The August Wilson Legacy Project, a new partnership formed between the August Wilson Estate, Goodman Theatre, and Derrick Sanders, has been announced.
In honor of her late husband, Constanza Romero-Wilson, who is also the executive director of August Wilson Legacy LLC, has selected longtime Wilson collaborator Derrick Sanders (associate director of the Drama Division at Juilliard and the producing director of Chicago’s August Wilson Monologue Competition) and Willa J. Taylor (Walter Director of Education and Engagement at Goodman Theatre) to reestablish and build on the success of the national August Wilson Monologue Competition and Designing August (the scenic and costume design arm of the competition) for a new generation.
The new partnership roots the famed monologue and design competitions in Chicago, the first city to have staged all 10 of the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright’s American Century Cycle plays, as produced by the Goodman.
Building on partnerships with schools in Chicago, this new national collaboration aims to reinvigorate relationships with theatres across the country, creating educational and performance opportunities that allow students to connect to Wilson and his work through the study of history, social studies, and literature. As the August Wilson Legacy Project partnership gets underway, the 2022 August Wilson Monologue and Design Competitions now welcome student applications; the Goodman will again host the 20 high school students appearing in the final round May 2. Visit ChicagoPlays.com.
"I am thrilled that the August Wilson Monologue Competition will be reimagined by Goodman Theatre in partnership with Derrick Sanders of AW-Chicago. There is no other theatre I would be more excited about leading the national competition. The Goodman supported August all throughout his career. I have full faith and trust that they will keep his legacy alive,” said Romero-Wilson.
