November 24, 2011                                                                                          

Students Deliver Command Performances at Monologue Competition  

In a field of outstanding performers, students from Port Colborne High School and Laura Secord Secondary in St. Catharines stood out to earn top honours in the annual DSBN Monologue Competition held at the Shaw Festival on Wednesday, November 23.

Katelyn Lander from Port Colborne High School earned first place for her portrayal of Jenny, from “Dying Light”, written by Jason D. Martin. Second place went to Laura Secord’s Chantara Lougheed, who performed a selection from “Fables”, by Jackie Torrens.

In total, eleven finalists from DSBN secondary schools performed their three minute monologues before adjudicators Pablo Felices-Luna, Artist Director of Carousel Players, Shaw Festival Actor Patty Jamieson and a number of secondary school teachers. Felices-Luna said this year’s decision was extremely difficult. He also noted that the quality of monologues improves with each passing year.

To help prepare their monologues, students and their teachers spent a day at the Shaw Festival in advance of the competition working with both adjudicators. Both Jamieson and Felices-Luna gave students the benefit of their experience as they helped them to edit and polish their selected pieces. “It was a wonderful opportunity for students to ask questions and develop their skills and abilities as actors,” said Gerda Klassen, DSBN Arts Consultant.

The Monologue Competition provides an opportunity for students to showcase their abilities to interpret and deliver both classical and contemporary scripts. Klassen added that the process “closely mirrors auditions for university and college programs.”

Klassen also expressed the DSBN’s appreciation for the partnership between the Board, the Shaw Festival and The Carousel Players.