News And Events
2022 National Shakespeare Competition New York
News
The ESU National Shakespeare Competition New York City Branch is proud to announce the following winners:
Sasha Fedderly
First Place: $300
student of Margaret George
at Lycee Francais
Taylor White
Second Place: $200
student of Leslie Kohn
at The Scholar's Academy
Esona Peacock & Andrew Edelmann
Third Place (tie): $100 each
Esona is a student of John Anderson
at The Rudolph Steiner School
Andrew Edelmann is a student of Alexander Thorp
at The Bronx High School of Science
Our winner will go on to compete at the ESU National Shakespeare Competition Semi-finals to be held digitally in the coming weeks.
The top semi-finalists will go on to the finals on April 25, 2022.
We thank all of our participants, their teachers, families and school communities for their support of the ESU and the National Shakespeare Competition. We hope you will join us in 2023 when we celebrate our 40th anniversary!
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Welcome Message
News
Dear Fellow New York Branch Members,
With the summer of 2019 winding down, we turn our attention back to the ESU New York Branch and what the fall season will bring. Again, the Branch will offer monthly Mystery Book Cub meetings (see calendar for titles the group will read), and the ESU Players are pulling together a series of staged readings of plays that will continue to engage a diverse group, including current and former ARNIC (Andrew Romay New Immigrant Center) members, with the English language.
In addition to these regularly scheduled members' events, there will be a few lectures as well as a film screening, and a special curated tour of the Treasures from Chatsworth: The Exhibition at Sotheby's. The Branch is continuing its partnerships with the Art Deco Society of New York, Royal Oak Foundation and Historic Royal Palaces. And in December, (save the date: December 5, 2019) we will hold our annual Yuletide Party in collaboration with the British Schools and Universities Club.
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Noël Coward: Design for Living
News
Monday, February 24, 2020
6:30 p.m.
The English-Speaking Union
144 East 39th Street,New York City
Join us for an engaging illustrated talk on Noël Coward, inspired by the exhibition Coward: Art & Style, which will open at London's Guildhall Art Gallery in July 2020. In Noël Coward: Design for Living, Brad Rosenstein explores the central role of design in Coward's life and work. The pre-eminent British playwright and songwriter, renowned for his verbal wit, was also visually acute, seeking out the finest artists and designers of his time to craft the sets and costumes for his original productions, the décor of his homes, and his iconic personal style. Rosenstein's rich presentation interweaves images, audio, and video with lively and insightful commentary on Coward's collaborations with a gallery of brilliant talents, from designers Cecil Beaton, Oliver Messel, Gladys Calthrop, and Doris Zinkeisen to couturiers Edward Molyneux and Norman Hartnell and decorator Syrie Maugham. The result is a fresh and unique glimpse into Coward's personal and theatrical world.
Click here to register online.
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Art Deco Across Canada
News
Thursday,November 21, 2019
6:30 p.m.
The English-Speaking Union
144 East 39th Street, New York City
$25 for ESU National Patrons
$30 for ESU Members
$40 for Non-members
Join The English-Speaking Union and ADSNY for an engaging illustrated talk exploring the Art Deco style in Canada. In this presentation, Tim Morawetz demonstrates how, like Art Deco buildings everywhere, Canada's examples display a rich array of decorative motifs unique to the country's geography, history, and culture. He shows how various types of Deco architecture––ranging from high-profile office towers, city halls and department stores, to apartment buildings, neighborhood movie theaters, private homes, churches––utilize Canadian archetypes such as hockey, beavers, and maple syrup to reflect Canada's identity and history. Morawetz features many structures that boast stunning bas-relief carvings and decorative elements representing uniquely Canadian flora and fauna, industry, and daily life. This presentation also includes entertaining stories that paint a picture of the legendary entrepreneurs, politicians, and everyday Canadians who made their mark during the interwar era.
Buy tickets online here.
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A Comedy of Tenors
News
"A Comedy of Tenors" features one hotel suite, four tenors, two wives, three girlfriends, and a soccer stadium filled with screaming fans. What could possibly go wrong? It's 1930s Paris, and the stage is set for the concert of the century—as long as producer Henry Saunders can keep Italian superstar Tito Merelli and his hot-blooded wife, Maria, from causing runaway chaos. Prepare for an uproarious ride, full of mistaken identities, bedroom hijinks, and a madcap night of humor and music.
