Shakespeare Competition Crowns Winners

Cedar City, UT – This weekend the 42nd annual Shakespeare Competition, hosted by the Utah Shakespeare Festival and Southern Utah University, gave out dozens of awards and scholarships to drama, dance and music students. The competition is the largest scholastic Shakespeare competition in the country, and this was a record-breaking year with nearly 3,600 students from 123 schools in seven states and the U. S. Virgin Islands.  

From September 27 to 29, students competed before numerous adjudicators on the Festival’s stages and at many other venues on the SUU campus. Judges consisted of arts professionals with strong literary and performance backgrounds. The judges came to Cedar City from across the country, including California, Maryland, Alabama, and New York, and not only judged the competition, but provided critiques of performances and gave feedback to the young artists. Judges also offered numerous workshops on topics such as stage combat, improvisation, movement, technical theatre, auditioning, ballet, modern dance techniques, and choral performance. 

“There really is nothing like the Shakespeare Competition,” said Michael Bahr, education director for the Festival. “For over forty years the competition has provided young people an outlet to share their passion and excitement for the arts, while also cultivating the future generation of arts professionals.”

Providing wonderful opportunities, the competition recognizes and educates students in four areas: acting, dance/choreography, music, and technical theatre. At the conclusion of the competition selected students received trophies and scholarships to study with professionals at Southern Utah University and the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

As part of the total experience, students were able to attend the Festival’s productions of The Liar, Othello, The Foreigner and An Iliad, as well as an SUU production of Richard III.

The competition was divided into six divisions: Buckingham (large public high schools), Oxford (midsize public high schools), Cambridge (small public high schools), Westminster (charter schools), Stratford (junior high and middle schools) and Essex (schools or groups which are not members of state high school associations).

ACTING COMPETITION

For the acting portion of the competition, students were able to compete in monlogues, duo/trio scenes, and ensembles. Monologue competitors presented for the judges a two- to four-minute monologue from a Shakespeare play or sonnet. In the duo/trio scenes competition, two or three actors presented a three- to five-minute scene from a Shakespeare play or sonnet. In the ensemble competition, a group of students from a school presented a six- to ten-minute Shakespearean scene.

In addition, first, second, and third place overall sweepstake prizes were awarded to the school in each division with the most total points from all categories.

Also, several scholarships were presented in the acting competition:

The first place winners in the duo/trio scene and monologue categories are awarded scholarships to either Southern Utah University or the Utah Shakespeare Festival summer classes, depending on the grade of the student.

Ray Jones Award: Given to seniors, this award is a $1000 scholarship to Southern Utah University.

Barbara Barrett Award: Given to juniors and under, this award is a $500 scholarship to the Festival’s summer acting intensive Actor Training, or a tuition scholarship to Shakespeare for Junior Actor Training.

Larry Lott Acting Award: In conjunction with the ensemble competition, judges annually recognize the best actor in an ensemble scene in each division. The recipient of this award received a trophy for his or her accomplishments and, if a senior, a $1,000 scholarship to SUU.

Acting Competition Winners

Buckingham Division

Sweepstakes First Place (tie): American Fork High School, American Fork, Utah; and Salt Lake School of the Performing Arts, Salt Lake City, Utah
Sweepstakes Third Place (tie): Skyridge High School, Lehi, Utah; and Westlake High School, Saratoga Springs, Utah

Ensemble First Place: Bingham High School, South Jordan, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Skyridge High School, Lehi, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: American Fork High School, American Fork, Utah

Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Zack Elzey (Ray Jones Award) and Abi Scoville (Ray Jones Award), Lone Peak High School, Highland, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Sammie Cook, Mekyja Jenkins, and Sumner Shoell, Salt Lake School of the Performing Arts, Salt Lake City, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Chelsea Ottley, Kartchner Perkins, and Kate Zander, Riverton High School, Riverton, Utah

Monologue First Place: Casey Keefe (Barbara Barrett Award), Salt Lake School of the Performing Arts, Salt Lake City, Utah
Monologue Second Place: Alice Ellsworth, Skyridge High School, Lehi, Utah
Monologue Third Place: Lora Smith, Skyridge High School, Lehi, Utah

Larry Lott Acting Award: Milo Marsden, Salt Lake School of the Performing Arts, Salt Lake City, Utah

