English Speaking Union Hosts Annual Shakespeare Competition At Kansas City Public Library's Plaza Branch

The English Speaking Union's annual Shakespeare Competition will be held Sunday, February 17, at 6 p.m. in the Truman Forum at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St.

Kansas City-area high school students taking part in the competition aim to bring Shakespeare's work to life through their unique interpretation of his monologues and sonnets. The competition is intended to develop students' speaking and critical thinking skills as they explore Shakespeare's work.

Annually, 16,000 students and 2,000 teachers from 60 English Speaking Union branches participate in a curriculum-based program designed to help high school students develop their communications skills and appreciation of language and literature.

Previous Kansas City winners have gone on to win the national competition in New York. The national winner is awarded a full tuition scholarship to the British American Drama Academy's Midsummer Conservatory Program in Oxford, England.

Admission is free. Call 816.701.3407 or RSVP at kclibrary.org.