Funded by the Valuing Open and Inclusive Conversation and Engagement (VOICE) Initiative of the University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement, The Voices of Democracy: A Festival of 10-Minute Monologues will be staged at UC Irvine.
An interdisciplinary group of UC students, professors, staff, and a vice chancellor, along with a group of external writers, reviewed about 100 submissions and selected three winners, according UCI Assistant Professor Eraldo Souza dos Santos, the organizer of this first-ever event in the UC system.
First Place: Tlaloc Rivas, HOWL
"Los Angeles. Present day. Mateo, a young man who runs a small, grassroots collective that rescues the pets of families swept up by ICE raids, stands alone in a cramped, makeshift shelter from his garage—surrounded by cages of anxious dogs and silent cats—trying to record a video to raise funds and awareness. As he attempts to deliver a simple pitch, he stumbles into a deeper story: Each pet carries a name and an address, a ghost of a life interrupted, and Mateo himself is haunted by his own proximity to disappearance. With every retake, his scripted plea crumbles into a raw plea about injustice, the loyalty of our pets, and how it ties into the history of America itself."
Rivas on the Voices of Democracy selection: "I'm deeply honored to have HOWL receive this recognition from the Voices of Democracy. When I wrote the play earlier this year, cities around the U.S. were under siege from an authoritarian agency meant to terrorize marginalized communities. As a lifelong pet owner, I read in horror how pets were left behind after their owners were kidnapped, and how they remained in their homes and yards awaiting for their family to come home, never understanding or comprehending that their persons were likely never to return. This is only one of the countless stories that will document this moment of history, and as an artist, I'm grateful that this monologue will hopefully bring about awareness and change to bring an end to this current administration's campaign of terror."
Second Place: Katherine Swan, Room 504: Winner
"Room 504: Winner centers the voice of Sara, a teacher, in the moments after she has experienced a school shooting. I originally wrote this play on the theme of 'The American Experiment' for Playground Chicago. I wanted to spotlight the tragic impact of our collective inaction around gun violence, and to interrogate the idea that an individual can overcome anything if they fight hard enough, as this rhetoric is often used to perpetuate an unjust status quo."
Swan on the Voices of Democracy selection: "I’m honored and grateful that Room 504: Winner has been selected as an awardee of the Voices of Democracy contest, and I hope the play inspires empathy and action."
Third Place: Colleen O'Doherty, For All
"For All is a monologue about a rapid responder's experience of rediscovering a love for democracy within the fight to keep it. It's a homage to those who keep the democratic promise of the United States alive by defending their neighbors and living the ideal of 'liberty and justice for all.' It was inspired by the rapid response networks in Chicago and across the United States."
O'Doherty on the Voices of Democracy selection: "I am thrilled and honored to receive this award. What a delight to be part of an event dealing with such pressing and vital topics. Our beloved democracy is in peril, and it's inspiring to see my fellow artists stepping up to face the worst, and encourage the best, in our fellow Americans. Thank you for this incredible opportunity."
