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Saint Francis University hosts Central Pennsylvania Branch Shakespeare Competition

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Students from eight local schools will compete for a slot in the national competition in New York City

Saint Francis University will host the English Speaking Union Central PA Regional Shakespeare
Competition on Saturday, February 17 at JFK Auditorium from 10am to 12pm. High school students from
eight schools will present a 20-line monologue from one of Shakespeare's plays and their choice of one
of his 154 sonnets.

"This is a great opportunity for the public to come out and see talented individuals perform some
surprising selections from Shakespeare's greatest works," says Competition Coordinator Bonnie M.
Resinski.

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CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA TEEN COMPETES IN 34th ANNUAL ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION NATIONAL SHAKESPEARE COMPETITON IN NEW YORK CITY

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With a performance of Sonnet 119 and the famous "Crispian Day" speech monologue from Shakespeare's "Henry V", Nicholas Bowman from Carlisle, PA, a student of Susan Biondo-Hench at Carlisle High School in Carlisle, competed as a semi-finalist in the 34th annual English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition in New York City. The Competition took place on May 1, 2017 on the stage of the Mitzi Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center with 54 semi-finalists from as many ESU Branch competitions nationwide. Nicholas was chosen to represent the ESU Central Pennsylvania Branch competition at the Central PA Regional Finals held at Lock Haven University in February 2017.

Nicholas and nine students from Central PA high schools were part of the group of more than 20,000 high school students nationwide participated in the 2017 English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition at the school, local, and regional competitions. Nicholas' trip to NYC to participate in the Shakespeare Competition was sponsored by the Departments of Fine Arts and Literature and Language at Saint Francis University, Loretto PA.

On May1st, the 54 regional semifinalists took to stage of the Mitzi E. Newhouse theatre of Lincoln Center to present the 20 line monologue chosen from the Shakespeare Canon of 37 plays, and their choice of one of Shakespeare's 154 sonnets. From these presentations, ten finalists were chosen to present their pieces, and a "cold" (unprepared) reading of a random Shakespeare text to a second set of judges.

The year's winner of the 34th English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition, Ogechi Egonu, representing the San Francisco Branch, received a full scholarship to attend the American Shakespeare Center Theatre Camp in Staunton, VA, this summer. Second place winner, Brandon Burk, from the Kentucky Branch, won a cash prize of $1,000 from The English-Speaking Union, while the third place winner, Trevon Wainwright, representing the Kansas City Branch of the ESU, received an award of $500 provided by The Shakespeare Society.

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Central Pennsylvania Area High School Student to Compete in the 34th English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition at Lincoln Center in New York

Announcement

February 19, 2017 Nicholas Bowman, student of Susan Biondo-Hench from Carlisle High School in Carlisle, PA achieved first place at the English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition Central Pennsylvania Branch heat on Saturday, February 19, 2017, at Lock Haven University, Lock Haven PA.   Nicholas will travel to New York City along with 55 other contestants from around the country to participate in the ESU National Shakespeare Competition at Lincoln Center Theater on May 1, 2017.  

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STANDING UP FOR SHAKESPEARE

Announcement

Central Pennsylvania Area High School Students 
to Vie for Chance to Compete in the
34^th English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition at Lincoln Center in New York.

Central Pennsylvania, February 12, 2017  --  

The Central Pennsylvania heat of the English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition will take place on  Saturday, February 18, 2017 ( Snow date, Sunday February 19, 2017 in the Parson Union Building at Lock Haven University hosted  by the ESU Central Pennsylvania Branch.  It is open to the winners of area high school Shakespeare competitions that have been held this winter.  It is expected that 9 students representing Central Pennsylvania private and public high schools will participate.  Each one will perform a Shakespearean monologue of his or her choice and recite a sonnet.  Competitors will be judged on their understanding of the texts they perform and on their ability to communicate that understanding to an audience. Judges for the Branch Competition include Charles Dumas, Professor Emeritus from PSU Theatre program,  MG Gainer and Jessica Hylton, Professors at Lock Haven University , Clark Nicholson, Artistic Director of The Gamut Theatre, Harrisburg, and John Woznak, Professor of English Saint Francis University, Loretto, PA.  The competition is free and open to the public.

