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2025 Results

More than 930 area students from more than 75 schools competed in the preliminary rounds of the 31st Annual Shakespeare Monologue & Scene Contest at Pittsburgh Public Theater. Teams of judges evaluated each participant, and the finalists from each division are listed below, as are the Honorable Mentions. Students in grades 8 – 12 competed in the Upper Division while grades 4 – 7 competed in the Lower Division. The Showcase of Finalists will be held live at The O'Reilly on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025 at 7pm.

Judges for this year’s Showcase of Finalists will include: performer and member of the Public’s inaugural Core Company, June Alvilda Almonte, Artistic Director at Little Lake Theatre Company, Patrick Cannon, 2024 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Performer of the Year, Melessie Clark, and acclaimed actor and performance educator Amy Landis.

2025 WINNERS

LOWER DIVISION SCENE
Miles Cunningham (Falstaff), Solomon Martinez (Poins), Nico Colamarino(Prince Hall), Sophia Van Valkenburgh (Mistress Quickly) from Dutch Ridge Elementary School for their performance from Henry IV, Part I.

LOWER DIVISION MONOLOGUE - TIE 
Leo Williams (Launce) from Blackburn Study Center for his performance from Two Gentlemen of Verona
Avery Schneider (Henry V) from Indiana Players for his performance from Henry V.

UPPER DIVISION SCENE 
Jillian Uzelac (Kathryn), John-Paulo Folino (Petruccio) from Pine-Richland High School for their performance from Taming of the Shrew. 

UPPER DIVISION MONOLOGUE
Ellie Jedrzejewski (Cassius) from Slippery Rock High School for her performance from Julius Caesar.

2025 ROB ZELLERS AWARD
Michelle J. Bruno from Pine-Richland High School received the Rob Zellers Award for Excellence in Arts Education this year.

2025 FINALISTS

SCHOOLS GRADE

LOWER
SCENES
 

Brookline Bards 5th, 6th, and 7th Sophia Patrizio (First Witch), Stella Smith (Second Witch), Clara Krummert (Third Witch), Max Krummert (Macbeth), John Henry Anderson (Banquo) Macbeth
Slippery Rock Area School District 5th Atlas Schuster (Launce) and Darwin
Malbrough (Speed)
Two Gentlemen of Verona
Markham Elementary 5th Cecily Mueller (Gentlewoman),
Clara Farmer (Doctor), Veronica
Aristegui (Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth
Carson Middle School 6th Rebecca Lin (Master), Mikayla McLaughlin (Boatswain), Anna Marinelli (Gonzalo), Elise Marinelli (Sebastian), Juliet Marinelli (Antonio) The Tempest
Dutch Ridge Elementary School 4th Miles Cunningham (Falstaff), Solomon Martinez (Poins),
Nico Colamarino(Prince Hall), Sophia Van Valkenburgh (Mistress Quickly)
Henry IV, Part I

LOWER MONOLOGUES
 

Marshall Middle School 6th Natalie Christianson(Helena) A Midsummer Night's Dream
Blackburn Study Center 7th Leo Williams (Launce) Two Gentlemen of Verona
The Falk School 5th Neal Raj Wadhwa Jr (Puck) A Midsummer Night's Dream
Environmental Charter School 4th Pressley Smith (Julia) Two Gentlemen of Verona
Indiana Players 5th Avery Schneider (Henry V) Henry V

UPPER SCENES
 

Woodland Hills High School 11th Summer Curtright (Rosalind), Aubrey Moon (Celia) As You Like It
Beaver Area Middle and High School 8th Wyatt Bechdel (Tybalt), Jack Hank (Romeo), Alex Schoenberger (Mercutio), Osias Estevez (Benvolio) Romeo and Juliet
Avonworth High School 10th Ella Ging (Cassius) and Lyra Klinedinst (Brutus) Julius Caesar
Pine-Richland High School 12th Jillian Uzelac (Kathryn), John-Paulo Folino (Petruccio) Taming of the Shrew
Aquinas Academy High School 9th, 10th, 11th Patrick Richthammer (Antipholus of Ephesus), Jonah Burchill (Dromio of Ephesus), Tim Crawford (Doctor Pinch), Linus Burchill (Officer), Aurora Predis (Adriana), Annette Bentivegna (Luciana) A Comedy of Errors

