How ‘Giving Voice’ Directors Explored the Life, Legacy of August Wilson

As six young actors across America compete in the annual August Wilson Monoglogue Competition for a chance to appear on Broadway, filmmakers James Stern and Fernando Villena explore the life and legacy of one of America’s most essential playwrights and how his work continues to stand the test of time.

Every year thousands of young thespians across the country compete in the August Wilson Monologue Competition. Coming from all walks of life, these young adults compete throughout twelve regional contests for the chance to perform on Broadway all while bringing to life their own interpretation of America’s most preeminent playwright.

Through six of these young adults from their regional performances all the way to their final performance on Broadway, directors James Stern & Fernando Villena explore the life and legacy of August Wilson and why his work has resonated. Wilson’s work is staged by generations of actors from Oscar winners such as Denzel Washington and Viola Davis to teenagers today performing for the very first time.

Speaking with Awards Daily, Stern and Villena discuss what it was like finding the six young adults at the center of Giving Voice from teenagers like Freedom Martin, a student athlete in Oklahoma who uprooted his life by moving to Chicago to explore theatre, to Gerardo Navarro who, although not African-American, has found a connection to Wilson’s work as a Latino teenager in Los Angeles. Throughout the interview they discuss what it was like finding all six of the film’s subjects (Aaron Guy, Callie Holley, Cody Merridith, and Nia Sarfo) and how all of their personal interpretations of Wilson’s work inspired Stern and Villena to look at the artist in a new way.

Awards Daily: The life and career of August Wilson encompasses an astonishing amount of material, so I’m curious how and why did you decide to explore his legacy through these young adults entering the August Wilson Monologue Competition?

James Stern: Well, I’ll tell you how it started. We had done a film about the creation of A Chorus Line called Every Little Step; overall a very different film but both are documentaries about theatre. Constanza Romero, August’s widow, had seen the film and loved it. She approached us with the idea of this story, and it was something we were drawn to. It’s an opportunity not just to do a competition movie but something also where we could explore his legacy.

What makes this story so interesting is that because we are dealing with High School kids we had the chance to see how they felt about his legacy. To see if his words impacted their lives and connected with them today even when he was writing about stories that took place 100 years ago. What we found, and what the kids found, is that these stories did resonate with them. It became a perfect vehicle to explore competition and how this great writer’s legacy impacted kids who might now have been aware of it before this all started.

AD: Speaking of the kids in the film, this is a competition that showcases thousands of young performers across the country and you focused on six individual actors. What was the casting process like?

Fernando Villena: We were looking for diversity in characters. We spoke to different schools and arts programs. We were also looking for talent, so we had to cast a wide net which meant we were casting as we were shooting. There was a tremendous amount of luck involved, which is true for any documentary but especially for something like this where you don’t know who your main characters are while shooting.

In that preliminary round we were really trying to figure that out. A few of our subjects like Freedom and Nia popped out right away. Then there is someone like Cody who we were so fortunate to come into contact with. He represents so much of August Wilson’s work. He also wasn’t a trained actor, so we were able to witness him learn his craft in front of the camera.

AD: With thousands of young actors in this competition across the country was there any person’s story that has stayed with you the most?

JS: As Fernando was saying, I think that Cody had a story that was the closest to what August was writing about. His life experience was close to these characters and because of that he becomes the heart and the spine of this story. That’s something that I took with me. With all these kids though, whether it’s a kid that left his family behind in Oklahoma to become an actor or kids that don’t have a father at home – they all had familial issues and their sense of purpose and optimism and strength was astonishing. They had this courage to talk about their lives and it was something that I wasn’t sure we were going to find. Without it the film wouldn’t be what it is.

FV: August Wilson is writing about the African-American experience but his work is more inclusive than just that. Gerardo says in the film that he writes for all of the people that aren’t seen or heard. The fact that someone like Gerardo can read it and see his own life experience in August’s work is something that I found surprising.

JS: That’s a great point. I remember when I was young I saw James Earl Jones in Fences on Broadway. I was already very schooled in the American triumvirate of Eugene O’Neill, Arthur Miller, and Tennessee Williams. What made them so extraordinary was their depiction of familial relationships and conflicts and sense of loss. All of that is abundantly clear in Wilson’s work. Obviously race is a huge part of that but even taking race away his ability to capture character there is a universality that is vital.

AD: As you just mentioned you both have been experiencing and interacting with the work of August Wilson for decades. Was there anyone in this film and competition that made you look at his writing differently through a fresh perspective?

JS: In some ways they all did. What surprises me, and I’m sure Fernando as well, is that they’re so young. Viola [Davis] talked about this as well in the film. To bring such a sense of maturity and understanding to characters that are so much older than they were was really surprising. All six of them exhibit a wisdom in giving voice to these characters that you never would have thought was possible from High School kids.

They’re naturally wise and mature. We’re in touch with them week in and week out and they are astonishing people. I have two kids that are similar in age and I just can’t believe how amazing these kids are. Anyone who says you don’t need luck to make a good documentary is trying to fool themselves.

FV: They are wise and mature, but they also embrace their youth. It’s not like they’re trying to be adults. They’re very much high school kids and they embrace joy. That optimism is what gives them that maturity. They’re not cynical about life. They’re embracing their talent, they’re embracing this moment, and they are doing it with a full heart. It’s inspiring.

AD: One of the special aspects about the worldwide premiere of Giving Voice on Netflix is that it coincides with the premiere of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (December 18 on Netflix). Between this and the film adaptation of Fences,I have been incredibly optimistic about Hollywood’s newfound interest in Wilson’s work. Which of his plays would you like to see adapted next?

JS: I am particularly in love with Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. It is a play that is set in 1910 but the aftermath of family due to America’s original sin of slavery is set in this super-realistic way. I saw it on Broadway many years ago and it took my breath away. I love so much of his work but that has such a deep spot in my heart.

FV: I’d love to see them all, but if I had to see one it would have to be King Hedley II. I’d also love to see Seven Guitars and Joe Turner. I’m looking forward to all of them being made.

JS: It just gladdens our hearts that we can contribute in some small way to this conversation and help give this man his due. It’s beyond a thrill.