Shakespeare

The competition will resume 2025 - 2026!

Virtual Meeting with Ms. Cunningham - December 2

Smoky Hill's Shakespeare Competition

January 12, 2026

Winner will go to the State Competition. More info.

State finalist wins a trip to NYC to competes at the National Competition!

(Winners from the National Competition get to study Shakespeare in London!)

Shakespeare Competition Rules

The school must adhere to the following rules at their school competition. These rules are consistent with the rules of

the ESU Branch Competition and the National Competition.

Each student must select, memorize, and perform one monologue from a Shakespeare play
The monologue selection must be from the pre-selected monologues and can not be altered or cut
Students’ order of performance should be randomly assigned.
Students should introduce themselves by name only (not by school)
Students should identify their selection before they begin their presentation.
Students cannot wear costumes or use props of any kind (including chairs, jewelry, items of clothing, and hair/hair clips).
Students should speak naturally in their own voice (rather than affect a British accent).
Students are expected to memorize their pieces. If necessary, however, prompting is allowed. If students require prompting, they must say “Line.”
A prompter must be available to students during the competition. Another student (not participating in the competition) may fulfill this role.

Jaye Cooney from Smoky Hill won the state Shakespeare Competition and represented Colorado in NYC at the National Competition!

If you are selected to go to the State Competition, you will be required to select, memorize and perform a Shakespearean sonnet from the competition list.

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