Sunday, March 24, 2013
August Wilson's Words Get New Life In Monologue Contest
NPR: When the stage lights go up at Chicago's Goodman Theatre on Monday evening, more than 20 high school students will each have a moment to step into the spotlight and perform a monologue from one of the plays written by the late August Wilson. Chicago's contest is one of several regional finals that strives to introduce students to the Pulitzer Prize winner's work. It's also a lead-up to the national August Wilson Monologue Competition that will be held on Broadway later this spring.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I have read a little bit about this contest in a past couple articles and it is an interesting thing to see the contest winding down. Before I had never gotten the chance to hear from the students about what the play meant to them. Their individual stories I think are what really colors this contest and will bring it much more attraction. The people competing in this contest each seem to have hugely different back rounds. Ernesto seen to really connect to Wilson's plays. In fact his connection to the play is something I am jealous of. At anytime I could connect with a play as much as he seems to do I think I could do fantastic work on that production.
I absolutely love the idea. I think August WIlson, whom I admire greatly, deserves to be recognized for his work and known to many audiences, especially youngsters. They are correct in saying that his work is relatable no matter the time period and it's great to see the youth of theatre being encouraged to look to playwrights like Wilson who have been influential in a particular theme, like the African American story. I think it's important to expose the youth of today to pieces that hold as much culture as August Wilson's do. It not only allows them to be informed of realistic circumstances but it exposes them to the great playwrights who lived those circumstances.
Post a Comment