Reception at 6 pm at the ESU; group procession to the Amateur Comedy Club at 7:15 for an 8 pm curtain.
$15 for ESU Members $20 for Non-members
Register by Monday, October 28 by mail by downloading this form or online here.
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Brexit – Do or Die?
News
Thursday, September 26, 2019
6:30 p.m.
The English-Speaking Union
144 East 39th Street, New York City
ESU National Patrons: $20
ESU Members: $25
Non-members: $30
ESU National Patrons are invited to enjoy a private champagne reception with Ms. Scheppele in the Executive Director's office at 6 p.m.
Click here to reserve online.
No issue in recent memory has consumed the United Kingdom like the move, known colloquially as "Brexit." With yet another deadline fast approaching, there still remains much confusion and speculation about the ramifications of the UK's departure from the European Union. In this riveting and informative illustrated talk, Kim Lane Scheppele reprises and updates her fascinating presentation on Brexit, which she initially delivered in two separate talks for the ESU Princeton Branch. For those who don't fully get all the fuss about Brexit, Scheppele covers the basics and explains the potential repercussions for the United Kingdom. How does a "soft" Brexit differ from a "hard' Brexit? Explaining these and myriad other Brexit-centric terms and concepts, she clearly illustrates the potential impact of this "divorce" on all aspects of the British economy as well as on the UK's relationship with Europe and the world. More importantly, her presentation includes updates reflecting recent developments, including the ascension of Boris Johnson as UK prime minister, who has held out the threat of a "no deal" Brexit on October 31, 2019, which will create a complete break. She outlines anticipated outcomes and impacts of the withdrawal of the UK from the EU clearly and succinctly. Boris Johnson has claimed that "Do or Die, Come What May" Brexit will happen by October 31. Can he keep his pledge?
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Treasures from Chatsworth: The Exhibition
News
Chatsworth, the fabled estate in the United Kingdom, is home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and has been passed down through 16 generations of the Cavendish family. Rich with thousands of objects, spanning four centuries, the Devonshire Collection is widely celebrated as one of the most significant collections of art and objects in Europe.
Click here to register online
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Sotheby's, 1334 York Avenue
3:00 p.m. Sant Ambroeus Reception
4:00 p.m. Docent-led Tour
ESU National Patrons: $40
ESU Members: $45
Non-members: $50
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England’s Forgotten Queen: The Life and Death of Lady Jane Grey
News
Tuesday, October 1 | 6:15 p.m.
reception following lecture
Abigail Adams Smith House Auditorium,
417 East 61st Street, New York, NY
In July 1553, Tudor England plunged into political and military crisis. Henry VIII's young son, Edward VI, died at the age of just fifteen, leaving no male heir. For the first time, a woman would wear the English crown, but who: Edward's Catholic half-sister Mary, or his Protestant cousin Jane Grey? On his deathbed, Edward named sixteen-year-old Jane as his heir. As fierce a Protestant as Edward, Jane was proclaimed queen and taken to the Tower of London to await her coronation. But Mary would not accept her disinheritance - and neither would the country. Nine days later, Jane's brief reign was over, and seven months after that, she lost her head on the block. Author and Historian Helen Castor explores this dramatic story, examining key events, documents and characters, and assessing Jane's role in the coup that cost her life. The tragic tale of the Nine Days' Queen is a breathless political thriller as well as a defining moment in the history of England.
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The Red Shoes
News
While not a mystery nor a classic suspense film, The Red Shoes is a 1948 British drama film written, directed, and produced by the team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, known collectively as The Archers. The film is about a young ballerina who joins an established ballet company and becomes the lead dancer in a new ballet called The Red Shoes, itself based on the fairy tale "The Red Shoes" by Hans Christian Andersen. Then, after falling in love, she becomes torn between the man she loves and her pursuit to become a prima ballerina. Regarded as one of the best films of Powell and Pressburger's partnership, it was voted, in 1999, the 9th greatest British film of all time by the British Film Institute. In 2017, a poll of 150 actors, directors, writers, producers and critics for Time Out magazine saw it ranked the 5th best British film ever.
Friday, October 4, 2019
6:30 p.m.
The English-Speaking Union
144 East 39th Street, New York City
All ESU members and friends are invited to enjoy the screening of The Red Shoes, but a cash donation of $5.00 is requested at the door to cover the cost of refreshments that will be served.
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