Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition

By: May. 06, 2014
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Just last night, high school students from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh, and Seattle performed monologues by the legendary American playwright August Wilson as a part of the 6th Annual August Wilson Monologue Competition. Emceed by Kenny Leon (True Colors Theatre Co-Founding Artistic Director), the event was judged by Pauletta Washington, Stephen McKinley Henderson, David Cromer, James A. Williams and Narda E. Alcorn, with a special performance from the upcoming Broadway Tupac Shakur musical Holler If Ya Hear Me including cast members Saul Williams, Christopher Jackson, and Ben Thompson.

Founded in 2007, the Annual August Wilson Monologue Competition aims to expose a new generation of creative minds to the life's work and artistic legacy of this seminal American playwright. Program participants in cities across the country encounter Wilson's ten-play cycle and receive coaching from teaching artists as they prepare their monologues for local, city-wide and national competitions.

The top three contestants from the national competition will receive monetary awards. The first place winner will receive a $1000 cash prize, the runner-up a $500 cash prize and the honorable mention a $250 cash prize. Each of the winners will also become eligible for college scholarship opportunities and all finalists receive the gift of TCG's Century Cycle collection.

Photo Credit: Genevieve Rafter Keddy

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Saul Williams and Ben Thompson

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Ben Thompson, Saul Williams and Christopher Jackson

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Kenny Leon

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Kenny Leon

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Kenny Leon

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Kenny Leon

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Patty Ornst of Delta Airlies

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Kenny Leon

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Hilda Wills

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Kenny Leon and Hilda Wills presenting the 16 finalists-Alexander Albritton, Alexis Baldridge, Chantelle Charles, Tigona Davy, Jonah Gould, Atiauna Grant, Ashley Herbert, Trinidad Ramikissoon, Taylor Salter, Candace Spates, Lauren Steele, Mykeala Sterris, Josiah Townsend, ShaQjuan Linwood Tyler, Robert Upton and Lawrence White

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Mykeala Sterris

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Candace Spates

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Taylor Salter

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Lawrence White

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Kenny Leon

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Ashley Herbert

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Josiah Townsend

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Trinidad Ramkissoon

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Alexander Albrittion

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Robert Upton

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
ShaQjuan Linwood Tyler

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Alexis Baldridge

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Atiauna Grant

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Kenny Leon having Mykaela Sterris and Lawrence White list all the plays of August Wilson

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Chantelle Charles

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Tigona Davy

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Jonah Gould

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Lauren Steele

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
The 8 Semi Finalists-Kaya Camp, Dinia Clairveaux, Shawndasia Collins, Jazzy Ducay, Sekai Edwards, Shea Glover, Tianna Newkirk and Leaf Rickard

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
The 8 Semi Finalists-Kaya Camp, Dinia Clairveaux, Shawndasia Collins, Jazzy Ducay, Sekai Edwards, Shea Glover, Tianna Newkirk and Leaf Rickard

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Ben Thompson

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Christopher Jackson

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Saul Williams, Ben Johnson and Christopher Jackson

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Christopher Jackson

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Christopher Jackson

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Ben Thompson

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Saul Williams, Ben Johnson and Christopher Jackson

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Saul Williams

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Saul Williams

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Denzel Washington surprised the contestants with a visit

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Denzel Washington

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Denzel Washington, Saul Williams Ben Thompson, Kenny Leon Hilda Wills, Patty Ornst the judges-Narda E. Alcorn, David Cromer, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Pauletta Washington and James A Williams with all the finalists and semi finalists Alexander Albritton, Alexis Baldridge, Chantelle Charles, Tigona Davy, Jonah Gould, Atiauna Grant, Ashley Herbert, Trinidad Ramikissoon, Taylor Salter, Candace Spates, Lauren Steele, Mykeala Sterris, Josiah Townsend, ShaQjuan Linwood Tyler, Robert Upton and Lawrence White, Kaya Camp, Dinia Clairveaux, Shawndasia Collins, Jazzy Ducay, Sekai Edwards, Shea Glover, Tianna Newkirk and Leaf Rickard

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
The winners-Atiauna Grant, Ashley Herbert and Robert Upton with the judges-Narda E. Alcorn, David Cromer, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Pauletta Washington and James A Williams and Saul Williams, Ben Thompson, Christopher Jackson and Denzel Washington

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Denzel Washington

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Kenny Leon, Denzel Washington, Saul Williams, Christopher Jackson and Ben Thompson

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Saul Williams, Christopher Jackson and Ben Thompson

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Saul Williams, Christopher Jackson and Ben Thompson

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Kenny Leon, Denzel Washington, Saul Williams, Christopher Jackson and Ben Thompson

Photo Coverage: Kenny Leon & Denzel Washington Visit August Wilson Monologue Competition
Kenny Leon, Denzel Washington, Saul Williams, Christopher Jackson and Ben Thompson



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