A staged play performed by a cast, marked out of 100 on the choice and scripting of the play, the acting, the production, costume and decor, and overall achievement.
A Play is a full staged drama, performed by a cast as one team and judged as a single piece of theatre. Unlike a monologue or a verse item, nobody is marked alone: the panel is asking whether the script, the actors, the direction and the look of the stage came together into something an audience can follow and believe.
On the eTalenter Kenya national drama and film festival template, Play is the first item on the programme and the only one that comes in more than one language strand. It is a Team item open to boys and girls together, offered in English and in French, across five age groups: Pre-Primary (3 to 5), Primary (6 to 12), Junior School (13 to 15), Secondary (14 to 18, with overlap allowed) and Tertiary (19 and over). That makes ten Play classes on the template. Separate Kenyan Sign Language and film strands sit beside it as their own items.
The marking scheme recorded for the template is a published adjudication scheme for a Play totalling 100 marks: choice of play and scripting 30, acting 30, production 20, costume and decor 10, and achievement 10. The template carries 100 as the maximum score and leaves the time limit unset, so an organiser should enter the running time and any set-up allowance from their own notice.
Organisers run a Play class because it is the item that draws in the whole school: actors, writers, directors, stage crew and costume makers all have a place. It also gives families and the wider community the most visible evening of a drama festival, which is why it tends to anchor the programme.
Where Play is run
On the eTalenter templates Play appears on one: the Kenya national drama and film festival template, in its On Stage section. Play classes are a standard part of school and youth drama festivals in many countries, but this page describes the item as that template sets it up, so entrants elsewhere should check their own notice for time limits, cast size and what staging is allowed.
- Kenya
Key facts
- Team item: the whole cast is judged together, boys and girls in the same entry
- Five age groups on the template, from Pre-Primary (3 to 5) up to Tertiary (19 and over)
- Two language strands, English and French, giving ten Play classes in all
- Scored out of 100 in five parts: choice of play and scripting 30, acting 30, production 20, costume and decor 10, achievement 10
- No time limit is set on the template, so the organiser enters their own
- Kenyan Sign Language plays are a separate item on the same template, not a variant of this one
On eTalenter, Play is filed under On Stage and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Play is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100.
What judges look at in Play
What a Play panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Choice of play and scripting (30): a script that suits the age and size of the cast, has a clear story and says something worth saying; a borrowed script that overstretches young actors loses marks here
- Acting (30): believable characters, clear voices, and actors who listen and react even when they have no line; a few strong leads with a weak chorus costs marks
- Production (20): direction, grouping, pace and use of the stage, with clean entrances, exits and scene changes
- Costume and decor (10): dress and set that help tell the story simply; elaborate props that are clumsy to move can hurt rather than help
- Achievement (10): the overall impression, whether the team did what it set out to do and finished as a complete, confident piece
- Language: in the French strand the spoken language must be clear and understood by the panel, not just recited
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Play under Scoring Setup, or start from the full drama & skit judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Play
How entrants and their teachers usually get Play right on the day:
- Choose the play early and match it to the cast: a simple script performed well beats an ambitious one performed shakily
- Cast every actor in a part that suits their voice and confidence, and give supporting roles real business so the stage never goes dead
- Rehearse entrances, exits and scene changes as carefully as the lines, because that is where timing is lost
- Run full dress rehearsals in front of someone who has never seen the play, and ask what they could not follow
- Keep costume and set simple, durable and quick to carry on and off
- Have every actor project to the back of the hall; practise in a large room, not just a classroom
- In the French strand, rehearse pronunciation with a fluent speaker and keep sentences clear rather than fast
- Agree one person to watch the time and the stage manager cues on the day
Ready-made event templates that include Play
Open any template to preview it in eTalenter and install it as a live, editable event.
| Template | Category | Score label | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya National Drama and Film Festival | On Stage | Marks | 10 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Play judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
Is a Play judged as a team or individually?
As a team. Play is a Team item on the template, so the cast receives one score, although the panel’s acting marks reflect how the whole cast performs.
How is a Play scored?
Out of 100. The scheme recorded for the template splits the marks into choice of play and scripting 30, acting 30, production 20, costume and decor 10, and achievement 10.
Is there a time limit?
The template does not set one, so the organiser should enter a running time from their own notice.
Can a Play be performed in French?
Yes. The template offers each age group a French class alongside the English class.
Is a Play in sign language the same item?
No. A Play in Kenyan Sign Language is its own item on the template, with its own entry.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full drama & skit judging criteria guide, or browse every on stage competition item.
Try Play in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Play, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
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