Ten local high school students will compete in the Seattle August Wilson Monologue Competition at Seattle Repertory Theatre tonight. The finalists, who were selected from more than 60 students who competed in the semi-finals Feb. 1-2, will perform a three-minute monologue from one of August Wilson’s plays. The public is invited to attend.
Three winners of the Seattle competition will receive cash prizes ($500, $250 and $100) and a trip to New York City to participate in the National Finals on Broadway presented by True Colors Theatre Company and Jujamcyn Theaters at the August Wilson Theatre in May 2014.
The finalists are:
- Gabriella Aleman, 18, Tacoma School of the Arts, “Vera” from Seven Guitars
- Alexis Baldridge, 17, Timberline High School, “Ma Rainey” from Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
- Griffin Crisp, 18, South Kitsap High School, “Hedley” from Seven Guitars
- Jahari Delgado, 17, Mercer Island High School, “Boy Willie” from The Piano Lesson
- Jazzy Ducay, 18, The Center School, “Becker” from Jitney
- Demilin Melton, 16, Garfield High School, “Berniece” from The Piano Lesson
- Randi Redburn, 18, South Kitsap High School, “Vera” from Seven Guitars
- Rachel Routh, 17, South Kitsap High School, “Tonya” from King Hedley II
- Nicholas Shipley, 18, North Kitsap High School, “King” from King Hedley II
- Josiah Townsend, 15, Mercer Island High School, “Memphis” from Two Trains Running
Seattle is the city that August Wilson called home and in which he did much of his writing. Seattle Rep is the only theatre in the world to have produced all of Wilson’s work, including every play in his 10-play Pittsburgh Cycle, as well as his one-man show How I Learned What I Learned.
The judges for this year’s finals include Seattle Rep Artistic Director Jerry Manning, playwright Al Frank, actor and blues artist Chic Street Man, August Wilson’s former longtime assistant Dena Levitin, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival company member G. Valmont Thomas.
A limited number of free tickets is available. Reservations can be made through the Seattle Rep Box Office at 206-443-2222. To learn more, visit www.seattlerep.org/AugustWilsonMonologues.
