The Kansas City Branch of the English-Speaking Union will hold its 27th annual Shakespeare Competition on Sunday, February 27, 2011, at 2 p.m. at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St. Students from 10 area schools will compete for first place in a competition designed to develop students’ speaking and critical thinking skills, as well as their appreciation of literature, as they explore the timeless themes in Shakespeare’s works. The competition is open to students in grades 9-12. Each student will select, memorize, and present a Shakespeare monologue and sonnet. All monologues are limited to 20 lines of verse or prose. By preparing a monologue and sonnet for public presentation, students bring Shakespeare to life in their own way and learn to express his works with understanding, clarity and feeling. The winner of the ESU Kansas City Branch Competition receives $150, a full scholarship to the Shakespeare Exploration Advanced Camp donated by the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, an all-expense paid round-trip to New York to compete in the ESU National Shakespeare Competition on May 2, 2011, as well as other group activities in New York City. The winner of the National Competition will receive a full tuition scholarship to study acting in Shakespeare’s homeland, England. The second place winner will receive a full tuition scholarship to attend the American Shakespeare Centre’s Theatre Camp in Staunton, VA. The third place winner will receive $500 from the Shakespeare Society. Two previous Kansas City winners have won First Place in the National Shakespeare Competition in New York and one Kansas City winner won Second Place in the National Competition. The ESU Kansas City Branch is one of 56 Branches competing in the National Shakespeare Competition in New York on May 2, 2011. The English-Speaking Union of the United States is a non-profit, non-political, educational organization whose mission is to celebrate English as a shared language to foster global understanding and good will by providing educational and cultural opportunities for students, teachers and its members. For more information on the ESU, go to www.esuus.org. For local Kansas City membership information, email esukc@kc.rr.com or contact Jeff Schnabel (816) 442-7007.