Pine-Richland students win 1st place at Shakespeare competition; teacher honored

“Yet not so deeply as to thee belongs, myself am moved to woo thee for my wife.”

With those words, amid a flurry of puns and Shakespearean sparring, two Pine-Richland seniors took first place on Feb. 24 in the upper-level scene category of Pittsburgh Public Theater’s Shakespeare Monologue & Scene Contest for their performance of a scene from “The Taming of the Shrew.”

Jillian Uzelac and John Folino, longtime performers in the district, appeared as Kathryn and Petruccio as they acted out a back-and-forth marriage proposal from Act 2, Scene 1 of the 16th century comedy for the annual competition at the O’Reilly Theater, Downtown.

The two were among 930 students from 75 school districts who competed this year. The upper-level scene division featured multiple students in eighth through 12th grades staging a brief act, as opposed to the solitary monologue division.

Uzelac and Folino prepared for the competition while also rehearsing for Pine-Richland’s upcoming musical, “42nd Street.”

A first-time performer in the competition, Uzelac said she initially was intimidated by all the new faces at the packed theater, but the lengthy scene preparations paid off.

“Even though we went in completely blind, it was a very supportive group of people who made the win even more sweet,” she said.

Deciding on the act, Folino said the two picked a scene that “came naturally” to them, adding movement to the comedic exchange.

Folino said this year was his third in the theater’s competition after earning an honorable mention in 2024. Though he entered the theater confident, Folino said that confidence withered somewhat as he watched the strong performances from his competition.

So when the judges announced Uzelac and Folino as victors, he said he was in “disbelief.”

“I was kind of in a state of ‘whatever happens, happens’ because whoever wins really deserves it,” he said.

But what made the victory even more gratifying, he said, was to be honored with Pine-Richland teacher Michelle Bruno.

Earlier in February, Pittsburgh Public Theater announced Bruno would receive its annual Rob Zellers Award, which honors excellence in arts education.

As she accepted the award, Bruno, who teaches acting, directing and English at Pine-Richland High School, said she had her students in her heart.

“I celebrate so many (students) that have come through my classroom doors and allowed me to set high benchmarks, open new doors and even find a lifelong career,” Bruno said in an email.

Folino said it was Bruno who helped push him into the world of theater, something he said he hopes to pursue in addition to political science in college. Uzelac, too, said she always wants performing to be a part of her life and can imagine herself running a community theater in the future.

The senior said that even though she has only had Bruno for one year, she has “already grown so much” from her teaching.

“She’s a skilled artist and a great teacher,” Uzelac said. “It was really nice being there to see her accept her award.”