We are pleased to announce the kick-off of the ESU’s 42nd Annual National Shakespeare Competition (NSC)! Schools in our region may enter now, giving students the opportunity to compete in the NSC Hawaii Branch Competition this winter. The winner of the Branch Competition will travel to NYC for a weekend of exciting events culminating in the National Finals at Lincoln Center in April 2025!
Deadline for schools to register: 11/30/2024
Deadline to submit School Winner Forms: 2/13/2025
2023 National Shakespeare Competition Winner Elena Hollenbeak, Hawaii Branch
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. Since 1983 more than 425,000 students have brought the timeless works of Shakespeare to life.
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 600 teachers and 3,500 students in nearly 45 ESU branches participate each year. 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.
All materials including the online school participation form, teacher and student handbooks, and packets of monologues and sonnets are located here.
Contact Hawaii Branch Competition Coordinator Mark Lawhorn for questions: lawhorn@hawaii.edu
| Year | Winner | School |
| 1988 | W. Kaipo Schwab | Kamehameha High School |
| 1989 | David Foutz | University Laboratory School |
| 1990 | Thomas Lee | Mililani High School |
| 1991 | Kirsten Lausterer | Henry Perrine Baldwin High School |
| 1992 | Danny Yamamoto, Jr. | Waiakea High School |
| 1993 | Michael Bollow | Mid-Pacific Institute |
| 1994 | Luka Meleana Lyman | Punahou School |
| 1995 | Brett L. Kiefer | Iolani School |
| 1996 | Cassandra Wormser | Seabury Hall |
| 1997 | Cassandra Wormser | Seabury Hall |
| 1998 | Bryan Black | Mililani High School |
| 1999 | Melissa Wyman | Mililani High School |
| 2000 | Mariah Renee Joseph | Mid-Pacific School of the Arts |
| 2001 | Kelsey Chock | Kamehameha High School |
| 2002 | Jon Beavers | Henry Perrine Baldwin High School |
| 2003 | Andrew Pang | Kaimuki High School |
| 2004 | Julia Ogilvie | Punahou School |
| 2005 | Tatiana Wilson | Iolani School |
| 2006 | Kyle Jones | Hawaii Baptist Academy |
| 2007 | Jacob Friedheim | Mid-Pacific Institute |
| 2008 | Kelsey Sakimoto | Punahou School |
| 2009 | Katherine Clifton | Punahou School |
| 2010 | Connor Lawhorn | Punahou School |
| 2011 | Connor Lawhorn* | Punahou School |
| 2012 | Maya Jennings | Punahou School |
| 2013 | Lea Dimarchi | Punahou School |
| 2014 | Ari Dalbert | Hawaii Home School Association |
| 2015 | Sarah Spalding* | Mid-Pacific Institute |
| 2016 | Ari Dalbert* | Hawaii Home School Association |
| 2017 | Makana Richter | Kaiser High School |
| 2018 | Ruby O’Malley | Kaiser High School |
| 2019 | Mariko Jucsak | Iolani High School |
| 2020 | Chris Teves | Mid-Pacific Institute |
| 2021 | Tyler Logan Caro | Mid-Pacific Institute |
| 2022 | Meenakshi Kutty | St. Andrew’s School |
| 2023 | Elena Hollenbeak* | St. Andrew’s School |
| 2024 | Kainoa Kelly | Iolani School |
*ESU National Shakespeare Competition First Place Winners. Congratulations to Connor, Sarah, Ari, and Elena and all our national competitors!