UPPER MONOLOGUES
 

Fort Couch Middle School 8th Kaaveri Patil (Paulina) Winter's Tale
Independent 11th Eamonn McElfresh (Iago) Othello
Slippery Rock Area School District 10th Kaimana Colvin (Bottom) A Midsummer Night's Dream
North Allegheny Senior High School 12th Madison Emekter (Imogen) Cymbeline
Slippery Rock Area School District 11th Ellie Jedrzejewski (Cassius) Julius Caesar

2025 HONORABLE MENTIONS 

Lower Monologues

School Name Grade Play
Chartiers Valley Middle School Finley Asti (Rosalind) 6th Twelfth Night
Derry Area Middle School Laken Keith (Juliet) 7th Romeo and Juliet
The Ellis School Lillian "Lil" Mocker (Benedick) 7th Much Ado About Nothing
South Park Children's Theatre Maggie Boles (Prince Henry) 4th Henry IV (Part One)
Turtle Creek Elementary STEAM Academy Spencer Morse (King Henry) 5th Henry V
Dickson Preparatory STEAM Academy Nate Willson(Marc Antony) 6th Julius Caesar
Environmental Charter School Tyler Wilson (Hamlet) 5th Hamlet
Environmental Charter School Odessa McDermott-Grubb (Macbeth) 5th Macbeth
Environmental Charter School Mayzie Perrone (Helena) 4th All's Well
Environmental Charter School Elinor Boehm (Rosalind) 4th As You Like It
Environmental Charter School Grey Forbes (Richard II) 4th Richard II
Environmental Charter School Greta Ales (Hamlet) 4th Hamlet
Trinity Christian School John Victor Banfield-Hicks (Hamlet) 5th Hamlet
Urban Impact Foundation Emuna Lewis (Julia) 7th Two Gentlemen of Verona
The Falk School Siobhán Wadhwa (Juliet) 6th Romeo and Juliet
Aquinas Academy Middle School Gabrielle Boright (Constance) 7th King John
Aquinas Academy Middle School Rebecca Bird (Lady Percy) 7th Henry IV, Part 2
Dutch Ridge Elementary School Charley Galman (Helena) 6th A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Beaver Area Middle and High School Julian Farmer (Shylock) 7th The Merchant of Venice
Jefferson Middle School Theron Raymond (Ulysses) 6th Troilus And Cressida
Mellon Middle School Rohan Parekh (Lance) 6th The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Indiana Players Vera Rensko (Phebe) 5th As You Like It
Gateway Middle School Rosalina Koutsakis (Romeo) 5th Romeo and Juliet
Gateway Middle School Juliet Removcik (Juliet) 6th Romeo and Juliet
Carson Middle School Lily Thomas (Celia) and Ira Vyawahare (Rosalind) 6th As You Like It
Fort Couch Middle School Kriti Kulkarni 7th Midsummer Night's Dream
Fort Couch Middle School Mateo Lin 7th Richard III
Fort Couch Middle School Eleanor Wilkinson 7th Tempest
Winchester Thurston School Lila Shah 7th Romeo and Juliet
Independent Caris Tomaceski (Cleopatra) 7th Antony and Cleopatra
West View Hub/Steel City Shakespeare Dorian Marlowe (Trinculo) 4th The Tempest
West View Hub/Steel City Shakespeare/Highcliff Elementary Liam Moschak (Puck) 5th A Midsummer Night's Dream
Steel Valley Middle School Sage Dasta 7th Richard III
Acmetonia Elementary School Phaelan Price (Puck) 4th A Midsummer Night's Dream
Acmetonia Elementary School Max Santucci (Hamlet) 6th Hamlet
Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 William chambers (Henry the fifth) 7th henry the fifth
Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 Evie Sandefur (Posthumus) 7th Cymbeline
Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 Marion Jonjak (Lady Anne) 7th Richard III
Lower Scenes School Name Grade Play
Blackburn Study Center Milo Wright (Malvolio), Hannah Moore
(Andrew), Helen Morton (Sir Toby),
Johnathan Bowers (Fabian), Johnny
Moore (Maria)
7th, 6th, 4th Twelfth Night
Baden Academy Thais Rodom (Helena), Mya Law
(Hermia), Oak Scott (Puck), Rory
Buchanan (Demetrius), Arain
Hauser (Lysander)
4th Midsummer
