Hawaii High School Hosts National Poetry Recitation State Champions

Sunday March 3, 2018 High school students from across the islands competed in the statewide finals of Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest at Tenney Theatre, home of Honolulu Theatre for Youth (HTY).

Returning State champion, Nicholas Amador (12th grade), of Punahou School will for the 3rd time represent the state of Hawaii at the 2018 National Poetry Out Loud competition in Washington DC. Nicholas won first place Sunday afternoon at the state finals performing: Snow Day by Billy Collins, Two Guitars by Victor Hernandez Cruz, and The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus. Nicholas was awarded a $200 check from the National Endowment for the Arts, and his school received a $500 stipend for poetry books. In addition, Nicholas, will receive an all-expenses-paid trip with a chaperone to Washington, DC, to compete in the National Finals, April 25-26, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed. Nicholas represented the state at National Finals in Washington, DC and took 3rd place in 2016 and 2nd place in 2017

Second place winner is 11th grader, Jessie Garbeil, of Mid-Pacific Institute. Jessie performed: Insomnia by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Enough by Suzanne Buffam, and Cartoon Physics, Part 1 by Nick Flynn. Jessie was awarded a check for $100 from the NEA and her school received a $200 stipend for poetry books.

Jonathan Johnson, SFCA Executive Director applauded the Poetry Out Loud students' willingness to stand out and be vulnerable in front of an audience. He encouraged the students that the public speaking skills they gain will last them a lifetime. Director Johnson then challenged the students to "speak up and speak out on issues they feel are important about their world, their values and their future." Johnson said, "I believe that Nicholas, in his selection of The New Colossus, by Emma Lazarus, chose to speak out in a very eloquent way!"

Poetry Out Loud is presented in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, and administered in Hawaii by HTY and the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.

About Honolulu Theatre for Youth

Honolulu Theatre for Youth is Hawaii's non-profit professional theatre company providing theatre and drama education programs that make a difference in the lives of Hawaii's young people and families. Founded in 1955, HTY is recognized the world over as one of America's most honored theatres. Explore HTY on the web at www.htyweb.org.

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