August Wilson Spoke to me.

The August Wilson Monologue Competition told me I was an actor. I had the privilege of being a finalist in the August Wilson monologue competition, performing at the Goodman, in the years 2012, 2013, and 2014. I never made it to regional finals in New York. And after the third consecutive “loss,” I vowed to never act again. I was, and still am, very dramatic. However, that same year, I saw Seven Guitars at Court Theatre. You see, even though I never “won” the competition, I still got many opportunities through doing it. I saw The Convert for free at the Goodman theatre in 2012, I did my first short film A Perfect Day with Derrick Sanders in 2013, and I saw Seven Guitars for free at Court Theatre in 2014. Through Seven Guitars, August Wilson spoke to me. He taught me the importance of finding my song and following my dream. So I did. I pursued Acting in college and graduated with a BFA in 2018. I’ve written and danced and found my song through the art of storytelling.

Now, as an adult, I realize that I learned many valuable lessons through my years in the August Wilson Monologue Competition. Perhaps the most valuable one, is that the answer will not always be yes and there is much value in a no.