A short scripted scene, comic or dramatic, performed by a small team and judged on how well the story is written, acted and held together.
A small group skit is a brief scene played by a handful of performers who share one story. Unlike a monologue it needs a team that can act with and for each other, and unlike a full play it must set up, develop and finish an idea in a few minutes. The tone can be funny, serious or a mix, as long as the audience can follow what happens and why.
A round usually starts with the team walking on, taking their positions and performing the scene from memory with little or no set. Props are normally kept to what the team can carry and place in seconds. When the scene ends the team leaves quickly so the next group can set up. The templates do not print a group size, so the notice should say how many performers make a small group and where a large group begins.
On eTalenter the item is carried by three talent templates: a United States junior talent template (junior group entrants aged 7 to 12, a seven-minute limit, scored out of 5), an international teen talent template (ages 13 to 19, no time limit printed, rating with a maximum of 5) and a Jamaican talent showcase (youth aged 13 to 40, marked out of 100, no time limit printed). In all three it is a team item in English, open to both genders.
Organisers run it because a skit lets many entrants take part in one slot, rewards writing and cooperation as well as stage skill, and gives shy performers a supporting role while others carry the lines. The large group skit sits beside it as a separate class so bigger casts do not compete against compact teams.
Where Small Group Skit is run
On eTalenter this item is carried by three talent templates: a United States junior talent template, an international teen talent template and a Jamaican talent showcase. Short group sketches are also a familiar class at school drama festivals and youth talent shows, but this page records only the templates that carry it.
- United States
- Jamaica
- Worldwide
Key facts
- Team item: one small group, one scene, one score for the team
- Three templates carry it: junior group (7-12), teens (13-19) and a youth band (13-40)
- Only the junior template prints a time limit: seven minutes
- Scored as marks (junior out of 5, Jamaican out of 100) and as a rating in the teen template
- English language, open to both genders in all three templates
- Listed in the Drama category beside the large group skit, spoken word and mime items
On eTalenter, Small Group Skit is filed under Drama and typically scored with Marks, Rating out of 10. It appears in 3 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Small Group Skit is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 5, commonly time-limited to around 7 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Small Group Skit
What a Small Group Skit panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Script and idea: a clear beginning, middle and end, with one idea that is developed rather than a string of unconnected jokes or lines
- Teamwork: every performer has a purpose, lines and reactions are shared, and nobody is left standing idle
- Acting and voice: believable characters, clear speech that carries to the back of the room and distinct voices for different parts
- Stage use: positions that keep everyone visible, simple blocking and quick, tidy entrances and exits
- Timing and pace: cues picked up without gaps, pauses that serve the joke or the drama, and a finish inside the allowed time
- Impact and taste: a scene that holds the audience and suits the event's tone and content guidelines
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Small Group Skit under Scoring Setup, or start from the full drama & skit judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Small Group Skit
How entrants and their teachers usually get Small Group Skit right on the day:
- Agree one situation the whole team can explain in a sentence before writing any lines
- Give every performer a distinct character and at least one moment that belongs to them
- Rehearse the entrance and the first line until the start is clean, since a shaky opening costs the most
- Run the scene with a timer and cut to the organiser's limit, allowing for pauses and audience reaction
- Practise speaking clearly and facing the audience; check in a large room that the back row hears every word
- Keep props and costume to a few items that are quick to place and remove
- Check the notice for group size, content rules and whether recorded sound is allowed
Frequently asked questions
Is Small Group Skit 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.
How many people make a small group?
The templates do not print a size. Organisers should state it in the notice, along with where the large group skit class begins.
How long can a small group skit run?
The junior template prints seven minutes. The teen and Jamaican templates print no limit, so organisers should publish one.
Is a skit the same as a play?
No. A skit is a short scene built around one idea, while a play develops several scenes. Judges expect a complete but compact story.
Can we use props, costume or recorded sound?
The templates do not say. Organisers should state what is allowed and who supplies equipment, and teams should keep set-up quick.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full drama & skit judging criteria guide, or browse every drama competition item.
Try Small Group Skit in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Small Group Skit, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
