Winners Announced for 13th Annual August Wilson Monologue and Design Competitions

Winners Announced for 13th Annual August Wilson Monologue and Design Competitions

Out of the 330 full Chicagoland higher university learners who entered the 13th yearly August Wilson Monologue and Layout Competitions, Demi Davis from Senn High College prevailed, using the first-position prize at the Chicago finals before this month for her 2-3-minute monologue overall performance. A member of Goodman’s 2019 PlayBuild Youth Intense (a summer months ensemble-creating method that acquaints substantial university pupils with functionality, innovative creating and communication expertise), Davis shipped her monologue as the character Ruby in Wilson’s King Hedley II. Aisha Akorede (Amundsen High Faculty) took dwelling the second area prize with her performance as Vera from 7 Guitars and Alex Weber (ChiArts) came in third area with a functionality as Sterling from Two Trains Running. The most recent component of the levels of competition-“Designing August,” which focuses on scenic and structure elements-returned for its next yr. Lauren Givens (Providence St. Mel School) gained very first area for the style and design levels of competition second and third sites went to Aspira Early School Substantial Schoolers Karla Marin-Casteneda and Jaime Uriostegui, respectively. Hard cash prizes for the Monologue Competitiveness, which were being spontaneously raised by $500 by a generous nameless donor moments right before the winners ended up announced, are $1,500, $1000 and $500 for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners, respectively.

It is an honor for me to personally congratulate the winners of the August Wilson Monologue and Structure Competitions at Goodman Theatre, a spot where I labored with my beloved husband to make his poetry acquire lifetime and variety. I completely help and stimulate a entire new generation of artists to lend their viewpoint and talent to his eyesight and legacy,” said Constanza Romero-Wilson, Government Director of August Wilson Legacy LLC.

University student finalists-which includes alumi from the Goodman’s youth systems as Youth Arts Council, InterGens software and Musical Theater Intense-hailed from the following higher educational institutions: Amundsen, Artwork in Movement, ASPIRA, The Chicago Higher School for the Arts, The Chicago Academy for the Arts, CICS Northtown Academy, Lincoln Park, Providence St. Mel Faculty, Senn, South Shore Intercontinental School Prep, Southland College or university Prep and Whitney Younger Magnet.

“The abilities of Chicagoland’s youth glow vivid yet again in-man or woman, just after two years of virtual competitors-and the words and phrases of August Wilson, blended with the coronary heart of the youth of Chicago, continues to go and inspire audiences,” explained Derrick Sanders, generating director of Chicago’s August Wilson Monologue Level of competition and Associate Director of the Drama Division at Juilliard. “We continue on to develop the August Wilson Monologue Competitors by adding the visually beautiful function of pupils in our first ‘Designing August’ competitiveness. I’m thrilled for all of the learners, mothers and fathers and lecturers for their astounding operate-and we glimpse ahead to following yr!”

The absolutely free annual August Wilson Monologue Opposition gives Chicagoland youth an prospect to take a look at and share the richness of Wilson’s American Century Cycle by means of master classes and offering college or university scholarships. Software members from around Chicago encountered Wilson’s 10-engage in cycle and obtained coaching from educating artists to get ready their monologues for competition.

“The perseverance of the students to discover, carry out and design and style the perform of August Wilson is definitely inspirational. The opposition connects college students all through the city as they read the operate, respect the artistry and make their techniques and confidence. The League of Chicago Theatres is happy to be a longtime sponsor of the opposition and we congratulate the winners and commend all the individuals,” stated Deb Clapp, Government Director of the League of Chicago Theatres.

Judges for the 2022 Levels of competition bundled Stan Brown (Director of Graduate Research of the MFA in Acting method at Northwestern University) Sydney Charles (award-winning actress who most just lately appeared in Gem of the Ocean at the Goodman) Sydney Chatman (previous Goodman Maggio Fellow and founding director of The Tofu Chitlin’ Circuit) and Chuck Smith (Goodman Theatre Resident Director).

“Viewing these younger artists carry out August’s characters, listening to his wonderfully resonant vernacular move from themit reminds us all of the importance of the stories of each day people today that go untold. But August’s legacy is not just the 10 years-by-10 years background of Black folk in his plays. His genuine legacy is the lifetime every younger designer and performer breathes into his perform when they examine it, analyze it, design it, complete it whether in school rooms in universities or on the levels of America’s theaters,” mentioned Willa J. Taylor, Goodman Theatre’s Walter Director of Training and Engagement.

Born and raised in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, August Wilson (1945-2005) authored the American Century Cycle of 10 performs, like Gem of the Ocean, Joe Turner’s Arrive and Gone, Ma Rainey’s Black Base, The Piano Lesson, 7 Guitars, Fences, Two Trains Operating, Jitney, King Hedley II and Radio Golfing. These is effective discover the heritage and experience of African People, ten years by 10 years, about the study course of the 20th century. Goodman Theatre was the first in the nation to have generated just about every enjoy in Wilson’s cycle. In 2003, Wilson designed his experienced phase debut in his a single-person demonstrate How I Realized What I Learned. Wilson’s do the job garnered several awards, like Pulitzer Prizes for Fences (1987) and The Piano Lesson (1990) a Tony Award for Fences Great Britain’s Olivier Award for Jitney as nicely as 7 New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for Ma Rainey’s Black Base, Fences, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, The Piano Lesson, Two Trains Functioning, 7 Guitars and Jitney. Additionally, the forged recording of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom obtained a 1985 Grammy Award and Wilson obtained a 1995 Emmy Award nomination for his screenplay adaptation of The Piano Lesson. On Oct 16, 2005, Broadway renamed the theater located at 245 West 52nd Road the August Wilson Theatre.