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English Speaking Union Central PA Branch (Regional) Shakespeare Competition

Announcement

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017 @ 10:30 AM, SUNDAY (SNOW MAKE-UP DAY)

LOCK HAVEN UNIVERSITY, LOCK HAVEN, PA

MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM (MPR) OF THE
PARSON UNION BUILDING 

PARKING AVAILABLE IN AREA #5 OF THE MAp

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Fine Arts at Saint Francis University

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Central PA Branch of the ESU welcomes
The Departments of Fine Arts and Literature and Languages at
Saint Francis University
Loretto PA
As sponsors for
the winning competitor's
NYC trip for the 2017 National
Shakespeare Competition

Fine Arts at Saint Francis University features minor concentrations the areas of fine arts, visual arts, music, and theatre. Small class sizes, individualized attention, and multiple performance opportunities, and unique arts-focused study abroad programs, not typically found in larger universities, provide students with ample opportunities to work with their hands, heads and hearts and to fully integrate artistic skills into whatever path they choose to follow.

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Governor Proclaims November William Shakespeare Month in Pennsylvania

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ASC Hungry Hearts Tour

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The American Shakespeare Center will be performing two plays in September. As part of the Hungry Hearts Tour, "The Two Gentleman of Verona" will be presented on Sunday, September 25 at 7 p.m. and "Our Town" will be presented on Monday, September 26 at 7:00 p.m. Both performances will be held in the JFK Student Center Auditorium. To reserve seats for either night's performance, please register here.

Tickets to this event are free. However, seating is limited and RSVP is required for this event. After you register, you will receive an email with you ticket. Please bring your ticket with you to the door the night of the show. We will also have your name on a registration list at the door in case you misplace your ticket. CES approved event.

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Teaching Shakespeare Workshop

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In conjunction with the Folger exhibition, the English Speaking Union (ESU) is offering the "Teaching Shakespeare Workshop 'First Folio' The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare", a workshop for teachers and pre-service teachers. Developed "by teachers for teachers", this workshop introduces dynamic tools to get Shakespeare's words into the heads, mouths, and hearts of students.  Act 48 credit will be available.

When:  Friday, November 11, 2016  
             Registration:  8:30 – 8:55 AM (Including forms for 
             Act 48 credit)
             Workshop:  9AM - 5PM

Where: Susquehanna Room
              Elizabethtown College
              One Alpha Drive
              Elizabethtown, PA 17022-2298

To register, click here. Registration is now full. All subsequent registrations will be placed on a wait list and alerted if space becomes available.

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Central PA ESU 25th regional Shakespeare competition

Event Recap

Third Place: Clara Hanahan – State College Area High School – Jill Campbell, Coach First Place: Patrick Moran – Pottsville High School – Maria Malek, Coach Second Place: Jeremy Duarte – Harrisburg Academy – Peter B. Frengel, Coach

The winter wind may have been fierce on Saturday 13 February 2016, but the camaraderie was warm inside Pierce Auditorium on the Lock Haven University campus. The occasion was the Central PA Region of the English speaking Union's 25th Regional Shakespeare competition. Seven competitors, winners of their high school competitions, each presented their choice sonnet and 20 line monologue from the Shakespeare Canon.

The presentations by Christina Johns, Hannah Nori, Patrick Moran, Jeremy Duarte, Gilliian Letson, Clara Hanahan, and Mayce Van, were evaluated by Elizabeth Gruber, Ramona Broomer, and MG Gainor, LHU English and Dramatics faculty. The judges awarded first place to Patrick Moran (Pottsville Area HS), second place to Clara Hanahan (State College Area HS) and third place to Jeremy Duarte (Harrisburg Academy). The winner, Patrick Moran, receives an all expense trip to New York City to compete with approx. 60 other students at the National Shakespeare Competition to be held May 1-3, 2016.

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