This weekend a beleaguered tournament will come to an end where only one will walk away with the title of champion.

Of course I’m not talking about the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament- that game is on Monday.

Up in Bethesda this Sunday a different kind of competition will unfold where 32 actors will only have 60 seconds to prove they are worthy to of the title of Monologue Madness Champion.

Created by local actor Edward Daniels, the acting competition has been modeled after similar monologue slams in New York. After an initial open-call audition, a final 32 actors were selected to compete in the Championship Competition this Sunday at the Allan B. Lefcowitz Theatre. There, the actors will have to deliver prepared monologues in the comedy, drama, and classical genres. Each round a panel of judges will advance a number of contestants until four are left- from there the actors will have to perform cold readings. A mystery challenge will determine this year’s champion.

The winner will receive a grand prize of $1,000. Among the 32 that will compete is John C. Bailey, who won the inaugural competition last year.

It sounds like an interesting concept and I will be checking it out this weekend, if you are looking for a tournament-fix or interested in a showcase of DC acting talent you can grab some tickets here.

Monologue Madness at  Allan B. Lefcowitz Theatre at The Writer’s Center, on April 1, 2012 at 7 PM (doors 6:30 PM).  The Writer’s Center is located at 4508 Walsh St Chevy Chase, MD 20815 Closest Metro stop: Bethesda (Red line). For more information visit their website.