McMurray Elementary Melia Ward (Demetrius), Eme Doerr
(Lysander), Lorelei Wallace (Hermia),
Rooney Weidl (Helena)
4th Midsummer
Markham Elementary Vik Krishna (Antipholus), Michael
Rowley (Dromio)
5th Comedy of Errors
Freedom Middle School Lydia Bair (Witch 1), Lucia Haney
(Witch 2), Naomi Kaskalavich
(Witch 3)
5th and 6th Macbeth
Avonworth High School Kaleb Amick (Antony) 10 Julius Caesar
Aquinas Academy 5th grade Olivia Whetzel (Herminia) and Lulu Rossi (Helena) 5th A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Dickson Preparatory STEAM Academy Colette Ciocco(Mistress Ford) and Katelyn Pittler(Mistress Page) 6th Merry Wives of Windsor
Environmental Charter School Anna Crout (Duke Fredrick), Terrell Roberson(orlando) Oliver Semzock-Latusick(Charales) Xariyah Ransome(Celia) Leila Binning (Rosiland) Sylvia Hulsey (Le Beau) 6th As You Like It
Environmental Charter School Eliana Sawyer ( Friar Lawrence), Ana Oleksiuk (Juliet), Anna Rose Sloan (Paris) 4th Romeo & Juliet
Environmental Charter School Isabel Vizcarra (Nurse), Margot Croce(Juliet) 4th Romeo & Juliet
Environmental Charter School Charlotte Diamond (First Witch), Flora Parisi (Macbeth), Isabella Sehabiague (Second Witch), Lilah Kiley (Third Witch}, Violet Cataldi (Hecate, First Apparition, Second Apparition , Third Apparition) 5th Macbeth
Environmental Charter School Eleanor Marriott (Doctor), Emily O'Carroll (Lady Macbeth), Vera Weber (Gentlewoman) 5 Macbeth
Environmental Charter School Elsa Shivickas (Doctor), Izzy Sloan ( Gentlewoman), Naomi Alpern ( Lady Macbeth) 5th Macbeth
Environmental Charter School Effie Hooper (Helena), Gwen Gardell (Hermia) 6 Midsummer
Aquinas Academy Middle School Gabrielle Espinosa (Demetrius), Charlotte Tedesco (Helena), Zoe Randall (Lysander), Georgia Chufo (Hermia) 6th A Midsummer Night's Dream
Aquinas Academy Middle School Nick Crawford (Speed), Peter Dolan (Valentine), Teddy Burchill (First Outlaw), John Paul Richthammer (Second Outlaw), Ethan Mullican (Third Outlaw) 6th Two Gentlemen of Verona
Aquinas Academy Middle School Isabella Marcotullio (Bottom), Anna Kedzierski (Snout), Francesca Snyder (Starveling), Mary Stivoric (Quince) 7th A Midsummer Night's Dream
Aquinas Academy Middle School Max Predis (Thisbe), Garvin Whetzel (Pyramus), Regan Carroll (Lion), Joe Crawford (Moonshine), Vincenzo Conti (Wall) 7th A Midsummer Night's Dream
Aquinas Academy Middle School Ella Lesnefsky (Bottom), Claire Calloway (Snug/Snout), Lilly Hayden (Starveling), Claire Burch (Francis Flute), Addie Phelps (Peter Quince) 7th A Midsummer Night's Dream
Aquinas Academy High School Lara Hainan (Macduff), Leah Anthony (Macbeth) 12th Macbeth
Aquinas Academy High School Anne Dolan (Gentlewoman), Mary Osburg (Lady Macbeth), JJ Ortiz (Doctor) 12th Macbeth
Dutch Ridge Elementary School Margie Cothen (Hermia), Delany Nagle ( Helena) 6th A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Beaver Area Middle and High School Henry Rogers (Solonio) and Quinlan Denny (Shylock) 7th The Merchant of Venice
Winchester Thurston School Maya Oglesby(Doctor) Lotus Ewing-Beshai (Lady Macbeth) 7th Macbeth
Pine-Richland High School Grace Kay (Beatrice), MacKenzie Dry-Henich (Benedick) 12,11 Much Ado About Nothing
Marshall Middle School Megan Bailey (helena) Olivia Lee (Hermia) Tongwen Liu (Demetrious) Victoria Yang (Lysander) 7th A Midsummers Night's Dream
Independent Cana Kelch (Juliet), Edith Kelch (Nurse) 4th and 6th Romeo and Juliet
Blessed Francis Seelos Academy Parker SkrastinsSkrastins, Victor Montes 7th Merchant of Venice
Steel Valley Middle School Temi Wierzbowski (Shephard's Child), Kara Siniawski (Autolycus) 5th The Winter's Tale

