True Colors Next Narrative® Monologue Competition (NNMC), the company’s signature education program, leverages the power of monologues to enhance both academic study and social emotional skills. The program is unique in that each of the monologues has been commissioned by True Colors specifically for the program, on themes that resonate with 21st century teens. The contemporary Black playwrights whose work makes up the compendium represent the vast diversity of the African diaspora – Afro-Latine, LGBTQIA+, multigenerational, women, indigenous, immigrants and more.
NNMC is open to all high school students in grades 9 – 12 under 18 years old. Through a range of program styles including after-school, master classes and in-school residencies, students work with teaching artists to find their voices through monologue selection and performance.
Students progress through three competitive rounds—preliminaries, semi-finals, and a regional final. The top two winners from each region win an all-expense-paid trip to New York City. There, on the legendary stage of the Apollo Theater, they compete for cash prizes in the National Finals against 24 other regional winners. In addition to the National Finals competition at the Apollo Theatre, the national finals weekend includes professional development workshops with theatre professionals and tickets to a Broadway show. The top three winners receive cash prizes.
Program Objectives
1. CONNECT students to today’s leading contemporary Black writers
2. INTRODUCE students to acting techniques that enhance their knowledge of the art and skill of performance
3. SUPPORT students in making cocurricular connections
4. EMBOLDEN students to use their voices to inspire social action
Participating Regions
Participating Regions
Playwrights
Born from Jamil Jude’s vision of showcasing Black artists, the Next Narrative Monologue Competition reflects True Colors’ ongoing commitment to diverse narratives. This program not only offers students a platform, but empowers them to choose monologues from contemporary playwrights whose compelling stories resonate deeply with our young artists.
Students are not merely performers; they become storytellers, breathing life into these playwright’s narratives that reflect the richness and diversity of the Black experience. It’s a celebration of voices that might otherwise remain unheard. True Colors’ is dedicated to providing a stage where every voice, every story, is not just acknowledged but celebrated.
