Keep the Spotlight On Shakespeare:

Enter The Actor Speaks Essay Competition!

While the curtain has closed on the 2025 ESU National Shakespeare Competition, your Shakespearean journey doesn’t have to end. The Actor Speaks—a unique essay competition from the English-Speaking Union—is your chance to reflect, relive, and share your experience on the path to the stage.

We invite all 2025 NSC participants (whether you competed at the the school, regional or national levels) to explore your journey from page to performance. In a 500–700 word essay, take us behind the scenes of your process:

How did you choose your monologue or sonnet?

What discoveries did you make in studying the text?

Which interpretations did you try?

What was it like to bring Shakespeare’s words to life in rehearsal—and on stage?

This is your moment to showcase the thought, effort, and passion behind your performance. Whether you were a regional finalist or national competitor, your voice and insights matter.

Prizes await for the first-place essay and top runners-up!

Deadline: Submit your essay by Sunday, June 15, 2025 (midnight)

Winners will be announced on or before Monday, June 30, 2025.