Round 3
Round 1 is on June 8th, Round 2 is on June 9th, and Round 3 is June 10th.
For the final round, the judges will select five of the ten actors from Rounds 1 and 2 to compete. These finalists will be announced at 10:00pm on June 9th. The five selected actors will perform their monologue from Round 1 again, taking into consideration written notes provided by the judges.
The 1st place winner will receive $5000; the 2nd place finalist will receive $4000; the 3rd place finalist will receive $3000; the audience favorite will receive $1000. Finalists will be judged by notable figures in the performing arts industry from outside of Texas.
Following the competition, join us for a catered reception in the Amphibian Stage lobby.
This event is part of our enthralling two-week adventure, SparkFest 2023. Explore other SparkFest events.
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Tickets for this show range from $10-30, but YOU get to decide what you pay in an effort to make theatre more accessible for any budget. Read more about our tiered ticketing model here!
Meet the Actors & Judges
Finalists for Round 3 will be announced at 10 PM on June 9th.
Taylor Blackman
Judge
Taylor Blackman (he/him) is an actor, writer, producer, director, and professor based in Brooklyn, NY. As an actor, Taylor recently finished the first National Tour of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. He has also performed with Roundabout Theatre Company, The Movement Theatre Company, The Public Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre, and New York Stage & Film. Taylor can also be seen on Comedy Central’s “Alternatino” and on CBS’ “FBI”. As a playwright, he is currently under commission with Ensemble Studio Theatre & Roberta P Sloan to create a new scientific play. He has held residency with Hi-ARTS Harlem to develop new works, as well creatively produced readings and workshops of his own work. Taylor recently served as the movement director for a recent production of Sweet Chariot that premiered at The Public Theater’s Under The Radar Festival. He holds a professorship with the New School in the Theatre Department. Taylor is currently working on a new musical titled Hero, created by Shariffa Ali and Vuyo Sotashe.
Judge
Taylor Blackman
Taylor Blackman (he/him) is an actor, writer, producer, director, and professor based in Brooklyn, NY. As an actor, Taylor recently finished the first National Tour of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. He has also performed with Roundabout Theatre Company, The Movement Theatre Company, The Public Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre, and New York Stage & Film. Taylor can also be seen on Comedy Central’s “Alternatino” and on CBS’ “FBI”. As a playwright, he is currently under commission with Ensemble Studio Theatre & Roberta P Sloan to create a new scientific play. He has held residency with Hi-ARTS Harlem to develop new works, as well creatively produced readings and workshops of his own work. Taylor recently served as the movement director for a recent production of Sweet Chariot that premiered at The Public Theater’s Under The Radar Festival. He holds a professorship with the New School in the Theatre Department. Taylor is currently working on a new musical titled Hero, created by Shariffa Ali and Vuyo Sotashe.
Spencer Gualdoni
Judge
Originally from Southern Illinois, Spencer received his Bachelor’s of Music in Musical Theater from Oklahoma City University. As a teacher and Guest Artist, he has taught with Carnegie Mellon University, Oklahoma City University, Marymount Manhattan, Reinhardt University, West Texas A&M University, Broadway Artists Alliance, Broadway Kids Auditions, The Actor’s Connection and many more. Spencer enjoys helping aspiring artists hone in on their craft while also examining the ins and outs of preparing for an audition.
Judge
Spencer Gualdoni
Originally from Southern Illinois, Spencer received his Bachelor’s of Music in Musical Theater from Oklahoma City University. As a teacher and Guest Artist, he has taught with Carnegie Mellon University, Oklahoma City University, Marymount Manhattan, Reinhardt University, West Texas A&M University, Broadway Artists Alliance, Broadway Kids Auditions, The Actor’s Connection and many more. Spencer enjoys helping aspiring artists hone in on their craft while also examining the ins and outs of preparing for an audition.
Kate Moore Heaney
Judge
Kate Moore Heaney (she/her) is a theatre director, producer, and dramaturg. Kate is the Artistic Associate, Literary at Long Wharf Theatre, Artistic Producer of Noor Theatre, and a founding steering committee member for the Middle Eastern and North African Theater Makers Alliance (MENATMA). She has directed and/or developed new work with The Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, The Playwrights Realm, The Civilians’ R&D Group, New York Theatre Workshop, The Amoralists, The Flea, The Shakespeare Society, The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals, and other NYC companies. She has assistant or associate directed with Ibex Theatricals/The New Vic, McCarter Theatre, Clubbed Thumb, Yale Institute for Music Theatre, and The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway. B.A.: Yale. katemooreheaney.com
Judge
Kate Moore Heaney
Kate Moore Heaney (she/her) is a theatre director, producer, and dramaturg. Kate is the Artistic Associate, Literary at Long Wharf Theatre, Artistic Producer of Noor Theatre, and a founding steering committee member for the Middle Eastern and North African Theater Makers Alliance (MENATMA). She has directed and/or developed new work with The Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, The Playwrights Realm, The Civilians’ R&D Group, New York Theatre Workshop, The Amoralists, The Flea, The Shakespeare Society, The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals, and other NYC companies. She has assistant or associate directed with Ibex Theatricals/The New Vic, McCarter Theatre, Clubbed Thumb, Yale Institute for Music Theatre, and The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway. B.A.: Yale. katemooreheaney.com
Sharifa Yasmin
Judge
Sharifa Yasmin (she/her) is a trans Egyptian-American director, actor, playwright and intimacy coordinator. She has completed directing fellowships with The Drama League, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Manhattan Theatre Club, Geva Theatre, and was a Eugene O’Neill national directing fellow. Yasmin’s playwriting focuses on the intersection of Queer and Arab identities. Her plays have been produced with the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Uprising Theatre, Amphibian Stage, Trans Theatre Fest, Women’s Theatre Festival, taught at DePaul, Susquehanna, and Kansas Universities, and published in The Methuen Drama Book of Trans Plays. Yasmin was honored as the inaugural recipient of the SCDF Barbara Whitman Award in 2021. She currently serves as a member of The Drama League’s Directors Council, and is completing her MFA in Directing with Brown/Trinity Rep. www.sharifayasmin.com
Judge
Sharifa Yasmin
Sharifa Yasmin (she/her) is a trans Egyptian-American director, actor, playwright and intimacy coordinator. She has completed directing fellowships with The Drama League, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Manhattan Theatre Club, Geva Theatre, and was a Eugene O’Neill national directing fellow. Yasmin’s playwriting focuses on the intersection of Queer and Arab identities. Her plays have been produced with the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Uprising Theatre, Amphibian Stage, Trans Theatre Fest, Women’s Theatre Festival, taught at DePaul, Susquehanna, and Kansas Universities, and published in The Methuen Drama Book of Trans Plays. Yasmin was honored as the inaugural recipient of the SCDF Barbara Whitman Award in 2021. She currently serves as a member of The Drama League’s Directors Council, and is completing her MFA in Directing with Brown/Trinity Rep. www.sharifayasmin.com
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