Category Archives: Events

THE AUGUST WILSON RED DOOR PROJECT GIVES PORTLAND STUDENTS A SHOT AT BROADWAY

The August Wilson Red Door Project is thrilled to announce the re-launch of the August Wilson Monologue Competition, which gives Portland-area high school students, grades 10-12, the opportunity to perform monologues from African-American playwright August Wilson’s plays and compete for a chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to New York City for the National Finals. So much more than an acting competition, the AWMC is a transformational journey of self-discovery and an opportunity to engage directly with the most urgent and fundamental issues in our society. As a playwright, August Wilson gave voice and value to populations who were previously absent from American stages. Wilson, the first person to put the African-American vernacular down on paper, put forth the idea that this way of speaking should be celebrated and exalted, instead of ignored, corrected or cleaned up. In the words of Red Door’s founder, Kevin Jones, “What’s unique about the AWMC program is it meets students where they are with powerful stories straight out of African American culture and history.”

Applying for the competition is the first step of a six-month journey that will push students to discover their own talents and gifts and hold them accountable for their own success. The August Wilson Red Door Project team will be there to support students at every stop of the process, from selecting a monologue from Wilson’s catalogue, working on memorization, script analysis and character building. At the heart of completion is a series of six weekly intensive masterclasses, where students selected for the competition work on their pieces with help from leading professional theater artists from Portland and beyond. For two finalists, this journey will culminate with a trip to NYC and the opportunity to perform in the August Wilson Theater on Broadway.

There is no cost to apply for or participate in the AWMC. If you are a teacher or work with youth, we are offering an in-class recruitment presentation through Nov. 30, which gives a bigger picture of August Wilson’s work, his impact on American theater and contemporary society, and how his work directly connects to themes of gentrification, incarceration and social justice that are so alive in our current times. While we are actively looking for students of color, we encourage students from all ethnicities, backgrounds and experience to apply online by November 30 at reddoorproject.org.

Key upcoming dates for the Monologue Competition

Application Deadline: NOVEMBER 30, 2016

Orientation: DECEMBER 30, 2016
Preliminary Auditions: JANUARY 7, 2017
Callbacks: JANUARY 8, 2017
Master Classes: JANUARY 14, 21, 28 and FEBRUARY 4, 11, 18 2017

Regional Finals: FEBRUARY 27, 2017
National Finals: APRIL 28-MAY 2 2017

For more information, please visit http://reddoorproject.org/awmc.