for something that has been planned on a bigger scale. Q. Can a community perform more than 1 play in case of multiple ideas and actors? A. No, there is only 1 slot per community. We request the community members to mutually decide what would be the best play as per them and to then submit their details by 31st August. Q. Is there any theme for the competition or can we choose a theme of our own? A. There is no particular theme for the competition, communities can choose a theme that suits them best based on their concepts, actors and script. It is advisable to avoid a theme or concept which may include use of any vulgar words or foul language. Q. What happens if 2 or more communities go with the same theme and have a similar play? A. Each community will be judged based on their performance only so it is allowed to have the same or a similar theme for the competition.

Questions & Answers based on the Judging Criteria

Q. What are the most crucial aspects when it comes to points? A. Individual acting skills will be the most crucial aspect. Expressions, dialogue delivery, emotions etc are all included in this. Chemistry between actors (in case of more than 1 actor) will help you gain more points. Q. Any external factors that can affect the points?

A. Discipline and attitude are important factors when it comes to avoiding a point deduction. Setup, props, background, lights, and sound effects during the live play will play an important role in the judging criteria too. The right costumes, makeup, look etc based on the theme of the play will help in gaining more points. Q. Are we allowed to copy a play from the internet or to use some parts of the same?

A. Whilst copying a play or trying an inspired play is allowed, an original script and original concept will help you get more points. If you come across a play which has been submitted in the competition and if you think it is copied or inspired, you can report the same to the organizers with the right links before the due date. Q. Will the judges be present when we perform the play?

A. The judges may or may not be present for the same which is why the video is very crucial. Clarity of dialogues will be very essential in this case for every participant regardless of the addition of subtitles. It will also be important to adjust the frame of your video in the right way within the assigned time to make sure that you do not lose out on any points.

Q. Will we lose any points if the play goes a little over 10 minutes and if we still manage to enter and exit within 15 minutes?

A. The total time given for the one act play is 10 minutes, your play/video cannot exceed 10 minutes, however, every community will get 15 minutes to setup, perform and exit. A delay in either will result in a point deduction. Q. What happens if we edit the video and add transitions, effects, cuts etc to make it look better? A. Any such editing will result in a direct disqualification and the community will not be eligible for any prize at this competition. It is important to note that if you take a break or pause or do a retake during the live play, the same has to be uploaded on YouTube as well without any editing. Q. Will a community with more participants get more points for better participation? A. Number of participants has pros and cons. When it comes to a single participant, a judge will only judge the play based on the performance of the individual, however, when it comes to a group, there are multiple factors like sync, chemistry, casting etc that can help a community get more or less marks based on how everyone performs as a team. A community with 10 participants won't get more points than a community with a solo performer only because they have more participation, the points have to be earned via acting and the other external factors.

Questions & Answers for the selection of Winners

Q. How will the results be decided by the judges? A. Based on the judging criteria mentioned above, every community will receive points for every category via multiple judges who will receive the same sheet for scoring and the community with the highest total will be the winners. Q. How will the results be decided by the video uploaded on YouTube?

A. The video with the most number of likes on YouTube on the due date will also be declared as one of the winners. Please note that there are no prizes for the video with the most number of comments or views, only the video with the most likes will win the prize. Q. Can a community win both the prizes or is it only 1 prize per community? A. Both these prizes are different and equally important which is why every community will be eligible to win both the prizes based on their scores and likes. We think we've covered almost everything when it comes to this competition, if you have any more questions then please reach out to us for the same. All the best to every community participating.