The August Wilson Monologue Competition (AWMC)—a partnership between STM, the UIC CHANCE Program, The League of Chicago Theatres, and the Goodman Theatre—is a national acting competition open to high school freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors. The goal of the Chicago competition is to promote literacy by encouraging the study of works by African-American playwright August Wilson. To participate, students perform a 2–3 minute monologue from one of the ten plays in August Wilson’s Century Cycle. Around 500 hundred students participate annually and around 85% of participants are of African-American or Latin descent. STM recognizes this opportunity to serve Chicago’s underrepresented communities by encouraging participants to consider college enrollment and to provide support services that positively impact the retention and graduation rates of students of color.

For more information and downloadable applications please visit the August Wilson Monologue Competition website or call UIC Coordinator of Theatre Operations, Neal McCollam at 312-996-3991.