Shakespeare in the Chapel
In As You Like It, Shakespeare gives us a forest where people step away from public roles and speak more honestly than they ever could at court. Characters wander, reflect, listen, and discover who they are when the noise falls away. It is a play that trusts language to reveal meaning slowly.
That spirit shaped a recent morning at Miller School, as students participated in the English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition. One by one, eight students stepped forward to deliver monologues drawn from across Shakespeare’s plays.
The performances moved easily between comedy, history, and tragedy. Lilian Amos and Rysen McKnight both worked within As You Like It, approaching the text from different angles. Jun Cawley, performing as Hermia from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, brought Shakespeare’s character to life.
From the world of Shakespeare’s histories and tragedies came equally thoughtful moments. Abbey Rogers explored a monologue from Henry VIII, while Ben Norris took on Hamlet’s inward struggle. Two students entered the emotional terrain of Romeo and Juliet: Maeve Buckley and Cate Boehmeke, each offering a distinct interpretation of Juliet’s voice. Justus Chruma performed Prospero from The Tempest, navigating the complex character beautifully.
What stood out was not volume or theatricality, but attention. Each student took time to understand where the language turned and why it mattered within the plays. These were not recitations, but moments built on listening to the text and understanding the characters.
The work was guided by Becca LaVoie, who facilitated the process and helped students move beyond memorization toward interpretation. In that space, Shakespeare felt present and alive in the Chapel.
For a short while, the Chapel belonged to the words. Like the forest in As You Like It, it became a place where language could be tried out, tested, and understood.
Maeve Buckley won the school compeition and will represent MSA at the Blackfriars Theater for the regional competition in February.
About ESU Shakespeare Competition
The English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition provides teachers across the country with a performance-based program for the study of English Language Arts and Shakespeare. It is a school-based program serving Grades 9-12. Through the Competition, students develop communication skills and an appreciation of the power of language and literature. The Competition has engaged more than 300,000 young people since its inception in 1983.
Through the English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition, students:
develop essential skills: critical thinking, close reading and public speaking
increase self-confidence through reading, analysis and performance of Shakespeare
explore the beauty of Shakespeare's language and classic themes
bring the timeless works of Shakespeare to life and learn to express his words with understanding, feeling and clarity
meet local, state and national standards in English Language Arts and Drama.
Students read, analyze, perform and recite Shakespearean monologues and sonnets in three qualifying stages: at the school, community and national levels. Approximately 2,500 teachers and 20,000 students in nearly 60 ESU Branch communities participate each year.
The ESU National Shakespeare Competition has been recognized by the Globe Center (USA), the Children's Theatre Foundation of America and the American Academy of Achievement. Many distinguished judges have served on the Competition panels.