Candy Girl

I finally cut my new Prose piece for Catholic Forensic League Nationals. I chose to do an edgy, riskier piece than normal (when you're doing a piece about a girl who decides to strip for a year in front of judges who may as well be southern preachers, you're pretty much asking for trouble). However, it's my last year doing Speech and my last tournament, and I'm going to go out with a bang, doing a piece that I like, and that I chose, and that I cut. My other prose piece (The Sweet Hereafter) was one that my coach had picked and cut and given to me, saying I'd do well with it. However, when I only broke to semifinals at States, it worried me. Granted, the judging at States was completely effed up, I still felt nervous at the thought that the piece I'd be taking to Nationals in a little over a month didn't make the top 6 in Massachusetts. Therefore, I sought out a new piece, one that I would have fun doing, and one that wasn't nearly so confusing. (As my friend Stephanie told me, "It's a reeeeally confusing piece. You only did well with it based on your talent.") She finally put it into words for me, and as much as I hate complimenting myself, she's right. I really only took it to finals at state tournaments because I could infuse an overall cryptic piece with life.

So my original cutting of Candy Girl by Diablo Cody (the screenwriter of Juno (which you should ALL make a point of seeing, by the way; it came out on video last Tuesday)) ran about fifteen minutes. Not good, considering it should be no more than 9 minutes 30 seconds (leaving room for an introduction of approximately 30 seconds, and still getting under the 10:30 time limit (it's safest to shoot for no more than 10 minutes, to leave time for dramatic pauses or audience laughter, if the piece is funny). I've always wanted a dramady piece. And that's what this is. It starts out edgy and hilarious, and then it really gets pretty heartbreaking towards the end. I am so excited. I'm going to have SO much fun with it! I'm going to work SO HARD with it. I'm already working with this guy Eric Leist (a former National qualifier himself) on this Thursday, so I hope I have the time down and an introduction written by then. I'm not worried about my Poetry piece. It's been taking care of itself. The only tough part is that it kind of depends on women judges. They're the ones who get emotionally involved with it (since it's about a woman who looses her son). Anyway, I hope things will sort themselves out.

It's my last shot at Nationals after going for the fourth year in a row (yeah, I'm kind of a big deal.) Not. My first year going in Prose/Poetry I only got to Octafinals (I was still really sick then), then going in Duo the next year, I think it was only Octas then too. Last year going in Duo, we didn't break at all :( and who knows what's going to happen this year? Cross your fingers for me during Memorial Day weekend! Send good vibes all the way out to Appleton, Wisconsin for me. Love you all.