‘Eleu Lukey, student of Linda Johnson at Mid-Pacific Institute, was awarded first place at the Hawaii segment of the English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition held on February 22, 2025 at Luke Auditorium in the Punahou School’s Wo International Center. The competition progresses through three qualifying stages.
- Ninth through twelfth graders are eligible to participate in a school-wide competition (provided they have not been paid for performing during the current school year). Schools have the option of requiring that students perform both a sonnet and monologue at the school level competition.
- The school winner then advances to a competition held at the local ESU Branch.
As winner of the Hawaii competition, ‘Eleu will travel to New York City for the national competition.
Punahou School student KG Pan earned second place, and ‘Iolani School student Qingqing Chen was awarded third place in the Hawaii Branch competition. Each student performed a Shakespearean monologue of their choice and recited a sonnet. Competitors were judged on their understanding of their selected texts and on their ability to communicate their interpretation to the audience.

Pictured above are the top three finishers in the Hawaii segment of the 2025 English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition: KG Pan (2nd place), ‘Eleu Lukey (1st place), and QingQing Chen (3rd place). Photo by Jeff Stearns.
‘Eleu will join more than 50 other contestants from around the country in New York City for the semi-finals where each student will perform a monologue and sonnet before a panel of distinguished judges as well as their fellow contestants. Based on their performances, ten students will advance to a final round. For additional information regarding the English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition, please visit https://www.esuus.org/what-we-do/shakespeare-competition/ .
The English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition is a performance-based education program in which high school students nationwide read, analyze, perform, and recite Shakespeare’s works. Through the program, students develop communication skills and an appreciation of the power of language and literature. In the Competition’s three progressive levels, students perform in their own schools, at ESU Branch community competitions, and at the National Shakespeare Competition in New York City. Since 1983, more than 400,000 young Americans of all backgrounds have taken advantage of this opportunity to bring the timeless works of Shakespeare to life and learn to express his words with understanding, feeling, and clarity.
ESU Hawaii, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is operated entirely by volunteers and relies on charitable contributions (tax deductible!) to continue the mission of ESU founder Sir Evelyn Wrench “to bring together in the bonds of friendship the English- speaking peoples of the world.” The Hawaii Branch of the English-Speaking Union has had more national winners than any other branch in the 41-year history of the ESU National Shakespeare Competition: Connor Lawhorn (2011), Sarah Spalding (2015), Ari Dalbert (2016), and Elena Hollenbeak (2023). If you would like to support our efforts to continue bringing Hawaii’s students together to celebrate the language of Shakespeare, please consider becoming a member via the link on our site or making a contribution (or both!).
An Appealing Sonnet
To fund the ESU Hawaii Branch
Is what this humble sonnet asks of you So that deposits, which we long to bank, Increase enough to let us follow through
In nurturing young minds we cherish dearly. If Bard of Avon’s your fond proclivity,
Help underwrite our competition yearly
And more Shakespearean activity.
To “ESU Hawaii” make out your check
In an amount best matching with your means,
And a noble difference you will make
In lives of brave, performing island teens.
The truth of this is ineluctable:
Your gift is fully tax deductible!
Checks made out to ESU Hawaii may be mailed to Mark Lawhorn, 2121 Ala Wai Blvd., Apt. 2705, Honolulu, HI 96815.
Thank you for visiting the ESU Hawaii web site. The ESU president and other executive committee members may be contacted at esuhawaii@gmail.com