Winners, Finalists & Honorable Mentions
More than 400 area students from 60+ schools competed in the preliminary rounds of the 28th Annual Shakespeare Monologue & Scene Contest at Pittsburgh Public Theater. Participants submitted video performances of monologues and/or scenes they had chosen from the works of William Shakespeare. 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 Theater on Monday, February 28 and is open to invited guests. The Showcase will also be live-streamed on Pittsburgh Public Theater's Facebook page.
2022 FINALISTS
LOWER DIVISION SCENES
Claire Dietiker (Hermia), Lindsey Fitzgerald (Helena), Anvi Vaishya (Demetrius), Mira Murthy (Lysander), Boyce Middle School, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Ellie Tang (Cordelia) and Arjun Puri (King Lear), Carson Middle School, King Lear
Carmelita Ornleas (First Witch), Mina Crake (Second Witch), Marisol Gutierrez (Third Witch), Micah Kuntz (Macbeth), Dutch Ridge Elementary School, Macbeth
Laken Keith (Mistress Ford) and Claire Zurinsky (Mistress Page), Grandview Elementary School, Merry Wives of Windsor
WINNERS: Tose Adewumi (Bottom), Carson D'Antonio (Quince), Inika Hooda (Flute), Sewickley Academy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
LOWER DIVISION MONOLOGUES
Dynezia Caussmyo Grace (Oberon), Pittsburgh CAPA, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Maya Aronson (Jaques), Environmental Charter School, As You Like It
Lillian Mocker (Phebe), Environmental Charter School, As You Like It
Even Dyrud (Petruchio), Foster Elementary School, The Taming of the Shrew
WINNER: Adjoa Opoku-Dakwa (Calpurnia), Hope Academy, Julius Caesar
Jude Glover (Mark Antony), McMurray Elementary School, Julius Caesar
UPPER DIVISION SCENES
Carola Petrucci (Olivia), Robby Malnight (Maria), Wendoll Slade (Malvolio), Dragon's Den, Twelfth Night
WINNERS: Kai Suyama (Launce), Andrew Kaehly (Speed), Hampton High School, Two Gentleman of Verona
Kiana Bauer (Third Witch), Hallie Dong (First Witch), Grace Thomas (Second Witch), North Allegheny Intermediate High School, Macbeth
Eva Scandrett (Beatrice), David Hargraves (Benedick), Trinity Christian School, Much Ado About Nothing
Opal Miller (Mistress Paige), Armen Pettit (Mistress Ford), Ishaan Sharma (Falstaff), Upper St. Clair High School, Merry Wives of Windsor
UPPER DIVISION MONOLOGUES
Kymir Cogdell Freeman (Othello), Pittsburgh CAPA, Othello
Payton Heath (Malvolio), Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, Twelfth Night
WINNER (TIE): Cameron Tino (King Richard II), Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, Richard II
Madeline Sclichter (Imogen), Oakland Catholic High School, Cymbeline
Angelia Larson (Queen Margaret), Slippery Rock High School, Richard III
WINNER (TIE): Abigail Gilman (Jailer's Daughter), Steubenville High School, The Two Noble Kinsmen
2022 HONORABLE MENTIONS
Gracie Burchill (King Richard), Julia Meland (Queen Elizabeth), Aquinas Academy, Richard III
Michael Richthammer (Benvolio), Linus Burchill (Mercutio), Thomas Bird (Tybalt), Tim Crawford (Romeo), Aquinas Academy, Romeo and Juliet
Molly Gallina (Juliet), Aquinas Academy, Romeo and Juliet
John Ortiz (Mark Antony), Aquinas Academy, Julius Caesar
Jaxson Schmidt (Launcelot Gobbo), Baden Academy Charter School, The Merchant of Venice
Marina Nickels (Volumnia), Beaver County Christian School, Coriolanus
Aleaya Stroup (Katherina), Mason Hutchins (Petruchio), Daniel Stephens (Vincentio), Beaver County Chrisitan School, The Taming of the Shrew
Amelia Foley (Macbeth), Brentwood High School, Macbeth
Addison Kocher (Iago), Brentwood High School, Othello
Aaron Jiang (Marc Antony), Boyce Middle School, Julius Caesar
Simon Nigam (Posthumus), Pittsburgh CAPA, Cymbeline
Eben Miller (Puck), Pittsburgh CAPA, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Luella Painter (Katharine), Pittsburgh CAPA, Henry VIII