Upper Monologues

School Name Grade Play
Beaver Falls High School Sam Haas (Richard III) 11th Richard the III
Beaver Falls High School Avery Miller (Helena) 9th Midsummer
Beaver Falls High School Kash Stevenson (Macbeth) 9th Macbeth
Baldwin High School Lily Baumgardner (Lady Percy) 9th Henry IV, Part II
Chartiers Valley Middle School Connor Asti (Macbeth) 8th Macbeth
Chartiers Valley Middle School Landon Hartz (Puck) 8th Midsummer
Shaler Area High School Abby Maher (Hamlet) 10th Hamlet
Peters Township High School Maura McCabe (Juliet) 12th Romeo and Juliet
Dorseyville Middle School Rishi Krishnamurthy 8th Hamlet
West Mifflin Area High School Dayton Jackson (Orsino) 10th Twelfth Night
The Ellis School Nikki Williams (Edmund) 9th King Lear
The Ellis School Solveig Sundquist (Lady Macbeth) 9th Macbeth
The Ellis School Theo Colopy (Viola) 9th Twelfth Night
South Park Children's Theatre Eliza Sterbal (Nurse) 9th Romeo and Juliet
South Park Children's Theatre Summer Parker (Imogen) 8th Cymbeline
South Park Children's Theatre Rhiannon Diffendale (Portia) 10th Julius Caesar
Beaver County Christian School Jordan Lunow (Rosalind) 12th As You Like It
Beaver County Christian School Eli Barlow (Launcelot Gobbo) 9th The Merchant of Venice
Beaver County Christian School Sofia Rodriguez (Portia) 12th The Merchant of Venice
Beaver County Christian School Greta Sell (Juliet) 10th Romeo and Juliet
Beaver County Christian School Ayla Zehnder (Lady Anne) 10th Richard III
Slippery Rock Area School District Isabelle DeMarco (Lady Anne) 10th Richard III
Slippery Rock Area School District Rebecca Springirth (Queen Katherine) 10th Henry VIII
Trinity Christian School Margaret Brown (Queen Margaret) 8th Richard III
Urban Impact Foundation Sanaa Glen (Julia) 9th Two Gentlemen of Verona
Urban Impact Foundation Bella Wright (Beatrice) 11th Much Ado About Nothing
Mellon Middle School Even Dyrud (Lance) 8th The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Mellon Middle School Colin Bozick (Antipholus) 8th Comedy of Errors
Canon-McMillan High School Brenton Rahman 12th Macbeth
Beaver Area Middle and High School Kate Record (Juliet) 8th Romeo and Juliet
Beaver Area Middle and High School Mikenna Keber (Adriana) 8th Comedy of Errors
Beaver Area Middle and High School Molly O'Neill (Lady Anne) 10th Richard III
Indiana Players Elianna Thomas (Marc Antony) 9th Julius Caesar
Indiana Players Brandon Iandiorio (Macbeth) 11th Macbeth
Gateway Middle School Ava Lockhart (Beatrice) 8th Much Ado About Nothing
Gateway Middle School Autumn Lockhart (Romeo) 8th Romeo and Juliet
Gateway High School Scarlett Davis (Iago) 12th Othello
Pine-Richland High School John Folino (Phoebe) 12th As You LIke It
Pine-Richland High School Aeryn Hayden (Edmond) 12th King Lear
Winchester Thurston School Calypso Black (Claudius) 12th Hamlet
