Official Rules for Amphitheatre

Overview

In the Amphitheatre, a team’s unique talents shine by creating a performance, drawing, or written work based on a book-related prompt.

Team members will:

• Create a performance, drawing, or written work based on a prompt provided to them

• Work as a team to create their chosen work on the spot

• Perform or share their work during the judging time

• Earn points based on adherence to the rules, presentation, teamwork, and creative use of book details.

Amphitheatre - Rules

1. Upon entering the Amphitheatre, each team will be given “cue cards” with three book-related prompts (a performance option, a drawing option, and a written option). Teams will have five minutes to review them and decide on a prompt as well as a battle book to feature in it.

2. At the end of five minutes (or when ready), each team must choose a prompt by keeping one cue card and turning in the other two cards. Teams can begin working as soon as their selection is made.

3. Each team will have 15 minutes of production time to perform, write, or draw their work. Paper, pencils, props, and other creative supplies will be provided in the Amphitheatre.

4. Performances or written work when read aloud should not exceed 3 minutes long. Drawing work must fit within the paper provided.

5. At the end of 15 minutes, an announcement will be made that teams have entered practice time – a period of 10 minutes where teams are encouraged to practice the presentation of their work. Teams can keep working during practice time with no penalty-- it is a suggested guideline.

6. At the end of practice time, teams will move into groups (approximately four teams per group) to share their work with each other and for two judges.

7. The judge will announce each team by name. At the start of their time slot, the team captain will stand up and clearly state whether the team chose to do a performance, drawing, or written work and which battle book they chose to feature. 

8. While all team members should be involved in the development of the performance, drawing, or written work, not all team members need to perform or stand up to share the work. Performers/presenters can read from notes or papers in their hands.

9. Teams are encouraged to applaud for other teams when they finish sharing their performance, written work, or drawing.

Amphitheatre Scoring

Followed Rules - 10 points

Presentation - 20 points

Teamwork - 5 points

Creative Use of Book Details - 15 points

11. At the Tournament, two separate judges will view each work/presentation and evaluate it. Judges will award points for how well the team followed the stated rules (10 points). Judges will assess the work considering factors such as creative/interesting ideas and clear delivery (20 points). Judges will look for whether all team members seem to have been engaged in the activity (5 points). Judges will consider if/how the work includes details from the books (places, characters, or events in the story) (15 points).

12. The scores provided by each of the two judges will be added together to calculate the team’s total points for Amphitheatre out of a possible 100 points.

Official Rules for Amphitheatre updated 2/22/2023 for the 2023 Battle of the Books Tournament.