Kansas City Branch winners announced!

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The Kansas City Branch of the English-Speaking Union is excited to announce the winners of its  38^th annual Shakespeare Competition. The virtual competition was held on February 27, 2022. The first-place winner is Maggie Herber, a senior at Shawnee Mission South High School. Her sponsoring teacher is Samantha Garbe. The second-place winner is Shyla Cowles, a senior at Garden City High School. Her sponsoring teachers are Robyn Hilt and Alice Hilt. The third-place winner is Skylar Saragusa, a sophomore at Olathe South High School. Her sponsoring teachers are Lauren Hannon and David Hastings. Congratulations to our three Kansas City Branch winners.

Watch our entire 2022 virtual Shakespeare Competition program Click here or view the video below:

To see a digital version of our Competition program booklet, Click here. You'll find a control to enlarge the booklet so you can easily read each page.

This year's Shakespeare Competition was the second year we held a virtual competition with first-place winners from each high school submitting a video of their monologue and sonnet for the judges to watch and evaluate. The Kansas City judges are Sidonie Garrett, Executive Artistic Director of the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, Melinda McCreary, Director of Education and Community Programs at Kansas City Repertory Theatre, and Mark Robbins, a professional actor and director with more than 170 professional roles to his credit.

Our virtual competition this year had seven high schools participating in the Branch Competition. First-place winner, Maggie Herber, impressed the judges by  performing a monologue of Edgar from King Lear and reciting Sonnet 14. Maggie will represent the Kansas City Branch as a semi-finalist at the National Shakespeare Competition tentatively set for April 25, 2022.

Maggie's First-place prize package from the ESU Kansas City Branch includes a check for $150, a full scholarship to the Shakespeare Exploration Camp offered by the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, a Certificate of Appreciation and an engraved First Place Medallion.

The ten National finalists selected from all branch first-place winners' videos will travel to New York City to perform their monologues and sonnets before distinguished judges to evaluate. The 2022 National Shakespeare Competition prizes are as follows: (due to COVID there is a possibility of delayed/substituted prizes)

1st Place Winner: A scholarship to attend the British American Drama Academy Mid-Summer Conservatory Program which includes an intensive three-weeks of study, acting and Shakespeare Cultural studies at the University of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England.

2nd Place Winner: A Scholarship to attend the American Shakespeare Center Theatre Camp in Staunton, VA.

3rd place: $1000

Two previous Kansas City winners have won First Place in the National Shakespeare Competition in New York City. One past Kansas City winner won Second Place in the National Competition. In 2017,  Trevon Wainwright from Paseo Academy, won Third Place in the National Finals.

The ESU Kansas City branch congratulates all seven students who competed in this year's virtual competition—you are all winners! And, a special salute to our top three winners this year: Maggie Herber, Shyla Cowles, and Skylar Saragusa. We wish Maggie the best of luck in the National Semi-Finals on April 25. Details on how to watch the Semi-Finals online on April 25 will available soon.

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