Dramatic Interpretation and Where to Begin the Search

Thinking of where to begin the quest for a piece is intimidating.  There are endless methods of how to find pieces, and every event holds secrets specific to their nature on where to look.  Dramatic Interpretations can be found in a few of the usual venues.  They also can be found in locations where you might have never speculated.  For thoroughness, here is a list of all the possible Dramatic Interpretation hideouts and hangouts.

• Team Archives. Dramatic Interpretation is an event where most teams will have dozens upon dozens of pieces stored away for future use.  Your team may even have catalogs from which to order plays from (if you know what you want and it can be afforded).  Try to look for pieces that have not been overly used in the past to avoid being unoriginal. 
• Library. Most libraries have a rich selection of plays available.  You can browse at your leisure, read as much as you want, make copies (10 cents per page is average), and sit in comfortable chairs as you work!  Another perk?  Librarians are all sorts of helpful.  All can point you in the correct direction; some may even be able to advise you on particular playwrights of excellence. 
• Bookstores. If libraries frighten you, or you prefer to own your material, then going to a bookstore is ideal.  The selection might be narrower, but there will be less walking the stacks required to find all plays available.  You also can pick-up a cup of coffee as you skim through possible pieces.
• League Archives. Some leagues list not only the names of previous State winners but also the titles of their pieces.  The Illinois High School Association comes to mind.  Check out the records of your league and others to see what worked well enough to win State.  As with searching through team archives do chose pieces that are not still fresh in memory. 
• Ask Teachers. English teachers may have more knowledge on possible Dramatic Interpretation pieces that you may think.  It is their job to know about literature.  True, most Dramatic Interpretation pieces are taken from plays, but some English teachers might surprise you with their expansive play awareness. 
• Theatre People and Places! This is where the difference lies.  Tap into the information and suggestions of theatre lovers and participants.  Ask the drama club, school directors, theatre teacher, and actors you know if they can suggest any good dramatic pieces for you to read.  They may give you specific titles, author names, or collections you can read that may supply you with the piece you desire. 
• On-Line Sources. You can type in "Dramatic Interpretation Pieces" in a search engine and hope to see results.  Or you can be logical and type in keywords an actor, director, or set-designer might use (script archives, theatre scripts, famous playwrights (find a writer, find a play), best American plays, etc.).  The more descriptive you are, the better your odds of something useful being displayed. 
• Remember, Dramatic Interpretation Can Also Be...any published material from short stories, poems, and novels.  They do not have to be lifted from published plays alone! 

Locating a Dramatic Interpretation piece does not have to be a struggle.  There are multiple ways to begin looking for material.  Some may have more appeal than others. Regardless of what you decide, remain calm and use all your resources available to find the best fitting piece for you.