The folks who gave you Manhattan Monologue Slam are going national with The National Monologue Slam, the latest creation from the minds of Philip and
Robert Galinsky. The brothers have been serving the acting community since 2003 with their groundbreaking monthly competition The Manhattan Monologue Slam, an opportunity for emerging actors to perform for industry professionals each and every month by providing a panel of judges consisting of agents, casting directors, producers and the like, offering valuable advice and critiques of the performers. The Galinsky brothers have worked with actors that have gone on to such films as 2012, August Rush, Righteous Kill among others, and television shows including "Orange Is The New Black," "The Good Wife," "Nurse Jackie," "Law & Order," "Late Night with Conan O'Brian," among others.
"We were sitting in my living room one afternoon, thinking about how could we control our destiny and not just be another actor trying to get the headshot onto somebody's desk,"
Robert Galinsky said, recalling how the first slam came about. "After we brainstormed a little bit, we came up with the structure of a poetry slam, but do it for actors with monologues."
And now the Slam is going national! Starting in November 2017 with a series of regional conventions that include classes, networking opportunities, and the competition itself, The National Monologue Slam will culminate with the national finals in New York City in July 2018. Slam partner and veteran Broadway producer
Jeffrey Chrzczon says "While there are plenty of opportunities for dancer and pop singers to compete and hone their craft on a local and national level, there are no such outlets for the legitimate dramatic actor, comedic actor, and musical theatre performer to do the same. We are going to give the underserved acting community the attention and opportunities they deserve by taking the Monologue Slam national and providing them with unprecedented access to casting directors, talent agents, and producers from NYC and LA, as well as opportunities to participate in master classes led by prominent artists."
At regional events, participants have an opportunity to perform one or more 90-second dramatic or comedic monologue, and/or 3-minute musical theatre piece, in front of a panel of judges, including leading industry talent agents, casting directors and producers. Top performers in each category and age group will compete in a final round for prizes. In addition, all participants are able to attend classes on all aspects of developing a professional acting career, from tips on effective audition techniques to perfecting monologues. All regional participants will qualify for Nationals in July 2018.
While space is limited, The National Monologue Slam is open to everyone. Participants will be judged against similarly aged contestants and can opt to perform one or more monologues in the comedy, drama and musical theatre (short song) divisions. Monologues can be from any existing source (play, TV, film), or can be original. Time limits of 90 seconds for monologues and 3 minutes for songs will be strictly enforced. To read more about the rules and regulations, please visit
www.nationalslam.com.
Judges may vary, but will always include professional casting directors and talent agents plus one or more of The National Monologue Slam team members, which include:
Philip Galinsky is an actor, writer, producer, guru and voice over artist who can be heard as the lead kidnapper in the video game "Grand Theft Auto 5" with
Jonah Hill, as well as a guest appearance on "Dora the Explorer." He cofounded The Manhattan Monologue Slam, which develops and discovers actors. He has the only TV show on Instagram called "Pskypeotherapy" and his one-person comedy show made it to the front page of the Huffington Post.
Robert Galinsky is the founder of the New York Reality TV School, head speakers' coach at TEDxTeen, Co-founder of the Manhattan Monologue Slam, coach to actor/Hip Hop star
50 Cent and currently through Galinsky Coaching is working with teens at Rikers Island Jail and other NY state prisons and jails. Galinsky has appeared on "The View," "ABC Nightline News," BBC TV, "Wall Street Journal Digital TV," FOX/Good Day New York's "Money Watch", CNBC, talking about authenticity, confidence, and narrative. He has been quoted in Scholastic, The Financial Times of London, Advertising Age, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times and other print media to discuss his innovative coaching and performance approaches.
Terry Schnuck is a five-time Tony Award-winning Broadway and Off-Broadway producer whose numerous Broadway credits include Bandstand; Sunset Boulevard; Fun Home (Tony Award); Beautiful: The
Carole King Musical; Matilda the Musical; Clybourne Park (Tony); The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess (Tony); Hair (Tony); Spring Awakening (Tony); You Can't Take It With You; Bonnie & Clyde; High; Race; Superior Donuts; Burn The Floor; Blithe Spirit; The Homecoming;
Martin Short: Fame Becomes M; The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial; 'night, Mother; Enchanted April. Off-Broadway productions include Shear Madness; Falling; Silence! The Musical. Currently on the board and former chairman of The MUNY in St. Louis (America's oldest and largest outdoor musical theatre, he has is formerly chair of Shakespeare Festival St. Louis. Terry is also a principal of The Manhattan Monologue Slam.
Jeffrey Chrzczon has 26 years of experience as Producer and General Manager of live entertainment. His Broadway credits include The Temptations & Four Tops on Broadway,
Billy Crystal 700 Sundays,
Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth, The Lyons,
Kathy Griffin Wants a Tony, Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles, Saturday Night Fever, Jekyll & Hyde,
Sandra Bernhard's "I'm Still Here Damn it!",
Patti LaBelle on Broadway, The Kentucky Cycle, and Solitary Confinement. Off-Broadway: Shear Madness, Bikeman: A 9/11 Play, Lady Day, Falling and more. National tours: Man of La Mancha, Damn Yankees, Spider-Man Live! stunt spectacular, Saturday Night Fever, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Evita, Selena the Musical, Man of La Mancha, West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, A Chorus Line, Ain't Misbehavin', Jesus Christ Superstar, She Loves Me, Hair, and more.
Erach Screwvala has served as production counsel to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows for over 15 years, including The Elephant Man (starring
Bradley Cooper);
Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth; American Buffalo (starring
John Leguizamo and
Cedric the Entertainer); Moon for the Misbegotten (starring
Kevin Spacey); Bedlam's Sense and Sensibility; PigPen's The Old Man and the Old Moon; The Temptations & Four Tops on Broadway;
Frankie Valli on Broadway. Most recently, he co-produced the Off-Broadway hit Shear Madness.
Evan J. Pulliam, originally from the great state of Kentucky, has most recently worked as Company Manager on the Off-Broadway production of Shear Madness and as the Associate General Manager at
Niko Companies. In 2015, Evan served as Opera Operations Manager at the Prague Summer Nights: Young Artists Music Festival where he worked on Don Giovanni directed by world famous baritone
Sherrill Milnes at the historic Estates Theatre. Before getting "serious" about his career, Evan performed in and managed a collegiate a cappella group from the University of Kentucky cheesily named the acoUstiKats that fooled around and somehow wound-up on season 4 of NBC's hit TV show "The Sing Off." This opportunity led Evan to co-found Kentucky Musical Initiatives (KMI), an organization dedicated to managing, consulting, and booking artists throughout the region, serving as KMI's CFO. In May 2015, Evan graduated with highest honors from the University of Kentucky with dual degrees in Marketing/Economics and Arts Administration. Evan grew up the son of choreographer and dance studio owner - Diana Evans Pulliam - and learned the inner workings of the dance competition circuit from an early age, hence his desire to create the same learning and performing opportunities for actors and singers across the country.
To learn about competitions in your area, or for more information, visit
nationalslam.com.
