7.1: Cutting

Overview

As noted in earlier chapters, performers in oral interpretation are not expected to present an entire dramatic play or lengthy work. Most performances are limited to approximately ten minutes in forensic competitions, and they might be even shorter in classroom settings. This raises an important question: how can a performer effectively convey the story or message of a much longer work within such a short timeframe? The answer lies in the practice of cutting.

In oral interpretation, cutting refers to the process of selecting and editing portions of a longer literary work so that the performance fits within time constraints while still capturing the essence of the piece. Rather than presenting the entire text, performers identify specific sections, or “cuts,” that best highlight the central theme, characters, and emotional impact of the original work. This chapter will examine the strategies, structures, and techniques involved in making effective cuttings for performance.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Scissors like these are no longer necessary during the cutting process. (CC-BY; Iainf - Scissor collection)

Learning Objectives

1. Define and explain cutting in oral interpretation and understand why it is necessary for performance time limits.
2. Apply principles of dramatic structure (beginning, middle, end; Freytag’s pyramid) to create cuttings that maintain clarity, momentum, and audience engagement.
3. Use the Cha Cha Cha Method (chunk, chuck, choose, chum, chip, check, cheat) to effectively organize and refine cuttings.

Cutting

Sometimes, you will find a work of literature that is suitable for performance that fits nicely within time requirements you have been given for the presentation. This is not always the case, however. Many times, particularly with prose or drama, a piece you desire to use is too long for performance and requires you to make what is called a “cutting” to perform it.

A cutting of literature is a chunk or segment of the larger work or multiple segments of the work strung together. When cutting literature, a performer should consider several factors in addition to the general expectations of the performance such as the message/theme of the performance, audience interest and expectations, the number of characters that must be performed in the work, and whether the performer will need to provide background information in the introduction to give context and aid understanding.

When cutting a single work of literature, the cut piece should have a clear beginning, middle, and end. You may find it helpful to find your desired ending point and cut the rest of the work that you feel leads nicely up to that point. Your cutting should also demonstrate part of the conflict of the piece, though not necessarily resolution. It simply helps the interest, feel, and momentum of the performance when something happens in the literature to move the cutting forward.

Dramatic Structure

While you are cutting, consider the basic elements of dramatic structure. The term "dramatic structure" refers to the parts into which a short story, a novel, a play, a screenplay, or a narrative poem can be divided.

Aristotle divided drama into three parts: a beginning, a middle, and an end. Perhaps equally influential to writers and literary critics alike has been Gustav Freytag’s analysis of dramatic structure (figure below). Although Freytag’s work is based on the structure of ancient Greek and Shakespearean five-act plays, it can be applied to works of prose (and longer works of poetry) as well. Freytag posited that plots are divided into five parts or acts:

1. Exposition - introduction of characters, setting, etc.
   • In the exposition, the background information that is needed to understand the story properly is provided. Such information includes the protagonist, the antagonist, the basic conflict, the setting, and so forth.
   • The exposition ends with the inciting moment, which is the single incident in the story's action without which there would be no story. The inciting moment sets the remainder of the story in motion beginning with the second act, the rising action.
2. Conflict and rising action - the issue is discovered, and problems arise due to the conflict.
   • During the rising action, the basic conflict is complicated by the introduction of related secondary conflicts, including various obstacles that frustrate the protagonist's attempt to reach their goal. Secondary conflicts can include adversaries of lesser importance than the story's antagonist, who may work with the antagonist or separately, by and for themselves.
3. Climax (turning point) - the height of conflict and highest tension; everything is unleashed.
   • In the climax, or turning point, there marks a change, for the better or the worse, in the protagonist's affairs. If the story is a comedy, things will have gone badly for the protagonist up to this point; now, the tide, so to speak, will turn, and things will begin to go well for them. If the story is a tragedy, the opposite situation will ensue, with things going from good to bad for the protagonist.
4. Falling action - events settle down and a solution is sought.
   • During the falling action, the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist unravels, with the protagonist winning or losing against the antagonist. The falling action may contain a moment of final suspense, during which the outcome of the conflict is in doubt.
5. Dénouement or catastrophe (depending upon whether the literature is a comedy or a tragedy) - the resolution/conclusion; things come to an end happily (or not).
   • The comedy ends with a denouement in which the protagonist is better off than they were at the story's outset. The tragedy ends with a catastrophe in which the protagonist is worse off than they were at the beginning of the narrative.

Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): Feytag's Pyramid consists of the introduction, rise, climax, return or fall, and catastrophe. (CC-Zero; SinjoroFoster)

Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

Activity 1: Spot the Structure

Objective: Identify the elements of dramatic structure in a longer work.

