For Season Three of Mouthful, we'll be talking to ten student playwrights who are bringing their monologues to life for the 2019 Mouthful Monologue Festival.

In this episode, we meet the 18 winning writers whose monologues will premiere for public audiences in just a few days.

RESERVE YOUR TICKETS! If you're in the Philly area, you can catch all 18 monologues at a performance February 28-March 9 at the Louis Bluver Theater at the Drake. All performances are Pay What You Decide.

Music: "Wavy Glass" and "Blossoming" by Podington Bear is licensed under CC BY-NC 3.0

For Season Three of Mouthful, we'll be talking to ten student playwrights who are bringing their monologues to life for the 2019 Mouthful Monologue Festival.

In this episode, we take a peek behind the curtain to see how a selection committee chooses the 18 winning monologues from more than 660 submissions.

On the next episode, we meet the writers. With just two weeks until the performance run, they are working hard to perfect their monologues for audiences. Their monologues will become the centerpiece of our third season conversations on the podcast.

RESERVE YOUR TICKETS! If you're in the Philly area, you can catch all 18 monologues at a performance February 28-March 9 at the Louis Bluver Theater at the Drake. All performances are Pay What You Decide.

Music: "Squirrel Commotion" by Podington Bear is licensed under CC BY-NC 3.0

A monologue written from the perspective of Philadelphia imploring its citizens to put down the guns starts a conversation about gun violence. Featuring conversations with Tyler Riddick , a senior at the U School who wrote the monologue after her friend was killed by a stray bullet; Jose Ferran , a peer intervention specialist at Healing Hurt People who survived a gunshot to the arm in 2011; Leonard Chester , founder of The Overcame Foundation; and Jerrick Medrano , who performs the monologue and opens up about his own experiences with gun violence. Recorded LIVE at The U School in North Philly.

Use your voice to stand for equality and peace among each other. Your voice is greater
than the gun. I know that this solution may not be easy and it will take some time but time is not on your side. You have to stand up now. — from "Restore My Brotherly Love" by Tyler Riddick  * * *

Connections

The U School readies ALL young people for college and careers by supporting students to accept challenges and opportunities through: student agency, real-world problem-solving, developing engaging high-quality products with the purpose of demonstrating mastery , and to push the boundaries of seat time through asynchronous learning.

 

Recognizing that victims of violence too often have symptoms of trauma that go untreated, Healing Hurt People (HHP) offers a hospital-based intervention to address the psychological and physical wounds of trauma. HHP is a program for people ages 8-30 who have been shot, stabbed, or assaulted and are seen in a hospital for treatment. The ultimate goals of the program are to help victims heal from their physical and emotion wounds in order to break the cycle of violence, by connecting them to needed behavioral health, physical health and life skills resources.

HHP is supported by the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services and Drexel University.

The Overcame Foundation, Inc. (OVC) was founded in October 2015. Founder, Leonard Chester had a vision to help the youth and young adults in underprivileged environments and together he and co-founder Jade Harper brought that vision to life. Currently, The Foundation is serving communities in Philadelphia and Baltimore. Creating platforms for talented youth across the two cities, The Overcame Foundation strives to teach young people how to be leaders through education, service, wellness and visual arts. Ultimately the organization is striving to provide scholarships and book awards to youth who work hard to overcome adversity.

Further Reading & Resources

FOLLOW @NoGunZone on Instagram.

READ this article featuring episode guest Jose Ferran, via Philly.com.

LEARN about the gun violence statistics quoted in Tyler's monologue and in the episode.

About the Performer

JERRICK MEDRANO

Jerrick is a Philadelphia-based actor, a 2015 graduate from Esperanza Academy Charter High School where he majored in Theater, and currently a Theater major at the Community College of Philadelphia. He is a writer - his play For a Good Investment won first place and was produced as at Temple University. He has been a featured actor in the Mouthful Monologue Festival in 2017 and 2018, and also worked on Marty Pottenger's #Phillysavesearth at Painted Bride.

 

"Restore My Brotherly Love" was directed by Mitchell Bloom.

A monologue about a young man who is turned away from his first job interview starts a conversation about how we treat individuals on the autism spectrum and how we prepare them for work and independence. Featuring conversations with Dylan Henry , a sophomore at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, whose younger brother inspired the monologue; and three individuals from Project SEARCH , a program that offers vocational training and internships to young adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

I daydreamed that one day I would be a cashier or even a manager. The name tag securely pinned on my right side would say manager, Adam. I would ride my bike everyday from my big red house, bright and early, so the cans would be stacked just right. — from "Adam" by Dylan Henry  * * *

Connections

PROJECT SEARCH : Project SEARCH at Drexel University offers vocational training and internships to young adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and/or an intellectual disability with the goal of competitive integrated employment. Young adults in their last year of high school are eligible to participate in a vocational training program that takes place entirely at Drexel University. Drexel is the first university setting in the country to offer a licensed version of the new autism-specific variation of Project SEARCH. The program is a partnership with the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), Community Integrated Services, Pennsylvania Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services, Philadelphia School District, and the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute Life Course Outcomes Program – Transition Pathways.