Winchester Thurston School Ashley Eberhardt (Beatrice) 11th Much Ado About Nothing
Winchester Thurston School Mia Greiner (Beatrice) 12th Much Ado About Nothing
Moon Area High School Bryanna Stout (Hero) 12th Much Ado About Nothing
Shady Side Academy Eva Friedlander (Imogen) 10th Cymbeline
Riverview Jr-Sr High School Ayden Fichte (Jailer's Daughter) 9th The Two Noble Kinsmen
Independent/CAPA Delayna Flamm (Cressida) 11th Troilus and Cressida
Independent Haylie King (Phoebe) 8th As You Like It
Penn Trafford High School Tika Gill (Joan) 11th Henry VI, Pt. 1
West View Hub/Steel City Shakespeare/St. Constantine School Anastasia McDermott (Paulina) 12th The Winter's Tale
Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School Lera Rodom (Rosalind) 8th As You Like It
Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School Roman Churney (Juliet) 9th Romeo and Juliet
Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School Linnea McKenny (Helena) 12th All's Well That Ends Well
Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School Levi Poole (Valentine) 11th Two Gentlemen of Verona
Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School Faith Cheek (Imogen) 11th Cymbeline
Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School Tristan Heavner (Prince Hal) 11th Henry IV pt 1
Shaler Area Middle School Santana Morrison (Joan la Pucelle) 8th Henry VI Part 1
Thomas Jefferson High School Natalie Schanck (Constance) 11th King John
Thomas Jefferson High School Olivia Virgin (Phoebe) 12th As You Like It
Thomas Jefferson High School Josephine Manculich (Hermione) 12th Winter's Tale
Thomas Jefferson High School Layla Dickson (Imogen) 11th Cymbaline
Thomas Jefferson High School Aaron Reed (Henry) 12th Henry V
Thomas Jefferson High School Cara Vereb (Isabella) 12th Measure for Measure
Thomas Jefferson High School Gavin Hart (Claudius) 12th Hamlet
Mt. Lebanon High School Freyja Dyrud (Viola) 10th Twelfth Night
Mt. Lebanon High School Marti Weisberg (Porter) 9th Macbeth
Winchester Thurston School Benjamin Kogan (Antipholus) 11th Comedy of Errors
Trinity High School Abigail Bodart (Rosalind) As You Like It
Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School Abigail Stater (Tamora) 11th Titus Andronicus
Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 Mary Frontz (Queen Margaret) 8th King Richard III
Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 Owen Hershock (Posthumus) 8th Cymbeline
Upper Scenes School Name Grade Play
Carson Middle School Lily Thomas (Celia) and Ira Vyawahare (Rosalind) 6th As You Like It
Chartiers Valley Middle School Vada Boyd (Doctor), Isla Murphy
(Lady Macbeth), and Luca Carmen
(Gentlewoman)
8th Macbeth
Freedom High School Abigail Hunter (Desdemona), Brandon
Yeager (Othello)
11th Othello
Freedom High School Charlotte Rywolt (Witch 1), Tori
Loschinskey (Witch 2)
9th Macbeth
Brookline Bards Zoe Guenther (Alice) and Katie Rose