Hazel Pearson (Helena), Pittsburgh CAPA, All's Well That Ends Well
Greta Raulerson (Adriana), Pittsburgh CAPA, Comedy of Errors
Layla Sewell-Wilson (Phebe), Pittsburgh CAPA, As You Like It
Hazel Batista (Rosalind), Pittsburgh CAPA, As You Like It
Genafie Brown (Viola), Pittsburgh CAPA, Twelfth Night
Raymair Bundridge (John Falstaff), Pittsburgh CAPA, Merry Wives of Windsor
Jayden Greening (Brutus), Pittsburgh CAPA, Julius Caesar
Lili Levkulich (Demetrius), Kriya Spadafora (Helena), Pittsburgh CAPA, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Aubrey Linnert (Phebe), Pittsburgh CAPA, As You Like It
Burgess Lychack (Ophelia), Pittsburgh CAPA, Hamlet
Daijuan Marshman (Romeo), Pittsburgh CAPA, Romeo and Juliet
Eamonn McElfresh (Malvolio), Charles Russell (Olivia), Pittsburgh CAPA, Twelfth Night
Isabel Pater (Juliet), Pittsburgh CAPA, Romeo and Juliet
Keira Qureshi (Lady Percy), Pittsburgh CAPA, Henry IV
Joyce Yan (Cleopatra), Pittsburgh Colfax K-8, Antony and Cleopatra
Osias Estevez (Antony), Pittsburgh Colfax K-8, Antony and Cleopatra
Jai Gough (Phebe), Canon-McMillan School District, As You Like It
Magdalen McDermott (Puck), Dragon's Den, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Marco Petrucci (Hamlet), Dragon's Den, Hamlet
Lidia Baumgartner (Gentlewoman); Elyana Wilson (Doctor); Sivan Blitstein (Lady Macbeth), Environmental Charter School, As You Like It
William Chambers (King Henry), Environmental Charter School, King Henry V
Ida Hooper (Juliet), Environmental Charter School, Romeo and Juliet
Leah Alpert (Juliet), Environmental Charter School, Romeo and Juliet
Julia Maclellan (Mistress Page), Zenia Cook (Mistress Ford), Environmental Charter School, Merry Wives of Windsor
Kennedy Brooks (Ursula) Evelyn Bard (Hero) Ingrid Lund (Margaret/Beatrice), Environmental Charter School, Much Ado About Nothing
Alexandra ‘Sasha’ Cowan (Macbeth), Environmental Charter School, Macbeth
Isaac McHenry (Hamlet), Environmental Charter School, Hamlet
Sophia Rike (Rosalind), Fox Chapel Area High School, As You Like It
Lizzie Myers (Jailer), Hayley Zeringue (Emelia), Augusta Bottonari (Paulina), Fort Couch Middle School - USC, The Winter's Tale
Kaia Petrick (Benedick), Pritika Gupta (Claudio), Sara Gillespie (Don Pedro), Fort Couch Middle School - USC, Much Ado About Nothing
Kyler Brown (Bottom), Haylie Couch (Flute, Starveling), Madison Prentice (Snout), Elizabeth Shane (Puck), Connor Tavern (Quince), Freedom High School, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Edna Arredondo (Portia), Freedom High School, Julius Caesar
Kylie Edwards (Titania), Gateway High School, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Chloe Baker (Viola), Hope Academy of Music and the Arts, Twelfth Night
Shayla Esquivel (Katherine), Hope Academy of Music and the Arts, Henry VIII
Bella Gonzales (Juliet), Hope Academy of Music and the Arts, Romeo and Juliet
Mads Mocker (Benedick), Hope Academy of Music and the Arts, Much Ado about Nothing
Zora Rose (Phebe), Hope Academy of Music and the Arts, As You Like It
Jasmine White (Jaques), Hampton Middle School, As You Like it
Andrew Craig (Marc Anthony), Hampton Middle School, Julius Caesar
Jenna McLaine (Hecate), Indiana Players, Macbeth
Josie Oreto (Cassius), Keystone Oaks High School, Julius Caesar
Claira McElroy (Viola), Jefferson Elementary School, Twelfth Night
Sydney Dewey(Titania), Colin Bozick (Bottom), Markham Elementary School, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Evangeline Tan (Adriana), Violet Weber (Luciana), Carly Jox (Dromio), Howe Elementary School, Comedy of Errors
Henry Kohler (Shylock), Howe Elementary School, The Merchant of Venice
Harper Altrogge (Anthony), Howe Elementary School, Julius Caesar
Anna Byers (Viola), Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, Twelfth Night
Grace Vensel (Hermione), Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, The Winter's Tale
