Chartiers Valley student makes finals in Pittsburgh Public’s Shakespeare contest
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Wesley Madge rolled in a somersault onto the stage at the O’Reilly Theater and arose as Puck in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
For Wesley, 13, a seventh grader at Chartiers Valley Middle School, acting is about much more than repeating lines on the stage. It’s about becoming the character you’re portraying.
“A good actor is able to take the energy that they have and transmit it to the audience,” he said.
It’s Wesley’s ability to do just that that led him to the finals in Pittsburgh Public Theater’s Shakespeare Monologue & Scene contest for the last two years.
Last year, he won the top prize among fourth through seventh graders for his monologue, where he transformed into King Henry V. This year, out of more than 1,000 students that entered the competition from 110 schools, Wesley again was in the top seven among fourth through seventh graders in the lower age monologue category for his performance as Puck.
The recognition is important to Wesley, who dreams of a career in acting.
“I feel like I’m distinguished among a thousand people and that I’m one of the good, young aspiring actors out of however many thousands of Pennsylvania kids that participated,” he said.
As Wesley started sixth grade last year at Chartiers Valley Middle School, a world of opportunities opened up for him. He wanted to try everything the school offered to see what he enjoyed.
He joined the school’s newspaper and loved it. He wanted to try his hand at acting, so he signed up for the Shakespeare competition. Again, he found something he likes.
“I really enjoyed the feeling of captivating a crowd,” Wesley said.
He learned to become the character — using the tone of his voice and movements on the stage to transform into someone else.
“You have to physically transfix yourself and become what Shakespeare wanted the person to be,” said Wesley, who also is a percussionist in the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra. “Last year, I played Henry V, so I had to be this inspiring, valiant king that would change the course of England. Mostly it’s all in hand gestures and deepening your voice.”
Wesley has done acting in plays and musicals at his church. Coming from a family that’s musically inclined, he learned a lot about performance from them.
When he realized that he was good at acting and was able to grab the attention of the audience, he “just fell in love with it.”
As the winner in the lower category last year, Wesley received the Complete Pelican, a large book that contains all of Shakespeare’s writings.
After performing as Henry V last year, Wesley wanted to try something new this year. He was encouraged to try something comedic this year.
He also did a scene for the preliminary rounds with a friend. But it was his role as Puck in the monologue that got him to the finals.
His family rented various versions of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Wesley spent hours reviewing the tapes and watching the monologue he was performing.
Wesley made the character his own. That’s what impressed gifted coordinator Sara Benis, who has helped Chartiers Valley middle and high school students with the competition for the last several years.
One of her favorite parts of working on the competition is watching the students grow in confidence each year, she said.
Wesley has been a stand-out from the start. But this year, he went beyond any expectations.
“He’s exceptional,” Benis said.
Wesley worked with a coach provided through the competition to perfect his role as Puck.
He felt a connection to Puck, in whom he sees some of himself.
“I’m not always the 4.0 GPA kid at home. I’m a little bit more of a trickster and a prankster, which is exactly what Puck is,” he said. “I feel like I just connected more this year with him.”
Wesley plans to continue with the competition in the future. Next year, he will be in the older age group. But he’s ready for it.
Wesley hopes to find an acting agent this summer and dreams of someday starring in a lead role in a show.
“I want to be someone that people know. I want to leave a legacy,” he said.