2021 Syracuse Branch National Shakespeare Competition
News
Meet our Syracuse branch Shakespeare Competition winner Anka Chiorini...if you can find her under her mask! She's pictured above with our Shakespeare Committee Co-chair Susan Jarosz, her Jamesville-DeWitt High School Principal Paul Gasparini, her teacher Matthew Phillips, and the plaque awarded her by our branch. The plaque now includes her name and that of her school and will hang in the school for the coming year.
This year was her second as a high school student and as a participant in ESU's Shakespeare Competition. Her selections were a monologue by the character Pucelle from Henry VI, Part I, and Sonnet 134. Her performance became especially significant in that her school had never before had a winner who was eligible to compete in the national ESU competition in NYC with students from throughout the country. It was special, too, in that in this virtual world, her presentation was live, thanks to Zoom made possible by our own ESU member Dianne Emmick.
For many students, participating in the Shakespeare Competition would suffice as an extra effort for the year, especially if the year was during a pandemic that brought with it additional pressures and challenges. But Anka goes for more, and this year turned to play-writing for Syracuse Stage's Young Playwrights. The result? Two of her efforts were chosen to be among the eight winners chosen from the 200 total plays submitted! The eight winning plays were performed (via Zoom) by Syracuse University Drama Department students.
And summer vacation? Anka will be involved in a literature course offered by Mount Holyoke College for which she received a scholarship.
Amazing!
(If you wish to view the winning Syracuse Stage plays, you can access them -- if you are a Facebook member -- by Googling "young playwrights 2021 Syracuse Stage").
May 8th, 2021 - The Syracuse Chapter has been able to resume in-person meetings following covid protocol. We were happy to have our May annual meeting to enjoy each other's company and to give member approval of our slate of officers and committee chairs for 2021-2022.
We were fortunate to be entertained by Ernest Musquiz of Syracuse Symphoria, who presented his program "Mallet Keyboard Instruments in the Orchestra." Mr. Musquiz joined the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, now "Symphoria," in 1974 and is now in his 47th consecutive year with that organization serving as percussionist and timpanist as well as directing the Youth Orchestra. His mallets fly with fantastic precision when he plays the keyboard instruments.
ESU member Alice Borning with our guest speaker Ernest Musquiz
The Syracuse Chapter held its Shakespeare Competition virtually this year with ten finalists who won their local competitions at Central New York School Districts. Contestants are required to perform an excerpt of a monologue from a Shakespearean play along with one of the bard's sonnets.
Students participating, along with their school districts, were Lillyanna Whipple (Camden), Bel Lazarsky (Cazenovia), Emilee Edick (CBA), Kalysta Donaghy-Robinson (Fabius-Pompey), Rachel Bouwens (Homer), Anka Chiorini (Jamesville-Dewitt), Andra Benson (Lansing), Arman Nizam (Manlius Pebble Hill) , Moira McAnich (Tully), and Alexandra Dubaniewicz (Westhill).
The first place winner was Anka Chiorini. Anka will be competing in the national competition, normally held in New York City but this year held virtually. The national winner receives a trip to London to attend the British American Drama Academy Mid-Summer Conservatory Program. Second place went to runner-up Emilee Edick and 3rd place to Lillyanna Whipple. Honorable Mentions were given to Andra Benson and Rachel Bouwens.
Anka's and Emilee's performances are below. Anka's monologue is from a speech by Pucelle (Joan of Arc) in Henry VI, Part 1, Act V, Scene iv, and her sonnet is Number 134. Emilee's monologue is from Constance's speech in King John, Act III, scene iv, and she recites Sonnet 25.
E-SU, Syracuse Branch's 2020 Shakespeare Competition's winner Emilee Edick stands proud at her high school Christian Brothers Academy. She holds our Branch's Shakespeare's winner plaque where her name and that of her school are engraved and join those of others in the past who share her honor. By tradition, the plaque will hang in CBA for the school year.
Everyone notices Emilee's mask that adds much to the story of her participation and ultimate win. Only a few days before our March 21 scheduled Shakespeare Competition did she and sixteen other students learn that area schools were closing. So, too, was Syracuse Stage's Archbold Theatre, our venue for both our student workshop and competition. Baldwinsville Library offered us space, but we realized quickly that we were headed for a virtual path.
Although the coronavirus has interrupted our normal schedule, the local officers and board members are discussing ways to keep us informed and connected during this time.
The national organization has some current interesting programs for us to enjoy while we're waiting for in-person meetings. Click on this link to see a full listing and details of the ESU Happy Hour series.
The ESU Online Happy Hours series offers several online speakers on topics including:
"Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know, the Bronte Sisters,"
"Ron Whitehead, Outlaw Poet,"
"Shakespeare Scandals and Scoundrels," and
"Downton Abbey in the Kitchen."
