Over the next few days several of last year's Finalist Winners will share their process of getting from the festival prompt to a monologue they felt excited to submit to Hear Me Out Monologue Competition.
Today, we hear from:
Michael Wells-Oakes, author of "You Labor" (winner of the 2020 Silver Ear)
I wrote my monologue, “You Labor,” in answer to a question ignited by an article I’d read in The New York Times. Pennsylvania voters, mostly male voters, working class men, supported Trump in his election and continued to support him in his presidency. These were people I was related to, loved, went to school with, attended church, grew up with. We had arrived such different political and life views. How? I wanted to understand. These were people I still loved, still knew. I wanted to write a monologue from their viewpoint. As closely I could, to understand and articulate what I learned and felt.
The first draft of “You Labor” was one of the very few pieces I’ve written that felt like it wrote itself. The next stages were not so easy- - the research, the clarification, my desire to be respectful, and truthful.
When I received the announcement of the Hear Me Out New American Monologue Competition & Festival, for monologues, with the theme“Me & My Masks- -allowing for all sorts of masks, hidden and visible, literal and figurative. I immediately went to my monologue “You Labor.” I felt I had been given a new lens to look at the piece- -to examine it more deeply.
I saw more clearly, a character, a man, James, whose masks were deeply imbedded. His very soul was disguised! James tries to unmask. To face the truth. He exposes layers of avoidance, and lies he’s carried and lived by. He begins to feel the truth. Finally, he confesses.
For only for a moment- -for a second, then he justifies the deep wound exposed.
The lens had freed me to rediscover, dig deeper, see more. I finished “You Labor” and submitted the piece to the Hear Me Out New American Monologue Competition & Festival.
A few other observations on my experience with Hear Me Out New American Monologue Competition & Festival. . . .
How ZOOM could be best used to present theatrical material, performances, was still being very much discovered when Hear Me Out New American Monologue Competition & Festival. was presented
I was amazed then, and looking back recently, how effective the presentation was. How the limits of Zoom were pushed. How emotionally alive the presentations were. The focus of each monologue, one person speaking, attempting to connect, to reach another person, take a journey with them- -gave the evening an incredible focus. The one on one connection worked perfectly for Zoom, and still works.
Preparing for the Zoom performance of Hear Me Out New American Monologue Festival, Roland Tec asked several of the finalists to unmute themselves during the entire presentation. So the “audience” could hear laughter, comments, coughs, and that indescribable sound- - energy, breath that is part of all live theatrical performances. The separate boxes disappeared! We were all there. A shared atmosphere prevailed.
I was part of the evening as both a writer and performer. I felt part of the company! Each writer, performer, Stage Manager the musician, illustrator- -we were all worked together. We committed to the performance. We wanted it to soar- - – I felt that night, the performance did. I watched it recently and it still does!
I was so happy, and honored to to be chosen as a finalist for the first Hear Me Out New American Monologue Competition & Festival. I sincerely felt part of something new, exciting, something that would continue. Through the whole experience, from Announcement of the Competition, to the exciting presentation, to the follow-ups, I felt such generosity, encouragement and respect. I feel these qualities each time I have studied and worked with Roland. I think it’s because Roland has a true love of the theatrical form, a true admiration for writers and performers, for all theatrical artists, for all his collaborators.
This year's Hear Me Out Competition theme is: Borders. Deadline: July 22 at Noon, EDT.
