August Wilson Monologue Contest

This year’s August Wilson Monologue Contest will be held at the August Wilson Center and two Hope Academy students, Laela Lumsden and Candace Burgess, will compete. This competition provides an opportunity for high school students to perform an August Wilson monologue for a chance to win cash prizes and a trip to New York City.

The August Wilson Monologue Competition celebrates the writing of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright. August Wilson’s Century Cycle is an achievement in American theater. 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 August Wilson Monologue Competition is now held regionally in Pittsburgh, New York, Atlanta, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Greensboro, Dallas and Portland. In partnership with True Colors Theatre Company, headed by Tony award winning Broadway and film director Kenny Leon.

Three winners from Pittsburgh will be selected to travel to New York City for the May 2 finals. In addition to competing for cash and scholarship prizes, the finalists will be treated to the new smash Broadway hit Hamilton and will meet with top industry actors. For example, recent competitors not only saw the revival production of Fences on Broadway starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, but also met the actors in an after-play “talkback” session and workshop. Point Park University awards both the Pittsburgh and national finalists scholarships of $20,000, $15,000 and $10,000.

Two years ago Hope Academy student, Lawrence White, won the Pittsburgh regional contest.

Please join us to cheer on Laela Lumsden, Candace Burgess and all of the young people in the contest this year.