National Shakespeare Finals To Be Held At Playhouse Square

In partnership with Great Lakes Theater Festival, the PlayhouseSquare Arts Education Department is hosting the Cleveland Branch Finals of the annual English-Speaking Union's (ESU) National Shakespeare Competition on Saturday, February 28.  Students from 37 Northeast Ohio schools are participating.  Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman will deliver the event's keynote address at 9:00 a.m.

"We are so pleased to be partnering with PlayhouseSquare and Great Lakes Theater Festival on this project," stated John Rampe, president of the Cleveland Branch of the English-Speaking Union. 

The winning student from the Cleveland Branch Finals will travel to the National Shakespeare Competition in New York City in April.  The winner of that competition receives a full scholarship to the British American Drama Academy's Midsummer Conservatory Program in Oxford, England.

The Shakespeare Competition has been the primary educational program of the ESU Cleveland Branch for more than 20 years.  Started with 500 students in New York City schools in 1983, the ESU's Shakespeare Competition is now a national curriculum-based program that has helped almost 250,000 high school students develop their understanding of Shakespeare -- the beauty and scope of his language as well as the timeless themes embodied in his works -- and their ability to communicate that understanding. Currently the program reaches 16,000 students and 2,000 teachers annually via competitions run by 60 ESU branches across the United States.

"We are excited to bring the Shakespeare Competition to PlayhouseSquare," said Colleen Porter, director of arts education at PlayhouseSquare.  "It offers yet another avenue for young people to experience the power of live theater and we are especially proud to connect them with the expertise of Great Lakes Theater Festival."

The participating schools include Beachwood High School, Beaumont School, Benedictine High School, Berea High School, Brecksville-Broadview Hts. High School, Brush High School, Carl Shuler, Cleveland Hts. High School, Cleveland School of the Arts, Cuyahoga Hts. High School, East High School, Fairview High School, Garrett Morgan, Gilmore Academy, Glenville High School, Hathaway Brown School, Hawken School, Holy Name High School, Independence High School, James Ford Rhodes High School, John Adams High School, Lakewood High School, Laurel School, Lincoln West High School, Magnificat High School, Mayfield High School, Midpark High School, Normandy High School, North Olmsted High School, Shaker Hts. High School, St. Edward High School, St. Ignatius, St. Joseph Academy, Success Tech Academy, Warrensville High School, Westlake High School and Whitney Young High School.

PlayhouseSquare places incredibly strong emphasis on arts education and believes that it is essential to improving the quality of life in our community. Through a variety of workshops and classes designed for people of all ages, the PlayhouseSquare Arts Education Department offers avenues to discovery, appreciation and development in and through the performing arts, connecting participants with national and international artists in unique and meaningful ways.  PlayhouseSquare initiates collaboration among educators, artists and other community organizations, and actively forms mutually beneficial partnerships with local arts organizations to create and present arts education experiences of the highest quality.  Always striving to fulfill its role as an asset to the Northeast Ohio community, PlayhouseSquare is an active leader in advocating arts education both locally and within the performing arts industry.

About ESU

The English-Speaking Union of the United States is a non-profit, non-political, educational organization that promotes scholarship and advancement of knowledge through the effective use of English in an expanding global community.

About Great Lakes Theater Festival

The first resident company of PlayhouseSquare, Great Lakes Theater Festival has brought the pleasure, power and relevance of classic theater to the widest possible audience in northern Ohio since 1962.

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