{"id":168,"date":"2022-12-26T11:29:51","date_gmt":"2022-12-26T11:29:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esustage.wpengine.com\/kansas-city\/?page_id=168"},"modified":"2026-03-11T13:28:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T13:28:37","slug":"shakespeare-competition","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.esuus.org\/newyork\/what-we-do\/shakespeare-competition\/","title":{"rendered":"ESU National Shakespeare Competition – New York City"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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THE ESU NATIONAL SHAKESPEARE COMPETITION – NEW YORK CITY<\/h5>\n \n
A performance-based educational program serving grades 9-12<\/div>\n \n \n
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\n PROGRAM OVERVIEW <\/div>\n \n
\n New York City Shakespeare Competition <\/div>\n \n \n
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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. 2024 marks the 41st year the ESU New York City Branch has participated in the National Shakespeare Competition. <\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

High school students from the New York  City area (Grades 9-12) will be competing for First Place at the New York City Finals with the winner advancing to the National Finals in New York City in April 2026. Students perform and recite Shakespeare monologues and sonnets in three qualifying stages: school, branch, and National levels. <\/span><\/p>\n

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. <\/span><\/p>\n

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2026 NYC Branch Shakespeare Competition <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Congratulations to our 2026 ESU NYC Branch<\/span> Winners:<\/span><\/p>\n

1st Place \u2013 Madison Martinez, Wadleigh Secondary School for the Performing & Visual Arts
\n2nd Place \u2013 Kriston Hall, Urban Assembly for Performing Arts
\n3rd Place \u2013 Izzy Levin, The Packer Collegiate Institute<\/span><\/p>\n

Madison will represent the NYC Branch<\/span> at the ESU National Shakespeare Competition on April 27 at Lincoln Center, competing against 40 Branch<\/span> winners from across the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n Program Details <\/div>\n \n
\n Everything You Need to Know to Get Started <\/div>\n \n \n
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Documents & Forms<\/h4>\n

All materials including the online school participation form, teacher and student handbooks, and packets of monologues and sonnets are located here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Branch Contact<\/h4>\n

Contact New York City Branch Competition Coordinator Maryellen Liotta for questions: <\/span>mliotta@esuus.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n \n\n

\n More information about NSC<\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n<\/section>\n\n\n
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\n History <\/div>\n \n
\n New York City Shakespeare Competition <\/div>\n \n \n
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The ESU National Shakespeare Competition has been recognized by the Globe Center (USA), the Children’s Theatre Foundation of America and the American Academy of Achievement. It is the only national Shakespeare competition in the U.S. and the only such program exclusively for high school students.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n \n\n

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