Selected members of NIU’s Black Theatre Workshop will have the privilege of participating in theater workshops and a national competition in Florida today through Saturday.

Six members will travel to Miami to compete in the areas of monologue, duo acting, oral interpretation, including prose and poetry, and a one-act play, said BTW Director Monique Zeno.

Between 10 and 12 competitors will participate in each category, she said.

The competition is sponsored by the National Association of Dramatic and Speech Arts and includes participants from professional, semi-professional and college-level organizations, she said. About 16 universities will participate in the event, she said.

“NIU is fortunate to participate in the competition because many of the other competitors are theater majors, whereas NIU BTW members are not,” she said.

Last year, BTW competitors brought home three trophies and one member was elected to the NADSA All Star Cast, she said. If BTW doesn’t win trophies, members usually place in different categories, she said.

“It’s a real honor to win trophies against people who are theater majors,” she said.

BTW members also will participate in workshops sponsored by NADSA.