True Colors Announces 2025 Next Narrative Monologue Competition National Finals

High School Students From Nine Cities Across The Country Convene in New York City

True Colors Theatre Company today announced the 2025 Next Narrative® National Monologue Competition (NNMC) National Finals. The top two finalists from nine regional competitions will participate in the national finals on Monday, May 5, 2025, at the Apollo Stages at The Victoria, a new expansion of the historic Apollo Theatre in New York City.

Launched four years ago, NNMC features original monologues commissioned specifically for the competition from 31 leading contemporary Black playwrights. NNMC is an evolution of True Colors’ original monologue competition, which featured monologues of August Wilson and ran from its creation 2007 until 2021.

“We have some very talented students for this year’s finals,” said True Colors Artistic Director Jamil Jude. “Each year the NNMC just gets better and better and we are confident this year’s performances will take us to a new level of competition.”

Last year Raichel West of Milwaukee was the first-place winner at the NNMC National Finals. This year’s regions and contestants are:

● Atlanta, True Colors Theatre Company, Ja’Kayah Jackson and Spirit Waddell

● Boston, The Huntington, Adrian Sanchez and Joud Alkhalifa

● Dallas, Southern Methodist University, Gabrielle Couts and Kerion Gordon

● Kansas City, Kansas City Melting Pot Theatre, Cameron Ritchie and Kamea J. Richardson

● Milwaukee, Milwaukee Rep, Thatcher Jacobs and Silver Anderson

● Pittsburgh, Bill Nunn Theatre Outreach Project, Dayton Jackson and Ken-Niyah Woods

● Portland, World Stage Theatre, Ava Simone Cabine and Judah Forrester

● Seattle, Seattle Rep, Tyanna Curry and Giselle Kendrick

● Tulsa, Tulsa Performing Arts Center & University of Ohio, Shawnna’lee Davis and Chiedza Mahuni

The top three winners will receive prizes of $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 respectively. Kansas City and Tulsa are participating in the finals for the first time, while Boston, Dallas, Pittsburgh and Seattle have participated in True Colors’ monologue competitions since 2007.

For more information on the NNMC, please visit truecolorstheatre.org/nnmc For more information on True Colors Theatre, please visit: www.truecolorstheatre.org.

True Colors Theatre Company is a nonprofit regional theater company based in Atlanta, GA. True Colors Theatre Company’s mission is to celebrate the rich tradition of Black storytelling while giving voice to bold artists from all cultures. We add dimension and relevance to our work on the stage through community events and education programming. The vision of Artistic Director Jamil Jude is for the company to “thrive at the intersection of artistic excellence and civic engagement.” For more information on True Colors, visit: https://www.truecolorstheatre.org/.

About Post Author

Atlanta Daily World

Atlanta Daily World stands as the first Black daily publication in America. Started in 1927 by Morehouse College graduate W.A. Scott. Currently owned by Real Times Media, ADW is one of the most influential Black newspapers in the nation.

See author's posts