Saturday, April 13
2:00 to 3:00 pm – Arrival and registration at the English-Speaking Union National
Headquarters located at 144 East 39th Street between 3rd and Lexington Avenues.
Sandwiches and soft drinks will be served in the library.
3:00 to 3:30 pm – Greetings and welcome from Karen Karpowich (ESU Executive Director) and
a short presentation by last year’s NSC 1st Place Winner Elena Hollenbeak (Hawaii Branch).
3:30 to 4:30 pm – Orientation for the students in the Garden Lounge. Parents and guests may
enjoy refreshments, or stroll the Murray Hill area (walking maps provided). Parents and “adult
package” holders can then make their way to the Bus Tour (one block away). Buses begin
boarding at 4:45 pm and the tour begins at 5:00 pm.
5:00 to 7:00 pm – Guided Double-Decker Bus Tour of Manhattan.
7:00 pm – Buses return to headquarters and the students are checked out by their
authorized parent or guardian.
Sunday, April 14
12:00 noon– Students and parents arrive at the English-Speaking Union National
Headquarters located at 144 East 39th Street between 3rd and Lexington Avenues for
bagels and coffee. Tickets for the matinee of Kimberly Akimbo will be distributed to parents
and “adult package” holders.
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm – Students participate in an acting workshop in the Garden Lounge led
by Broadway veteran and Pace University drama professor Erin Dilly.
2:00 pm – Parents/guardians meet their students and walk to the Booth Theatre at 222 West
45th Street (between 7th and 8th Ave.) The matinee begins at 3:00 pm.
3:00 pm to 5:30 pm – Kimberly Akimbo matinee at the Booth Theatre.
5:30 pm – Students leave the theatre with their parent/guardian.
Monday, April 15
7:30 to 8:00 am – Students and parents check in at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at 150 W.
65th St. (between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues – The marquee reads: Lincoln Center Theater) Enter through glass doors and proceed down the hallway. The theater entrance is on the right through glass doors (there is a large mural on the wall). This is a ticketed event. No walk-ins will be permitted. Names of
contestants and ticket holders will be at the front reception table.
8:30 am to 1:00 pm – The Semi-Final Round – all 44 contestants will perform their monologues
and sonnets. The performances will be broken into three 60-minute sessions with a 15-minute
break in between each session.
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm – Parents and guests leave for lunch on their own. Judges deliberate to
choose Top 10 Finalists. The students will be taken to the Juilliard cafeteria for lunch. After
lunch they will walk to the Lincoln Center Fountain for a group photo shoot.
3:00 pm – Students return to the theater where names of the Top Ten Finalists will be
announced and posted outside the theater doors.
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm – Top 10 finalists will be given time to practice for the final competition.
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm – The Final Round – The Top Ten Finalists perform. Judges then
deliberate for approximately 30 minutes. All students will be recognized and given certificates
by ESU leadership. First, second and third place winners will be
announced and presented with their awards. Branch coordinators and teachers will be
recognized. The competition ends and everyone will exit the theater.
6:00 pm – Competition Weekend Concludes