High School Students prepare to compete in the English in Action National Shakespeare Competition

NEW YORK - April 4, 2018 - PRLog -- "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances..." but students from around the country will enter the competition of their lives later this month at New York City's famed Lincoln Center as part of the English in Action National Shakespeare Competition. For the past several months, students have been memorizing lines, practicing gestures and getting into character as they studied Shakespeare's work and prepared for competitions at the school and regional levels. The regional competition winners—all 56 students—will come to New York to compete with their peers on a national stage.

"The competition helps me understand language more. The more that I look  into Shakespeare, the more I understand how people speak and what made Shakespeare want to talk like this and how it shaped language today" is how Felicia Grimes from North Carolina describes her experience during the competition.

Each year, more than 20,000 high school students participate in the National Shakespeare Competition through the help of more than 2,500 teachers and 50 English-Speaking Union branches nationwide. Through the competition, students in grades 9-12 develop critical thinking skills and increase their self-confidence through reading, analyzing and performing Shakespeare's work.

As part of the competition, students perform a monologue and recite a sonnet from Shakespeare and are judged on their understanding of their selected texts and on their ability to communicate their interpretation to the audience. The competition also brings renowned actors and members of the theater community together to judge the students' performances. "The most wonderful thing about working on Shakespeare is you learn new things all the time, every time you work on him," said Kate Burton, Actor and 2017 National Shakespeare Competition Judge.

In recognition of their winning performances, the first place student will receive a scholarship to attend the Young Actors' Summer School at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, the second place student will receive a scholarship to the American Shakespeare Center Theater Camp in Staunton, VA and the third place student will receive a cash prize of $500.

"We extend a heartfelt thank you to the teachers who go well outside the hours of their school day to support their students and the study of Shakespeare. Teachers and their students are the foundation of the National Shakespeare Competition and English in Action's many educational programs." Christopher Broadwell, Executive Director at English in Action

The English in Action National Shakespeare Competition isa 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. Since 1983, more than 300,000 students 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. The National Shakespeare Competition has been recognized by the Globe Center, the Children's Theatre Foundation of America and the American Academy of Achievement.

For additional information regarding the National Shakespeare Competition, please visit http://www.esuus.org/esu/programs/shakespeare_competition.

English in Action—The English-Speaking Union—is a non-profit educational charity that employs the English language to foster global understanding and good will through educational opportunities and cultural exchange programs. Founded in 1920 and headquartered in New York City, the ESU is a national organization with more than 50 branches nationwide and affiliated with a network of more than 60 ESUs around the world.

English in Action educational programs focus on teacher enrichment, immigrant support, scholarships and youth speaking programs. Each year, our programs serve more than 60,000 teachers, students, volunteers and immigrants around the US.

English in Action programs include:

English in Action Conversations pair English language learners with trained volunteers to improve their English fluency through a one-on-one cultural exchange.

Andrew Romay New Immigrant Center (ARNIC) improves the lives of recent immigrants through education and cultural programs and integration into American society.

Luard Morse Scholarships sends students from historically Black colleges to study for a semester at a British university.

Middle School Debate builds research, critical thinking and public speaking skills through debate tournaments.

National Shakespeare Competition develops high school students' analytical and communication skills through performing Shakespeare at the school, community and national levels.

Secondary School Exchange sends high school graduates to British boarding schools for a gap year abroad.

TLab provides teachers and lifelong learners educational enrichment programs at Oxford, the University of Edinburgh and Shakespeare's Globe.

For additional information about the English in Action, please visit www.esuus.org.