3rd Annual August Wilson Monologue Competition National Finals To be Held 4/27

Broadway director Kenny Leon and Kenny Leon's True Colors Theatre Company are proud to present the 3rd Annual August Wilson Monologue Competition National Finals, Monday, April 27th at The August Wilson Theatre on Broadway. The competition will feature 9 competitors from the regional finals in Atlanta, Pittsburgh and New York performing monologues from August Wilson's Century Cycle and will award a $10,000 scholarship to the winner. The evening will also include Wilson's Money Blues performed by professional artists including Phylicia Rashad and Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Hear characters from all ten plays in the Cycle riff, muse and rant about money and the economy in way not discussed on CNN. The collage is assembled by Todd Kreidler, Associate Artistic Director for True Colors and Wilson's Dramaturg. This competition is being presented by Kenny Leon's True Colors Theatre Company in collaboration with Point Park University/Pittsburgh Playhouse and LEAP, Learning through an Expanded Arts Program.

The competition is free and open to the public.

As part of the competition, students are asked to perform a 2-3 minute monologue of their choosing from one of the ten plays in August Wilson's Century Cycle. Contestants will be judged by a panel of celebrity judges on the basis of preparedness, understanding of the text, emotional connection to the material, and commitment to the performance. 1st place wins a $10,000 scholarship, 2nd place wins at $7,000 scholarship and 3rd place wins a $5,000 scholarship.

August Wilson's Century Cycle is a singular achievement in the American Theatre. Each of the ten world-class plays is set in a different decade of the twentieth century. At the plays' core are the soaring, lyrical monologues that take the song, laughter, pain, and rich content of African American life and place it in the mouths of the greatest and varied ensemble of characters written since Shakespeare.

The inspiration for the competition was sparked by two of August Wilson's closest living collaborators, Kenny Leon and Todd Kreidler. Co-Founder and Artistic Director of True Colors, Kenny worked closely with August directing most of the Century Cycle plays on Broadway and at regional theatres, while True Colors Associate Artistic Director Todd was Dramaturge for Wilson's last play and Director of his one-man show.

"The goal of the competition is to help garner partnerships with communities, schools and theaters across the United States, and to create educational materials about August Wilson that allow students to connect these important theatre works with educational curricula like history, social studies and literature," said Todd Kreidler, Associate Artistic Director, True Colors Theatre Company. "This monologue competition offers students of all races the opportunity to inhabit the lives and speak the words of these vital, lively characters."

Support for the August Wilson Monologue Competition is provided by Turner Broadcasting System, Massey Charitable Trust, Ryan Cameron Foundation, Tenet Healthcare, The Richard C. Munroe Foundation, Inc, Publix Super Markets Charities, Fulton County Arts Council, City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs, Georgia Council for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.