Winners Announced For the Pittsburgh Public Theater's 28th Annual Shakespeare Monologue & Scene Contest

Pittsburgh Public Theater has announced the winners of the 28th Annual Shakespeare Monologue & Scene Contest. This year's contest was held at the O'Reilly Theater on Monday, February 28 for invited guests and streamed live on Facebook.

More than 400 area students from 60 schools competed in the preliminary rounds of this year's contest via video submissions of monologues and/or scenes chosen from the works of William Shakespeare. Teams of judges evaluated each participant and those with the highest scores progressed to the Showcase of Finalists. Students in grades 8 - 12 competed in the Upper Division, and grades 4 - 7 competed in the Lower Division. In addition to announcing the winners of this year's competition, Pittsburgh Public Theater awarded the Rob Zellers Award for Excellence in Arts Education to Guilia Petrucci, Founder and Executive Director of Dragon's Den in Homestead.

The judging lineup for this year's Showcase of Finalists includes Jamie Agnello, Shammen McCune, and Ricardo Vila-Roger.

Pittsburgh Public Theater will premiere this year's Empty Space Project collaboration with DaeMon Palmer and Shammen McCune. The Monologue Project features Shammen McCune performing "O for a Muse of Fire" from Shakespeare's Henry V. Please click HERE to watch this inspiring performance.

2022 FINALISTS & WINNERS

Lower Division Scenes

Claire Dietiker (Hermia), Lindsey Fitzgerald (Helena), Anvi Vaishya (Demetrius), Mira Murthy (Lysander), Boyce Middle School, A Midsummer Night's Dream

Ellie Tang (Cordelia) and Arjun Puri (King Lear), Carson Middle School, King Lear

Carmelita Ornleas (First Witch), Mina Crake (Second Witch), Marisol Gutierrez (Third Witch), Micah Kuntz (Macbeth), Dutch Ridge Elementary School, Macbeth

Laken Keith (Mistress Ford) and Claire Zurinsky (Mistress Page), Grandview Elementary School, Merry Wives of Windsor

WINNERS: Tose Adewumi (Bottom), Carson D'Antonio (Quince), Inika Hooda (Flute), Sewickley Academy, A Midsummer Night's Dream

Lower Division Monologues

Dynezia Caussmyo Grace (Oberon), Pittsburgh CAPA, A Midsummer Night's Dream

Maya Aronson (Jaques), Environmental Charter School, As You Like It

Lillian Mocker (Phebe), Environmental Charter School, As You Like It

Even Dyrud (Petruchio), Foster Elementary School, The Taming of the Shrew

WINNER: Adjoa Opoku-Dakwa (Calpurnia), Hope Academy, Julius Caesar

Jude Glover (Mark Antony), McMurray Elementary School, Julius Caesar

Upper Division Scenes

Carola Petrucci (Olivia), Robby Malnight (Maria), Wendoll Slade (Malvolio), Dragon's Den, Twelfth Night

WINNERS: Kai Suyama (Launce), Andrew Kaehly (Speed), Hampton High School, Two Gentleman of Verona

Kiana Bauer (Third Witch), Hallie Dong (First Witch), Grace Thomas (Second Witch), North Allegheny Intermediate High School, Macbeth

Eva Scandrett (Beatrice), David Hargraves (Benedick), Trinity Christian School, Much Ado About Nothing

Opal Miller (Mistress Paige), Armen Pettit (Mistress Ford), Ishaan Sharma (Falstaff), Upper St. Clair High School, Merry Wives of Windsor

Upper Division Monologues

Kymir Cogdell Freeman (Othello), Pittsburgh CAPA, Othello

Payton Heath (Malvolio), Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, Twelfth Night

WINNER (TIE): Cameron Tino (King Richard II), Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, Richard II

Madeline Sclichter (Imogen), Oakland Catholic High School, Cymbeline

Angelia Larson (Queen Margaret), Slippery Rock High School, Richard III

WINNER (TIE): Abigail Gilman (Jailer's Daughter), Steubenville High School, The Two Noble Kinsmen