Oxford Division

Sweepstakes First Place (tie): Corner Canyon High School, Draper, Utah, Hillcrest High School, Midvale, Utah, and Salem Hills High School, Salem, Utah

Ensemble First Place: Hillcrest High School, Midvale, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Lehi High School, Lehi, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Corner Canyon High School, Draper, Utah

Duo/Trio Scenes First Place (tie): Kaleb Maher (Ray Jones Award) and Paige Richards (Barbara Barrett Award), Corner Canyon High School, Draper, Utah; and Katy Cox (Ray Jones Award) and David Mitchell (Ray Jones Award), Provo High School, Provo, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Ashley Horiuchi, Frankie Otis, and Oliver Smith, Hillcrest High School, Midvale, Utah

Monologue First Place: Gabriel Moyar (Barbara Barrett Award), Salem Hills High School, Salem, Utah
Monologue Second Place: Kami Loertscher, Hillcrest High School, Midvale, Utah
Monologue Third Place: Emma Butler, Salem Hills High School, Salem, Utah

Larry Lott Acting Award: Casey Black, Provo High School, Provo, Utah

Cambridge Division

Sweepstakes First Place: Liahona Senior Preparatory Academy, Pleasant Grove, Utah
Sweepstakes Second Place: Cedar City High School, Cedar City, Utah
Sweepstakes Third Place (tie): Canyon View High School, Cedar City, Utah; and Orem High School, Orem, Utah

Ensemble First Place: Cedar City High School, Cedar City, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Canyon View High School, Cedar City, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Liahona Senior Preparatory Academy, Pleasant Grove, Utah

Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Jose Briseno (Ray Jones Award) and Ashley Hansen (Ray Jones Award), Tuacahn High School
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Amelia Gatherum and Lincoln Paul, Canyon View High School, Cedar City, Utah
Duo/Trio Third Place: Spencer Evans, Gabriel Leavitt and Anthony Madsen, Liahona Senior Preparatory Academy, Pleasant Grove, Utah

Monologue First Place: Marlie Root (Ray Jones Award), Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts, Ivins, Utah
Monologue Second Place: Joseph Lee Sawyer, Orem High School, Orem, Utah
Monologue Third Place: Joleah Long, Liahona Senior Preparatory Academy, Pleasant Grove, Utah     

Larry Lott Acting Award: Lincoln Paul, Canyon View High School, Cedar City, Utah 

Westminster Division

Sweepstakes First Place: Rockwell Charter High School, Eagle Mountain, Utah
Sweepstakes Second Place: DaVinci Academy of Science and Arts, Ogden, Utah
Sweepstakes Third Place (tie): American International School of Utah, Murray, Utah; and Venture High School, Marriott-Slatersville, Utah

Ensemble First Place:  Rockwell Carter High School, Eagle Mountain, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: DaVinci Academy of Science and Arts, Ogden, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: American Leadership Academy, Queen Creek, Arizona 

Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Emma Hailstone (Barbara Barrett Award), Alexia Muhlestin (Barbara Barrett Award), and Jashub Young (Ray Jones Award), Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy, Lindon, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Isaiah Anderson and Kathryn Hull, Rockwell Charter High School, Eagle Mountain, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Jake Meese and Kade Santiago, Rockwell Charter High School, Eagle Mountain, Utah

Monologue First Place: Bronwyn Kennington (Barbara Barrett Award), Karl G. Maesar Preparatory Academy, Lindon, Utah
Monologue Second Place: Caleb Farlick, American International School of Utah, Murray, Utah
Monologue Third Place: Moriya Nelson, American International School of Utah, Murray Utah

Larry Lott Acting Award: Samantha Lofgren, Rockwell Charter High School, Eagle Mountain, Utah

Stratford Division

Sweepstakes First Place (tie): Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy, Lindon, Utah; and American Fork Junior High School, American Fork, Utah
Sweepstakes Third Place (tie): DaVinci Academy of Science and Arts, Ogden, Utah; and Liahona Junior Preparatory Academy, Pleasant Grove, Utah

Ensemble First Place: Timberline Middle School, Alpine, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy, Lindon, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: American Fork Junior High School; American For, Utah

Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Elizabeth Ashton (Barbara Barrett Award) and Hannah Evans (Barbara Barrett Award), Timberline Middle School, Alpine, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Viola Day, Leo Sanjinez, and Gregory Tullis, Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy, Lindon, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Samuel Karlinsey and Hannah Ziedner, American Fork Junior High School, American Fork, Utah

Monologue First Place: Ciara Johnson (Barbara Barrett Award), Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy, Lindon, Utah
Monologue Second Place: Garrett Taylor, DaVinci Academy of Science and Arts, Ogden, Utah
Monologue Third Place (tie): Harley Thomas, American Fork Junior High School, American Fork, Utah; and Lucy Josephson, Vista Heights Middle School, Ivins, Utah

Larry Lott Acting Award: Max Wright, Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy, Lindon, Utah

Essex Division

Sweepstakes First Place: First Stage Young Theatre Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Sweepstakes Second Place: Youth Theatre–University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
Sweepstakes Third Place: Logan Youth Theatre Company, Logan, Utah

Ensemble First Place: Sweet Harmony Performing, Kaysville, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Youth Theatre–University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: First Stage Young Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Duo/Trio Scenes First Place:  Sylvie Arnold (Ray Jones Award), Chantae Miller (Ray Jones Award), and Jonathon Neustifter (Ray Jones Award), First Stage Young Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Mary Jensik and Bradley Nowacek, First Stage Young Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Connor Macintosh and Olivia Warner, Youth Theatre–University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah

Monologue First Place: Clay Webb (Ray Jones Award), Youth Theatre University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
Monologue Second Place: Claire Zempel, First Stage Young Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Monologue Third Place: Lily Groll, Logan Youth Shakespeare, Logan, Utah

Larry Lott Acting Award: Ashley Nord, First Stage Young Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

DANCE/CHOREOGRAPHY COMPETITION

For the dance portion, students were able to compete in duo/trio or ensemble groups. In the duo/trio competition, two or three dancers presented a three- to six-minute interpretation of a Shakespeare play or sonnet. In the ensemble competition, a group of dancers from a school interpreted a three- to four-minute Shakespeare play or sonnet.

Dance/Choreography Winners

The dance scholarships to Southern Utah University were awarded to Anika Grimes, Corner Canyon High School, Draper, Utah; and Darcie Miles, Timpanogos High School, Orem, Utah.

Buckingham Division

Ensemble First Place: Skyridge High School, Lehi, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Westlake High School, Saratoga Springs, Utah
Ensemble Third Place (tie): Lone Peak High School, Highland, Utah; and Salt Lake School of the Performing Arts, Salt Lake City, Utah

Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Lily Hammons and Tanner Robertson, Westlake High School, Saratoga Springs, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Nathan Ahlstrom and Morgan Wellman, Lone Peak High School, Highland, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Jayden Herman, Luis Ortiz, and Edwin Perez, Granger High School, West Valley, Utah

Oxford Division

Ensemble First Place: Corner Canyon High School, Draper, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Provo High School, Provo, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Lehi High School, Lehi, Utah

**Duo/Trio Scenes First Place:**Sydnee Frazier, Bree Schwendiman, and Sarah Sullivan, Desert Hills High School, St. George, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: KC Bell, Kayla Farrimond, and Cameron Sheppard, Kearns High School, Kearns, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Anika Grimes, Hannah Mohr, and Britney Sullivan, Corner Canyon High School, Draper, Utah

Cambridge Division

Ensemble First Place: Canyon View High School, Cedar City, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Hurricane High School, Hurricane, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts, Ivins, Utah

Duo/Trio First Place: Caler Tregeagle and Mercedes Waite, Orem High School, Orem, Utah
Duo/Trio Second Place: Anna Hammond and Anna Warren, Pacfica Christian High School, Newport Beach, California
Duo/Trio Third Place: Sydnee Sabaitis and Baylie Wright, Pine View High School, St. George, Utah

Westminster Division

Ensemble First Place: American International School of Utah, Murray, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Karl G. Maeser Prearatory Academy, Lindon, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Venture High School, Marriott-Slatersville, Utah