Meanwhile stay healthy, and we'll all look forward to meeting again as soon as it's safe for all.
The Syracuse chapter had to cancel our March and April meetings due to the coronavirus, but thanks to Zoom we held our annual election meeting on schedule on May 9, 2020.
Thirty-one members attended. We were happy to see each other and say hello. We then moved through the annual meeting steps to elect the leaders for next year. In honor of the Queen's birthday we all wore festive hats. Celebrations followed with toasts to ESU's Centennial, the Queen's birthday, and the new officers and board members.
Emilee Edick Tops Syracuse High School
Students Bowing to Shakespeare This Year
This year's English-Speaking Union-Syracuse Branch's 32nd Annual Shakespeare Competition exchanged Syracuse Stage's Archbold Theatre for a home video, triumphing over the corona virus and scoring another victory for William Shakespeare in the process. Winner Emilee Edick from Christian Brothers Academy presented Shakespeare's Sonnet 11 and a monologue by Phoebe from As You Like It. Her talent won her video a trip to New York City to participate in the National English-Speaking Union's 38th competition with forty-eight other nationwide winners.
Emma Winkler from Manlius Pebble Hill School won second place and Tyler Piper from Jordan-Elbridge, third. Honorable mention was awarded to Joseph Norris of Skaneateles, Cael Sullivan from Camden, and Kimberly Rivera-Cotto from C.W.Baker in Baldwinsville.
Syracuse's event is made possible by the generous support of The Richard Mather Fund and the members of ESU's Syracuse branch. Syracuse Branch Shakespeare Committee members include Susan Jarosz and Wendy Davenport, Co-chairs, Dot Booher, Sarah Conley, Shirley Cruickshank, Norma Ferguson, Anne Kuehn, Ann Padget, JoAnn Wallace, and Barbara Weller.
Competition judges were Frank Fiumano, Robert Hupp, and Sharee Pierce. Matthew Phillips, an English teacher from Jamesville-DeWitt, made the competition possible by volunteering to handle the video details. Joe Pierce, Sharee's husband, came forward with Zoom enabling the judges to confer.
ESU Member Dorothy Booher and Presenter Juliet Giglio
Juliet Aires Giglio, professor of screenwriting at SUNY Oswego, presented her documentary Only 982 which tells the story of 982 refugees sheltered in Oswego, NY, in 1944-1945. These were the only European Holocaust refugees who were allowed entry into the United States during WWII.
ESU members enjoying conversation before the January presentation
Among the 982 were members of Ms. Giglio's husband's family. Using archival footage and interviews, Only 982 tells the story of cousins Rikica, David, and Ella Levi, who made their way from Yugoslavia to Italy where they joined 3,000 other refugees vying for a spot on the ship Henry Gibbons headed for safety at Fort Ontario in Oswego. The film documents their journey and the 18 months they spent at Fort Ontario.
Ms. Giglio invites us to view the documentary:
ESU members enjoying conversation before the January presentation
ESU members enjoying conversation before the January presentation
Our December ESU luncheon was a celebration of the holidays. We shared wassail and enjoyed delicious Beef Wellington before member Alice Borning introduced the Fayetteville-Manlius High School singing group, "Swing Sixteen." Accompanied by a small jazz combo, these talented students performed swing standards in arrangements that showcased their harmony skills. A highlight was their rendition of the seasonal favorite "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Shawn Hebert, the group's director, was a member of Swing when he was an F-M student. The performance ended with a standing ovation from the appreciative audience.
ESU member Dottie Booher and Rescue Mission speaker Carolyn Hendrickson
ESU's November luncheon meeting featured Carolyn Hendrickson, the Senior Philanthropy Officer for the Rescue Mssion Alliance. Ms. Hendrickson spoke about the history, mission, and programs of the Rescue Mission, a local organization serving local citizens in need. It provides meals (over 700 people a day are served); housing (both temporary and permanent shelter); and educational programs. Its Thrifty Shopper stores provided 100,000 articles of clothing to families in need last year, while also generating 60% of the Rescue Mission's annual budget from sales to the public and serving as the #1 recycler in Onondaga County.
The ESU celebrates English as a shared language to foster global understanding and good will by providing educational and cultural opportunities for students, educators, and members.
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We were fortunate to be entertained by Ernest Musquiz of Syracuse Symphoria, who presented his program "Mallet Keyboard Instruments in the Orchestra." Mr. Musquiz joined the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, now "Symphoria," in 1974 and is now in his 47th consecutive year with that organization serving as percussionist and timpanist as well as directing the Youth Orchestra. His mallets fly with fantastic precision when he plays the keyboard instruments.
