The ESU National Shakespeare Competition is a performance-based education program. High school students develop analytical and communication skills by performing Shakespeare at the school, community, and national levels.
The Competition helps students develop speaking and critical-thinking skills while they explore the beauty of the language and the timeless themes in Shakespeare’s works. By preparing a monologue and sonnet for public presentation, students bring Shakespeare to life in their own way and learn to express his works with understanding, clarity, and feeling. Approximately 2,500 teachers and 20,000 students in nearly 60 ESU branches participate each year.
High school students from Georgia (Grades 9-12) will be competing for First Place at the Atlanta Finals with the winner advancing to the National Finals in New York City in April 2025. Students perform and recite Shakespeare monologues and sonnets in three qualifying stages: school, branch, and National levels.
If you are a Theatre, English, Forensics teacher, or administer a home school program, we encourage you to enter to give your students an opportunity to participate in this exciting competition. If you are an interested high school student, please alert your teachers to this valuable program.
The 2025 ESU Shakespeare Competition will take place on
Saturday, February 22, 2025, at noon at the Shakespeare Theater
in downtown Atlanta.
Several of our long-time participating schools, as well as some
newcomers, have already registered. The deadline for registering
is December 15, 2024. School Winner Forms are due by February 10, 2024.
Teachers, if you have any questions, please contact us at BrannenGA@aol.com.