Duo/Trio First Place: Jordan Gulledge and Cassidy Weirsdorf, Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy, Lindon, Utah
Duo/Trio Second Place: Moriya Nelson, Abbie Simpson, and Abirami Tharmarajah, American International School of Utah, Murray, Utah
Duo/Trio Third Place: Matthew Crosby and Rebecca Harper, Paradigm High School, South Jordan, Utah      

Stratford Division

Ensemble First Place: Vista School of the Performing Arts, Ivins, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Vista Heights Middle School, Saratoga Springs, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Willowcreek Middle School, Lehi, Utah

**Duo/Trio Scenes First Place:**Sydni Desmond, Sydney Johnson, and Kelsey Tippetts, Vista Heights Middle School, Saratoga Springs, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Lyvia Day, Ambrie Kirkman, and Emma Lamb, Timberline Middle School, Alpine, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Esther Dittmann, Isabella Sarria, and Kecia Terrell, Vista School of the Performing Arts, Ivins, Utah

Essex Division

Ensemble First Place: Canyon View Arts Center, Riverton, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Youth Theatre–University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah

**Duo/Trio Scenes First Place:**Maile Edwards, Ainsley Keppner, and Kirsten Whitefield, Canyon View Arts Center, Riverton, Utah          

MUSIC COMPETITION

The music competition encouraged students to explore and develop a relationship with the music of the Renaissance (music prior to 1650). Students were encouraged to utilize creative combinations of instruments; however, no instrumentation was required. For the music competition, students were able to compete in Madrigals and Minstrels. Madrigals (a minimum of five people) presented six- to ten-minutes of Renaissance music. Minstrels (one to four people) presented three- to seven-minutes of Renaissance music. Schools in the music competition were divided into two divisions, according to size: large and small.

Music Winners

Large School Division

Madrigals First Place: Pleasant Grove High School, Pleasant Grove, Utah
Madrigals Second Place: Jordan High School, Sandy, Utah
Madrigals Third Place: Corner Canyon High School, Draper, Utah

**Minstrels First Place:**Venture High School, Marriott-Slaterville, Utah

Small School Division

Madrigals First Place: Paradigm High School, South Jordan, Utah
Madrigals Second Place: Salt Lake School of the Performing Arts, Salt Lake City, Utah
**Madrigals Third Place:**DaVinci Academy of Science and Arts, Ogden, Utah

Minstrels First Place: Payson High School, Payson, Utah
Minstrels Second Place: American International School of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
Minstrels Third Place: Perry High School, Gilbert, Arizona

Honorable Mentions

Madrigals Honorable Mentions: Herriman High School, Herriman, Utah; and Pine View High School, St. George, Utah

Outstanding Performers

Minstrels Outstanding Performer: Jessica James Lewis, Davinci Academy of Science and Arts, Ogden, Utah

TECHNICAL THEATRE COMPETITION

The final competition was in the technical theatre area for students who work behind the scenes creating sound, lighting, props, scenery, and costumes. In the portfolio area, students were given the chance to have their technical and/or design portfolios evaluated by professionals in technical theatre. Technical theatre students were able to compete in Tech Olympics, with winners named in costumes, lighting, make-up, props, rigging, set construction, sound, and stage management. Overall school winners were also named. The best portfolio and runners-up were also recognized.

Tech Olympics Winners

Costumes: Ambe Kingdon, Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts, Salt Lake City, Utah
Lighting: River Sprague, Payson High School, Payson, Utah
Make-up: Aubree Hatch, Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts, Salt Lake City, Utah
Props: Shyler Naegle, Corner Canyon High School, Draper, Utah
Rigging: Kate Zander, Riverton High School, Riverton, Utah
Set Construction: Colton Lowther, Perry High School, Gilbert, Arizona
Sound: Tyler King, Brighton High School, Salt Lake City, Utah
Stage Management: Sage Jacobs, Riverton High School, Riverton, Utah

Overall School Winners

**First Place:**Hillcrest High School, Midvale, Utah
**Second Place:**Riverton High School, Riverton, Utah
Third Place: Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts, Salt Lake City, Utah

Tech Portfolio Winners

Overall Winner: Camryn Crowe, Corner Canyon High School, Draper, Utah
Runners-up: Skylar Graham, Del Sol Academy of the Performing Arts, Las Vegas, Nevada; and Rachel Love, Davinci Academy of Science and Art, Ogden, Utah