by Jeffrey Escano // Staff Writer
Only the beginning of what, you may ask. Well, it’s only the beginning for Tairah Umeadi, Dominique Payne, and Sarah Michelle Guei who have achieved a first for Carson High School. Who are these people exactly? They are three wonderful young women who were given the opportunity to perform at the Mark Taper Forum on March 5th for the August Wilson Monologue Competition regional finals. These three were among 12 finalists who were competing for the ultimate prize, a once in a lifetime opportunity to perform live on Broadway in New York.
The young women had to present monologues, long speeches performed by characters in stories and plays. Directed by their teacher Ms. Barryte, Tairah, Dominique, and Sarah spent 6 long, grueling months memorizing and perfecting a monologue from 1 of 10 plays by August Wilson spanning from 1900 to 1990. After completing the monologue process, they competed against hundreds of other students. In the second round, the semi-final auditions, the competition is whittled down to 50 kids and then it narrows to 12 finalists before finally a first, second, and alternate are chosen for the trip to N.Y. Tairah, Dominique, and Sarah Michelle made it all the way to the final 12, and even though none were chosen as the final 3, their accomplishment is nothing short of amazing.
The 3 girls may have not reached the ultimate goal, however, it must be noted and credit must be given for how far they went, and especially because they competed against kids who had a huge amount of experience as well as professional training.
“We thought we would stand out more because we are not from a performing arts school. The other contestants had voice classes, outside acting coaches and endorsements from celebrities. They all came from performing arts schools,” said CHS senior Tairah Umeadi.
CHS senior Dominique Payne was especially satisfied with the results of the experience and said, “Yes, I’m satisfied because I’m proud I overcame my fears and didn’t rush through my monologue because I was nervous. My favorite moment was when my coaches, Andy and Tyrone, told me my final notes were excellent.”
CHS senior Sarah Michelle Guei sees this opportunity as a chance to grow and to become better at what she intends to do, which is to be an artist.
“I aspire to be a creative artist with[in] fine arts. Whatever that is, that is to be determined. The Arts is a very meaningful element in my life. I hope my future in the industry is a trademark whether it is acting, directing, producing or screenwriting,” said Sarah.
And of course Ms. Barryte is grateful for being able to work with these talented students and is hopeful about their futures.
“Continue to dream, continue to realize your dreams, continue to set your goals high, continue to inspire others. I believe in you…They are awesome and I am honored to be a part of their process, which is only the beginning.”
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