OzMade Musicals Assessment Criteria


The following information has been provided to the Submission Panel prior to the opening of Submissions.  The submission criteria are points-based, though the individual weightings have been omitted from this document.

OzMade Musicals 2005 Assessment Criteria
AIM:
To provide a clear and uniformly observed set of Musical Theatre Works Selection criteria for OzMade Musicals 2005.

RATIONALE FOR CRITERIA: The following criteria pre-supposes that:

1) Any works examined will be rehearsal-ready: libretto and piano score supplied.
2) In that the Musical Theatre form invites the expression of, but is not limited to, text-spoken, text-sung, and, text-danced, the criteria that follows will demand that works will meet these requirements.
3) All selections will invite an elite rendering.
4) In the interests of economy in story-telling, the use of significant component of technical theatre device is encouraged to be present in the work examined.
5) In the interests of economy in story-telling, the use of a significant component of underscoring, motif themes, etc. is encouraged to be present in the score of the work examined.
6) Works that are presented with a demonstration CD are not to be advantaged.
7) 'Maverick' songs, scenes, dances, etc. of exceptional quality found in works that would otherwise be unsuitable for OzMade Musicals (as per the points above), are not to be denied performance possibilities, but should come under individual scrutiny as 'stand alone' works (see 'Stand Alone Works Criteria').

OUTCOME:

  • A selection of works that advance/sustain the Music Theatre form.

  • A selection of works that attract an OzMade Musicals audience.

  • A selection of works that encourage a 'return-business' audience.

  • A selection of works that could, by virtue of the panel's scrutiny and considered opinion, attract investment.

TABLE OF CRITERIA FOR EACH MUSICAL THEATRE WORK

STORY
  Was the story told economically?
  The story, where necessary, is propelled by any of (but not limited to) the following devices (Conflict, Drama, Transitional, Romance, Comedy of any form [vaudeville, absurdist, burlesque, satire, etc.] Dance, Movement, Potential for the use of Technical Theatre, Text [Spoken or Sung]).
TEXT

Close observation will be made of the writer's ability to complete the stories related to the major protagonists with economy.  It is advised that over-writing be avoided.  OzMade encourages that writers acknowledge the dimensions brought to the piece by the work of, but not limited to, the actor/director/design/technical personnel etc.

  Characters clearly developed
  Consistency in speech/language patterns across all characters
  Drama-advancing dialogue (includes music, dance and technical theatre)
  Time/space delineations made clear
  Music / Orchestration / Underscoring
CONCLUSION
  Overall potential for OzMade Musicals


TABLE OF CRITERIA FOR 'STAND ALONE' WORKS
*For the purposes of this criteria, 'work', can be defined as a song, scene, dance section, or other theatrical 'moment' which can be considered for presentation outside of the musical from which it has been extracted.

QUALITY
  The work's story is propelled by, but not limited to, any of the devices of: Conflict, Drama, Romance, Comedy, Transitional Device, Potential for the use of Technical Theatre.
  Quality of the Spoken, Danced, Physical Theatre or Sung Text (where appropriate)
  Quality of the Music / Orchestration / Underscoring (where appropriate)
CONCLUSION
  The exposition (musical, textual or other) of the character's situation justifies a 'stand alone' rendering.
  Overall potential for OzMade Musicals