 

Further Reading & Resources

WATCH this feature of Project SEARCH from NBC10.

WATCH this video from CBS News: "Hiring Autistic Workers"

LEARN about another Philadelphia program, Neurodiversity in the Workplace Initiative from The Arc of Philadelphia, which supports job seekers with Autism and connects them to potential employment.

About the Performer

JERRICK MEDRANO

Jerrick is a Philadelphia-based actor, a 2015 graduate from Esperanza Academy Charter High School where he majored in Theater, and currently a Theater major at the Community College of Philadelphia. He is a writer - his play For a Good Investment won first place and was produced as at Temple University. He has been a featured actor in the Mouthful Monologue Festival in 2017 and 2018, and also worked on Marty Pottenger's #Phillysavesearth at Painted Bride.

 

"Adam" was directed by Steve Gravelle for the 2018 Mouthful Monologue Festival. Accompaniment by Daniel De Jesus.

Additional music for this episode is by Lee Rosevere, used under the Creative Commons license.

A monologue about a young woman grappling with her identity after a friend is attacked starts a conversation about being Muslim in America. Featuring conversations with the writer Ruya Erkut, a freshman at George Washington Carver, and her mother, Ebru Erkut, who works as a paralegal at an immigration firm. This is a personal episode about growing up and parenting as a Muslim in the current, fraught political climate. 

Do not tell me I should cover my hair up or change, I will not. Do not tell me how pale I am or that I look like you. I am not you. I am a mixture of my parents’ heritage and my American upbringing. — from "Who Am I?" by Ruya Erkut  * * *

 

Further Reading & Resources

WATCH: A video from the Pew Research Center offers a look inside the beliefs and attitudes of Muslims in America, featuring data from Pew Research Center's 2017 survey, as well as the personal stories of Muslims from across the United States.

Check out this multimedia piece from NPR: "America's Next Generation of Muslims Insists on Crafting Its Own Story"

About the Performer

SHAHANA JAN

Shahana is a Pakistani actress based in New York City. Originally from Islamabad, Shahana began her career in the Theatre in the country’s capital at the age of 16 when she signed on her first commercial theatrical role as ‘Lucy’ in the adaptation of ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
Since then she has worked in acclaimed stage productions such as ‘Grease’, ‘The Producers’, ‘The Lion King’, and ‘Moulin Rouge’ to name a few.

Shahana joined the sketch group ‘The Insolent Knights’ for which she wrote and performed live shows as a regular member for TinyTwo Productions

Her film debut  was in the internationally acclaimed ‘Slackistan’ (Dir. Hammad Khan) which premiered at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival.

Amongst her other artistic pursuits, she also hosted the primetime radio show ‘The Rush Hour’ for Pakistan’s premier english radio network CityFM89. During this time, she produced various web sketches and shorts which eventually led her to study Film & Television Production in Cape Town, South Africa.

Upon its completion, Shahana trained at the prestigious Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York City.

With her career in the Entertainment Industry spanning over a decade, she has worked in various production capacities in countries such as Pakistan, Turkey, Serbia, Italy, South Africa, Thailand, Kazakhstan and the United States. Her work has been televised in both Pakistan and the United States.

 

"Who Am I?" was performed by Shahana Jan under the direction of David O'Connor for the 2018 Mouthful Monologue Festival. Accompaniment by Daniel De Jesus.

A monologue about a young man sharing some news with his mother starts a conversation about coming out. Featuring conversations with Lisbet Espinal , a sophomore at the Philadelphia Military Academy, who wrote “Breaking Barriers” to address a problem she perceives in her community, and with Francisco Cortes , Interim Executive Director or GALAEI , a queer Latinx social justice organization.

Hey mom, I just wanted to let you know that I’ve thought about doing something. I have a feeling that what I’m going to tell you is something that you aren’t going to like. — from "Breaking Barriers" by Lisbet Espinal  * * *

CONNECTIONS

GALAEI

Galaei is a queer Latin@ social justice organization. Queer acknowledges and represents the mosaic of sexual and gender identities within our communities. Latin@ represents the multiracial, multicultural experience of Latinidad. Galaei embodies the common history of resistance and resilience of Latin@ and queer people. Galaei is unwavering in its commitment to the advancement de nuestra familia through leadership and economic development, sexual empowerment, and grassroots organizing.

 

Further Reading & Resources

Sign up for GALAEI'smailing list to stay up on their programs and activities, including the upcoming 23rd annual alternative prom.

Check out I'm From Driftwood, an LGBTQ story archive of first-person narratives told by all variety of queer individuals from all variety of communities and backgrounds. The stories on I'm From Driftwood "send a simple yet powerful message to LGBTQ people everywhere: You are not alone."

About the Performer

JERRICK MEDRANO

Jerrick is a Philadelphia-based actor, a 2015 graduate from Esperanza Academy Charter High School where he majored in Theater, and currently a Theater major at the Community College of Philadelphia. He is a writer - his play For a Good Investment won first place and was produced as at Temple University. He has been a featured actor in the Mouthful Monologue Festival in 2017 and 2018, and also worked on Marty Pottenger's #Phillysavesearth at Painted Bride.

 

"Breaking Barriers" was directed by Steve Gravelle for the 2018 Mouthful Monologue Festival. Accompaniment by Daniel De Jesus.

A monologue about claiming and reclaiming power over one's body starts a conversation about sexual harassment. Featuring conversations with Dori Hoffman , a high school junior who wrote her monologue "War Paint" after four years of silence about her own experience of sexual harassment; and Nuala Cabral , a filmmaker, educator, and activist dedicated to teaching consent and confronting sexual harassment in all its forms.

Read a transcript of this episode here.

So when I see you, I dip my hands into buckets filled with every color of the rainbow. I press my palms to my forehead, to my eyelids, and to my lips and only then, once every part of me has been protected, am I able to walk past you. — from "War Paint" by Dori Hoffman  * * *

Further Reading & Resources

Watch Nuala Cabral's short film "Walking Home" below:

Learn about Tarana Burke and the #MeToo movement's Philly origins, via Philly.com.

Read about a new hotline set up by a University of the Arts student that responds to street harassers and gives some power back in a creative way.

About the Performer

DONOVAN LOCKETT

Donovan is an Actor/Writer/Teaching Artist who proudly hails from New Orleans but has made Philly her artistic home. With PYP, Donovan has taught workshops and residencies, acted in the Young Voices Monologue Festival, in staged readings, and in classrooms, and has selected high school submissions for the 2017 Literary Committee.  She has performed regionally at Walnut St Theatre, Theatre Horizon, Philadelphia Artists’ Collective, Revolution Shakespeare, Delaware Shakespeare, Scranton Shakespeare Festival, Hangar Theatre, New Orleans Fringe, and Philly Fringe, amongst others. BFA: Ithaca College. donovanlockett.com

"War Paint" was directed by Hannah Van Sciver for the 2018 Mouthful Monologue Festival. Accompaniment by Daniel De Jesus.

Music for this episode is by Lee Rosevere , used under the Creative Commons license.

A monologue about a girl getting her period for the first time starts a conversation about puberty, menstruation, and what it means to enter the next stage of your life. Featuring conversations with Kaltra Zabiku , whose monologue "The Initiation" inspired this episode; and with Nadya Okamoto , who has become a leading voice in the Menstrual Movement since she started PERIOD, an organization that provides feminine hygiene products to those in need.

I know these things take time and I shouldn’t be so ready to grow up but, I want to grow up! I want to talk about stupid tampon discoveries... whatever tampons are.
— from "The Initiation" by Kaltra Zabiku  * * *

Further Reading & Resources

Find out more about Nadya's organization PERIOD, including how you can start a chapter in your community.

Get to know Nadya! Check out her "21 Under 21" feature on _Teen Vogue, _her TedTalk, or her new web series "Nadya Talks".

About the Performer

DONOVAN LOCKETT

Donovan is an Actor/Writer/Teaching Artist who proudly hails from New Orleans but has made Philly her artistic home. With PYP, Donovan has taught workshops and residencies, acted in the Young Voices Monologue Festival, in staged readings, and in classrooms, and has selected high school submissions for the 2017 Literary Committee.  She has performed regionally at Walnut St Theatre, Theatre Horizon, Philadelphia Artists’ Collective, Revolution Shakespeare, Delaware Shakespeare, Scranton Shakespeare Festival, Hangar Theatre, New Orleans Fringe, and Philly Fringe, amongst others. BFA: Ithaca College. donovanlockett.com

"The Initiation" was directed by Cat Ramirez for the 2018 Mouthful Monologue Festival. Monologue accompaniment by Daniel De Jesus.

Music for this episode is by Lee Rosevere , used under the Creative Commons license.