Lily Connor (Portia) and Olivia Morrow ( Nerissa), Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, The Merchant of Venice
Grace Baker (Helena), Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Amara Comans (Lady Macbeth), Amara Comans (Lady Macbeth), Macbeth
Shaun Walker (Henry V), Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, Henry V
Grace Plassmeyer (Imogen), Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, Cymbeline
Todd Turner (Demetrius), Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Riya Pasrija (Katherine), Marshall Middle School (North Allegheny), Henry VIII
Omisa Shah (Lady Macbeth), Marshall Middle School (North Allegheny), Macbeth
Tela Serenyi (Juliet), McMurray Elementary School, Romeo and Juliet
Jack Cipriani (Sebastian), Moon Area High School, Twelfth Night
Samantha Siemons (Jacques), Moon Area High School, As You Like It
Madeline Zabela (Beatrice), Moon Area High School, Much Ado About Nothing
Austin Keys (The Prince), Moon Area High School, Love's Labour's Lost
Shayla Maxson (Juliet), Moon Area High School, Moon Area High School, Romeo and Juliet
Harita Venkatesh (Jaques), Moss Side Middle School, As You Like It
Freyja Dyrud (Hamlet), Mellon Middle School, Hamlet
Marti Weisberg (Juliet), Jefferson Middle School, Romeo and Juliet
Declan Mibroda (Launcelot Gobbo), Peters Township Middle School, The Merchant of Venice
Chloe Kassalen (Isabella), Pine Richland High School, Measure for Measure
Lauren King (Helena), Pine Richland High School, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Sydney Rovnan (Cleopatra), Pine Richland High School, Antony and Cleopatra
Brianna Thel (Hermione), Pine Richland High School, The Winter's Tale
Madelyn Walzer (Hamlet), Pine Richland High School, Hamlet
Samantha Moore (Launce ) Ashlyn Scheidemantle (Speed), Rochester Area High School, Two Gentleman of Verona
Moth Morrissey (Beatrice), Sammi Cooper (Benedick), Riverview High School, Much Ado About Nothing
Sydney Miner (Puck), Isabela Zuluaga (Fairy), Sewickley Academy, A Midsummer's Night Dream
Chase D'Antonio (Bottom), Tristan Heavner (Quince), Ashim Rai (Puck), Owen Brooks (Flute, Snout, Snug, Starveling), Sewickley Academy, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Caroline Sanfilippo (Cressida), Sewickley Academy, Troilus and Cressida
Lauren Rudolph (Benedick), Shaler Area High School, Much Ado About Nothing
Sam Smith (Macbeth), Smith Family Homeschool, Macbeth
Grant Kingston (Polonius), Slippery Rock High School, Hamlet
Rebecca Springirth (Julia), Slippery Rock Middle School, The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Emily Whiteford (Constance), Upper St. Clair HS, King John
Annelise Hanson (Juliet), Woodland Hills High School, Romeo and Juliet
Joy Willard (Princess), Woodland Hills High School, Love's Labour's Lost
Elijah Kline (Puck), Woodland Hills High School, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Wesley Madge (Macbeth), Chartiers Valley High School, Macbeth
Samuel Chips (Oberon), West View Hub (West View Elementary), A Midsummer Night's Dream
Abram Veldkamp (Lucentio), Siena Forschein (Hortensio), Luna Meyers (Bianca), West View Hub (Independent Scholars), The Taming of the Shrew
Dhaniyasree Thiyagarajan (Macbeth), West View Hub (McIntyre Elementary), Macbeth
Zoie Beckas (Phebe), West View Hub (Independent Scholar), As You Like It
Pittsburgh Public Theater’s 2022 Shakespeare Monologue & Scene Contest was organized by Parag S. Gohel, Director of Education and Engagement. The 2022 Shakespeare Monologue & Scene Contest is presented by RICHARD W. MORIARTY, M.D. with support from the Grable Foundation, BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania, the McKinney Charitable Foundation, and Jack Buncher Foundation.
Additional education and engagement support is provided by EQT Foundation, The Buhl Foundation, Howard and Nell E. Miller Foundation, Hefren-Tillotson, Inc., and UPMC Health Plan.