Shakespeare Competition

By Morgan MacKinnon
THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION OF THE UNITED STATES
SHAKESPEARE COMPETITION
SHAKESPEARE COMPETITION AT LAWRENCEVILLE SCHOOL
Every year, the English-Speaking Union of the United States provides high school teachers across the country with a performance-based program for the study of English language arts curriculum and their teaching of Shakespeare. Through the competition, students develop communication skills and an appreciation of the power of language and literature. Students read, analyze, perform and recite Shakespearean monologues and sonnets in three qualifying stages; at the school, community and national levels.
The Princeton Branch of the ESU is proud to announce the community competition which will be held at Kirby Arts Center at the Lawrenceville School on Sunday, February 24, 2013. The competition is open to the public and will begin at 3pm. There will be a student coaching session provided by a distinguished panel of judges beginning at 2pm. Winner of the branch competition will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the national finals in New York City the week-end of April 21 – 23, 2013. Winner of the national competition is awarded an all-expenses paid trip to study Shakespeare in the country of the bard’s birth, England.
There will be five judges. They are:
Eloise Colin: Ms. Colin is currently studying acting at the highly renowned Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City. She is a native of Great Britain and studied acting at the Oxford School of Drama before obtaining a degree in English Literature at Leeds University.
Stuart Duncan: Mr. Duncan has been a theatre critic for the past thirty years – for The New Brunswick Home News, The Princeton Packet, U.S. 1, and most recently, for New Jersey Newsroom and has covered well over 5,000 productions. He spent many years judging high school competitions at Bucks County Playhouse and has judged the ESU Shakespeare Competition since its inception. He produced shows for Broadway and Off-Broadway shows including Waiting for Godot, Long Day’s Journey Into Night and Godspell, both for the stage and Columbia Pictures.
Connie Escher: Ms. Escher is an experienced educator in the Princeton Public School system with a particular emphasis on Shakespeare.
Mark Heimann: Mr. Heimann has had classical theatre training at Duke University [BA] and holds a graduate degree in acting at Circle in the Square Theater School [and Broadway Theater] in New York City. He is a Professional Equity actor and has performed classical theater both Off-Broadway and at numerous regional theaters.
John Silver: Mr. Silver has extensive experience as a teacher and entrepreneur and is the founder of Silver Capital Consultants. He served as Lawrenceville’s development officer 2003 – 2006 and has recently completed his MA in English Literature where his thesis was The Renewal of Faith in Shakespeare’s Women. He initiated the Pennswood Shakespeare Society in 2011.
For more information please contact Kathryn Marmion at 609-844-0949 or via email at [email protected].