National August Wilson Monologue Competition
About the Competition:
August Wilson's Century Cycle is an achievement in American theatre. Each of the ten plays are set in a different decade of the twentieth century. At the core of each work are soaring, lyrical monologues that take the song, laughter, pain, and rich content of African American life and place it in the mouths of a great and varied ensemble of characters.
The competition is open to high school students from participating cities. The winners at the regional level will travel to the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway to participate in a weekend devoted to Wilson and the final round of the competition.
Students will perform a two to three minute monologue from any of the plays in August Wilson's Century Cycle. The panel of judges will be comprised of theatre professionals from their respective communities.
First, second and third place receive a $500, $250 and $100 scholarship respectively at the regional level and $1000, $500 and $250 scholarships at the national level. All finalists will receive a hardbound book of August Wilson's plays.
In our second year, the Huntington Theatre Company will collaborate with eight Boston Public Schools — Another Course to College, Boston Adult Technical Academy, Brighton High School, Dorchester Academy, English High School, Fenway High School, Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers, and Snowden International School at Copley — to participate in the August Wilson Monologue Competition.
Each school will receive six to eight in-classroom visits from Huntington staff and outside teaching artists to introduce August Wilson and his plays, as well as support script analysis and character development for monologues. Schools will hold their own competition, and the Huntington will produce the Boston competition. Three Boston winners will travel to New York to compete with winners from at least six other theatres nationally.
FROM THE BLOG: Education Director Donna Glick on the Huntington's Inaugural August Wilson Monologue Competition (February 2011).
For more information, contact Donna Glick, Director of Education, djglick@huntingtontheatre.bu.edu, 617 273 1548
The 2011 Boston winners are: