Last month, three Kent-Meridian juniors—Jazlynne, Tyanna and Tynee (Tee)—were all named regional finalists in the Next Narrative Monologue Competition (NNMC), a national theatre contest for high school students. For the NNMC, students picked monologues to perform from fifty of America’s leading contemporary Black playwrights, that all engage in an exploration of 21st-century themes such as class, race, and gender. The regional final was held at Seattle Repertory Theatre in mid-March, where Tyanna was one of two winners of the competition. She will travel to New York City to compete in the national final at the historic Apollo Theater in early May. We spoke to each of the three regional finalists about their journey in theatre, their drama teacher Jay Thornton, and what it meant to be a part of this competition.
What do you love about theatre? Why is it important to you?
Tee: Theatre is a way to express yourself without judgement and it encapsulates the way you’re feeling in the moment. I love the community, and I love the people.
Jazlynne: Theatre is my third place that isn’t school or home. It’s a way to escape and pretend to be someone else.
Tyanna: My family is very artsy, and theatre is my time to shine. It’s a way to step into people and see how they live in the world.
How has Kent-Meridian drama teacher Jay Thornton helped you grow as an actor?
Tyanna: How has he not!? Jay convinced me to join NNMC my freshman year. He’s been very helpful in learning all aspects of theatre.
Jazlynne: Mr. Thornton helped me learn to be an actor from the ground up. I had never done theatre until my freshman year, and he helped me fall in love with theatre and become more confident in myself. He cares about every single one of our students.
Tee: I’m more on the technical side of theatre. From acting to being a stage crew member to doing lights and sets, Mr. Thornton has set up the steps for me to be a stage manager, which I am doing for our current play.
What did you learn from the NNMC experience?
Tee: Last year I was a semi-finalist and this year I was a regional finalist. I learned to be consistent and pick a monologue that you really resonate with.
Jazlynne: NNMC helped me get out of my comfort zone, because it’s just you up on that stage. I learned how to take up space on stage and be more confident and also learned how to take constructive criticism and improve.
Tyanna: Through the process I met a lot of people, and I learned how to act more professionally and to speak up for myself when I wanted change.
Tyanna, how did it feel to win the competition?
Tyanna: It felt so surreal! I was shocked that I won. I am the first person from Kent to win the competition, so it feels good to represent Kent-Meridian. I am excited to perform at the Apollo Theater in New York City, tour the space, and go to a Broadway show when I am there.
What are you goals in theatre going forward?
Jazlynne: I’d love to work at Seattle Rep, and I’d love to come back and coach future students who are participating in the NNMC.
Tee: I also want to do theatre professionally. I’d love to major in stage management in college and then come back and work in theatres in the Seatle area.
Tyanna: I really want to bring more people into theatre. I want to bring that spark to someone else’s life, just like it happened for me.