1. Choose a short story, scene, or chapter you’ve read recently.

2. Break it into Freytag’s five parts: introduction, rise, climax, return or fall, and catastrophe.

3. Share your breakdown with a partner or small group. Discuss whether the story’s structure was easy or difficult to map, and why.

Organizing your cutting around the spirit of Freytag’s five elements will help move the plot along in your performance and keep the audience involved. If your author tells the story in a non-linear fashion (e.g. through flashbacks or in reverse) try your best to craft a cutting that mirrors the structure they have created.

You will see the elements above in many works of prose and drama and sometimes in poetry, mostly within pieces that tell a story. However, works that do not include these elements should not necessarily be discounted. But, since the plot structure elements add interest and variety to an oral interpretation performance, you should find ways to create the spirit of these elements in whatever pieces you choose.

Cha Cha Cha Method

Should you find a piece that seems lacking in one of more of the plot structure elements, you can sometimes find ways to use your voice and body to create the same sorts of feelings that accompany some of the elements.

One method you might find helpful in cutting a literature selection is the Cha Cha Cha Method:

• Chunk it. Find the various selections of your piece that give brief plot synopsis of the work, then name each section (one to two words only).
• Chuck it. Throw out sections that you don’t like. Don’t worry about sections which may be important to the plot at this point. You may realize that you don’t like the piece as much as you thought you did and opt to choose something different.
• Choose it. These are the most vital moments of your piece:
  • This section will be the first part of the literature that you present to us. You can place it right before your self-authored introduction or right afterward. It should get the audience’s attention to set the mood. It may likely also introduce us to the main character(s).
  • Choose the section that includes the building of intensity, perhaps the moment where the reader/audience is breathless as the events take place.
  • It is likely that the message of your piece will appear (directly or indirectly) in this section. This is the ending that should have an impact on the audience somehow (e.g. provides hope, foreshadows dark times, resolves in tragedy, etc.). Your last line should be memorable and let the audience feel the emotion of the program.
• Chum it. This section is the rising action which builds to the conflict. It should lead into the climax smoothly, so be aware of its “shape.” This section will likely make the audience like or identify with the main character/narrator. It is helpful when each pi\ce of rising action is at a different emotional level and creates engagement with variety.
• Chip it. These are “trimming cuts” or the cutting of specific lines and words. This step should help to maintain the balance of each section. It can be the most difficult and painful step, and you should do it soon in the cutting process before you get too attached to the material.
• Check it. Time your performance. It is better to be short than long, as you can always add segments back into the cutting. Use time to determine the “shape” of your cutting – find a balance.
• Cheat it. Sometimes, in order to make two segments “fit” back-to-back in your performance or to add context or clarity, you might need to add very brief lines. These lines can help your cutting make sense or flow better. This should be done very sparingly and with absolute caution, however, to preserve author intent and to honor the spirit of the piece.

If you are having difficulties (e.g. the work is still too long), rethink your cutting. Is there any segment you left in the piece that has no real reason for being there? Is it necessary? If the audience does not need to know it, then cut that bit. Cuttings are organic and changing. You can always adjust them.

You may occasionally find that a piece of literature is too short to fill performance time, and if that is the case, you can often arrange multiple pieces of literature together around a similar theme.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\)

Activity 2: Applying the Cha Cha Cha Method

Objective:
To practice organizing a cutting of literature using Freytag’s dramatic structure and the Cha Cha Cha method.

Instructions:

1. Select a Literary Piece
   Choose a short story, scene, or poem for oral interpretation. It can be linear or non-linear.

2. Chunk it

   • Break the piece into sections that summarize key events or moments.

   • Give each section a one- or two-word label.

3. Chuck it

   • Review your chunks and remove any sections that feel unnecessary, confusing, or off-theme.

4. Choose it

   • Select the most vital sections for your performance.

   • Identify which part will begin your performance, which section builds intensity, and which provides a strong ending.

5. Chum and chip it

   • Arrange the rising action (Chum) leading to the climax.

   • Trim lines or words (Chip) to maintain flow and keep within time limits.

6. Check and cheat it

   • Time your performance to see if it fits within your required limit.

   • Make minor adjustments (Cheat) if needed to improve flow or clarity.

7. Reflection Questions

   • How did using the Cha Cha Cha method help you structure your cutting?

   • Did your cutting preserve the spirit of the story’s original dramatic structure?

   • What techniques did you use to maintain tension or audience engagement?

Optional Extension:
If your piece is too short, experiment with combining it with another piece around a similar theme. Note how the overall flow and emotional impact changes.

Attributions