An award-winning director and filmmaker, Derrick Sanders is the Associate Director of the Drama Division at Juilliard. He has been the manufacturing director of Chicago’s August Wilson Monologue Competitors and an affiliate professor in the theater section at the College of Illinois at Chicago. He was also the founding creative director of Congo Square Theatre, a single of the country’s major ensembles committed to perform rooted in the African diaspora. Richard Feldman (faculty 1987-current), who experienced been serving as associate dean for 16 decades, will continue on training and directing in the division. Sanders received a BFA from Howard College and an MFA from the University of Pittsburgh. His directing credits involve the globe premiere of Jonathan Norton’s Penny Sweet (Dallas Theater Center) Kelvin Roston Jr.’s Twisted Melodies (Baltimore Centre Stage, Apollo Theater, Mosaic Theater Company) Athol Fugard’s The Island and Carlyle Brown’s The African Firm Offers Richard III (American Players Theatre) Will Power’s Fetch Clay, Make Man (Spherical Household Theatre) Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop (Virginia Phase Organization) Bruce Norris’ Clybourne Park and Kwame Kwei-Armah’s Beneatha’s Position for “The Raisin Cycle” (Baltimore Centre Stage) Lydia Diamond’s Stick Fly (True Colors Theatre Firm) Javon Johnson’s Sanctified (Lincoln Theatre) Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder’s Gee’s Bend (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park) Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog (American Theater Enterprise) David Ingber’s Mr. Chickee’s Amusing Cash (environment premiere), Christopher Paul Curtis’ Bud, Not Buddy, and Dan Gutman’s Jackie and Me (Chicago Kid’s Theatre) and the globe premiere of Five Fingers of Funk (Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis). Excellent Day, the short movie he wrote and directed, garnered important acclaim and several awards. In addition to founding the August Wilson Monologue Level of competition, which is highlighted in the movie Supplying Voice, Sanders has directed various Wilson performs, including King Hedley II (Signature Theatre, Kennedy Centre) Joe Turner’s Come and Absent (Baltimore Heart Stage) Fences and Radio Golfing (Virginia Phase) and Jitney (Real Colors Theatre Corporation). He was also the assistant director of the Broadway premieres of Radio Golfing and Gem of the Ocean.

Theater is critical to the lifetime of a great city and to its citizens. The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theaters which leverages its collective power to guidance, advertise and advocate for Chicago’s theater industry. By our get the job done, we guarantee that theater carries on to thrive in our city. Chicago theater is the chief in the U.S. with additional than 250 theaters during Chicagoland, comprising a rich and diverse local community ranging from storefront, non-union theatres to the most renowned resident theaters in the nation, which includes 5 which have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the biggest touring Broadway organization in the country. Chicago’s theaters serve five million audience members per year and have a combined funds of a lot more than $250 million. Chicago typically generates and/or provides much more environment premieres annually than any other city in the nation. Every year, Chicago theaters deliver new do the job to resident theaters throughout the place, to Broadway, and all-around the globe.

ABOUT GOODMAN THEATRE

Chicago’s theater given that 1925, Goodman Theatre is a not-for-income arts and neighborhood group in the heart of the Loop, distinguished by the excellence and scope of its artistic programming and community engagement. Led by Creative Director Robert Falls and Govt Director Roche Schulfer, the theater’s creative priorities incorporate new participate in improvement (extra than 150 entire world or American premieres), substantial scale musical theater will work and reimagined classics. Artists and productions have earner two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and much more than 160 Jeff Awards, among other accolades. The Goodman is the first theater in the globe to make all 10 plays in August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” Its longtime yearly getaway custom A Xmas Carol, now in its fifth decade, has designed a new era of theatergoers in Chicago. The Goodman also commonly serves as a production and plan associate with countrywide and global companies and Chicago’s Off-Loop theaters.

Working with the tools of the theatrical job, the Goodman’s Schooling and Engagement applications aim to develop generations of citizens who recognize the cultures and tales of varied voices. The Goodman’s Alice Rapoport Centre for Schooling and Engagement is the house of these courses, which are made available no cost of charge for Chicago youth-85% of whom come from underserved communities-faculties and life-extensive learners.

As a cultural and group corporation invested in quality, variety and group, Goodman Theatre is fully commited to utilizing the art of theater for a much better Chicago. Goodman Theatre’s Motion Approach for Inclusion, Range, Equity, Anti-Racism and Accessibility (IDEAA) was born out of the belief that progress usually means motion, which consists of constructing on the a long time-extended commitment to utilizing artwork, belongings and resources to lead to a more just, equitable and anti-racist society.

Goodman Theatre was launched by William O. Goodman and his household in honor of their son Kenneth, an important figure in Chicago’s cultural renaissance in the early 1900s. The Goodman family’s legacy life on by the continued get the job done and commitment of Kenneth’s relatives, together with Albert Ivar Goodman, who with his late mom, Edith-Marie Appleton, contributed the necessary cash for the creation on the new Goodman center in 2000.

Right now, Goodman Theatre management also involves the distinguished associates of the Creative Collective: Rebecca Gilman, Dael Orlandersmith, Henry Godinez, Steve Scott, Kimberly Senior, Chuck Smith, Regina Taylor and Mary Zimmerman. Jeff Hesse is Chairman of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees, Fran Del Boca is Women’s Board President and Craig McCaw is President of the Scenemakers Board for young pros.