Annual Shakespeare Competition fosters love of literature

Each December, as the anticipation of Christmas and the holiday break builds, there’s an added buzz of excitement around Kennedy’s English Department. It’s time for the annual Shakespeare Competition, a school-wide tournament that gives all Kennedy Catholic students the opportunity to discover Shakespeare’s writings.

Sponsored by the English-Speaking Union (ESU) of New York and Kennedy’s own Shakespeare Club, the Competition invites participants to memorize and develop a performance for a monologue from one of Shakespeare’s plays.

“The National Shakespeare Competition is designed to help high school students develop their speaking and critical thinking skills, as well as their appreciation of literature as they explore the beauty of Shakespeare’s works,” explained William Spelman, English teacher and Competition moderator. “To make a performance come to life takes dedication, creativity, and focus. ”Winners of local school competitions advance to the Branch competition in New York City. Then, Branch Competition winners from across the country compete in the ESU National Shakespeare Competition, held each May at Lincoln Center.

Kennedy Catholic celebrates the nearly 20 students who participated in our most recent competition, and congratulates winner Anthony Amay ’27 for his performance of Edmund from King Lear.

The thrill of the Competition is not just for students. Mr. Spelman warmly shared, “To help students bring Shakespearean characters and speeches to life and to see their sense of accomplishment as they rehearse and eventually perform their Shakespearean monologues, are among the greatest joys I have had in my career as a teacher.”