Keane (Katherine)
7th and 9th Henry V
Dorseyville Middle School Kai Galyardt (Rosalind) and
Celestial Hou (Celia)
8th As You Like It
Ringgold Middle School Avery Laughlin (Witch 2), Alissa Rotta (Witch 3), X'eriee Griffin (Witch 1), Mason Rice (Macbeth), Lawson Martik (Hecate) 8th Macbeth
Avonworth High School Emma Noss (Viola), Sadie Walsh (Fool) 12th Twelfth Night
South Park Children's Theatre Lily Baumgardner (Katherine), Soph Willis (Petruchio) 9th and 10th The Taming of the Shrew
Beaver County Christian School Ethan Lichius (Escalus), Andrew Kickasola (Pompey) 11th and 10th Measure for Measure
Beaver County Christian School Lukas Johnston, (Dromio) Kian Wilsey (Antipholus) 9th Comedy of Errors
Beaver County Christian School Ethan Noland (Ross), Summer Hill (Son), Joy Detrow (Lady Macduff), Cail Patterson (Murderer) 11th Macbeth
Slippery Rock Area School District Lucille Steiner (Lucetta), Leala Trettel (Julia) 8th Two Gentlemen of Verona
Woodland Hills High School Roo Horst (Jacques), Cedar Spear (Orlando) 10th As You Like It
Woodland Hills High School Noelle Brubaker (Juliet), Delaney Cass (Nurse) 10th Romeo and Juliet
Woodland Hills High School Jae Saunders (Petruchio), Calise Cowans-Rini (Kat) 10th and 11th The Taming of the Shrew
Trinity Christian School Joel Sullivan (Macbeth), Elia Maurer (First Witch), Sedona Greene (Second Witch), Ruah Scandrett (3rd Witch) 9th Macbeth
Christ the Divine Teacher School Malcolm Krom (Malcolm), Timothy Foss (McDuff) 8th, 9th Macbeth
Aquinas Academy High School Claire McMann (Lear), Brynn Burnsworth (Cordelia), Katherine Repasky (Goneril), Ashlin Knox (Regan) 12th King Lear
Aquinas Academy High School Allie Swift (Verges), Lily O'Neill (Leonato), Alice Dingle (Dogberry) 9th Much Ado About Nothing
Canon-McMillan High School caiden suba(clown 1) jacob ackaoui(clown 2) 12th Hamlet
Beaver Area Middle and High School Mason Peabody (Ariel) and Emmett O'Neill (Prospero) 7th and 8th The Tempest
Beaver Area Middle and High School Magnolia O'Leary (Ms. Ford) and Amelia Boser (Ms. Page) 8th The Merry Wives of Windsor
Beaver Area Middle and High School Cali Coups and Annaka Najewicz (Jacques and Orlando) 11th As You Like It
Pine-Richland High School Ava Means (Witch 1), Tori Roccia (Witch 2), Addison Robb (Witch 3) 12th MacBeth
Pine-Richland High School Aubrey Crist (Claudio), Bailey Crist (Isabella) 10th Measure for Measure
Pine-Richland High School Samantha Molinaro (Rosalind) Kamryn Holderman-Berger (Celia) 10th, 11th As You LIke It
North Allegheny Senior High School Charlie Palmer (Pyramus) , Bex Codner (Thisbe) 12th, 11th A Midsummer Night's Dream
Winchester Thurston School Riya Negi (Hermie), Yuehan Ren (Helena), Andrew Pawlowski (Licander) 8th A Midsummer Night's Dream
Winchester Thurston School Matilda Yang (Olivia) & Raghad Hassan (Viola) 10th Twelfth Night