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Helen Padgett, a student of Justine Mackay and Janie Thames from Spotswood High School in Penn Laird, won first place at the ESU Lexington Branch regional contest at the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton.
Helen will join more than 50 other contestants from around the country for the semifinal round of The English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition, to be held at the Lincoln Center, New York City, in April.
In the semifinal round, each student will perform a monologue and sonnet before a panel of judges as well as their fellow contestants. Based on their performances, 10 students will advance to a final round. For additional information regarding The English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition, please visit www.shakespearecompetition.org.
Bazil Gibson, from Harrisonburg High School, earned second place, and Louis Gibson, also from Harrisonburg High School, was awarded third place in the Lexington Branch competition.
Each student performed a Shakespearean monologue of his or her choice and recited a sonnet. Competitors were judged on their understanding of the selected texts and on their ability to communicate their interpretation to the audience. Judges for the branch competition were Annabelle Rollison, Constance Swain, and Aubrey Whitlock.
“We are delighted with the judges’ choices this year,” said Barbara Walker, coordinator of the ESU Lexington Branch Shakespeare competition. “Thank you to all of the teachers who worked so hard to hold school competitions and thus made it possible for their students to compete.”
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