A monologue about young Chinese American grappling with her cultural identity and embarrassment about her inability to speak Chinese starts a conversation about the challenges of being a first generation American. Featuring conversations with Donna Zhang , a senior at Drexel University whose monologue "A Last Stroll Through Pain" inspired this episode; Rebecca, Faith, and Nikita, three first generation Americans ; and Raquel Salas Rivera , a Philadelphia transplant from Puerto Rico and the  2018-19 Poet Laureate of Philadelphia.

I know I have no heritage, and I am just a mixed pot of nothings, which upsets me, but I will try harder to find my heritage, my Chinese heritage that I never had a chance to take back. — from "A Last Stroll Through Pain" by Donna Zhang  * * *

Further Reading & Resources

To read more about Raquel Salas Rivera, visit their websiteand check out this article from Philly.com when they were announced as the 2018-19 Poet Laureate of Philadelphia. Learn about one of Raquel's big undertakings as Poet Laureate, We (Too) Are Philadelphia, and stay on the up and up to learn about the upcoming festival.

Check out this incredible list of resources related to multilingualism from the United Nations.

About the Performer

STEPHANIE N. WALTERS

Stephanie N. Walters is a Barrymore nominated actor, emerging playwright and teaching artist in Philadelphia. Stephanie is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association and a founding member of Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists.

Regional credits include: Walnut St. Theatre, Delaware Theatre Company, InterAct Theatre Company, and Orbiter 3. She is a first year member of The Foundry and her writing has been showcased at Dragon’s Eye Theatre, Future is Female Festival, Philadelphia Women’s Theatre Festival, Revamp Collective, and Philly Improv Theatre. Stephanie is currently a student at PlayPenn and a proud graduate of Bucknell University, London Dramatic Academy, and CAP21.

 www.stephanienwalters.com

"A Last Stroll Through Pain" was directed by Mitchell Bloom

Special thanks to Melody Wong and the Asian Arts Initiative.

A monologue about the stresses of being a teenager starts a conversation about teen stress and teen resilience. Recorded live at the Louis Bluver Theatre at the Drake, this episode features conversations with: Brittany Blythe, a senior at Lankenau High School; Kay'Stienna Carter, a junior at Benjamin Franklin High School; Ericka Morris, educational consultant; and Dr. Ken Ginsburg, a pediatrician specializing in Adolescent Medicine at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

I just have way too much on my plate right now. I mean from keeping up with my grades, having a job, having a social life, eating, sleeping, and I need to find time to plan out my entire future? — from "Pressing My Issues" by Brittany Blythe  * * *                  

_"Pressing My Issues" was directed by David O'Connor for the 2018 Mouthful Monologue Festival. _

LIVE Show recorded by David Steele of Steele Empire.

A monologue questioning the value of a classroom discussion starts a conversation about learning. Featuring conversations with Ericka Morris , a former teacher and curriculum specialist, Tamir D. Harper , a senior at Science Leaderships Academy and co-founder of UrbEd, and Brooke Sexton , Artistic Director of YesAnd! Collaborative Arts.

Click here to read a transcript of this episode.

 

I know I signed up for an AP English class, but I thought AP stood for Advanced Placement, not Analytical Professionals or Absolutely Pretentious. — from "Pretension Detention" by Erin Orth  * * *

further reading & resources

Learn more about Tamir D. Harper and check out his non-profit UrbEd.

Find out what programs YesAnd! Collaborative Arts has coming up at their home in Germantown.

Check out Philly's Teacher Action Group (TAG) and follow their page for information about upcoming events.

about the performer

 

EMILY MOYLAN—

Emily is a local actor, teaching artist, and stage manager. She received her B.A. in Theatre with a minor in English from Temple University. Her involvement with Philly Young Playwrights began in 2013 when she was an actor in the New Voices Festival. Since then, she has worked with PYP in many capacities, and now serves as the 2017-2018 Teaching Artist Apprentice.

Outside of her work with PYP, she has worked as an actor with companies like Revolution Shakespeare, Tempest in a Teapot Co., and Prime Theatre Syndicate. As a stage manager, she has worked with Peoples Light and Theatre Co., Delaware Theatre Company, The Bearded Ladies, and Upper Darby Summer Stage.

When she's not working within the Philadelphia theatre community, Emily helps countless high school students cram for the SAT/ACTs at Huntington Learning Center in Springfield.

2018 Mouthful Monologue Festival

Featuring 18 monologues written by middle school and high school students from throughout Greater Philadelphia. April 13-21 at the Drake Theater in Center City Philadelphia. Find out more and reserve your Pay What You Decide tickets here.

"Pretension Detention" was directed by Mitchell Bloom.

Royalty Free Sounds provided by ZapSplat.com and Soundbible.com.

Additional music by Lee Roosevere via FreeMusicArchive.org.