Young Michigan actors to converge at Interlochen for statewide Shakespeare competition
The winner of the March 1 competition will represent the state at the English Speaking Union’s National Shakespeare Competition in New York City.
On Saturday, March 1, young actors from across the state of Michigan will converge at Interlochen Arts Academy for the second-annual Michigan Shakespeare Competition.
Open to high school students in grades 9-12, the competition challenges participants to memorize, interpret, and perform Shakespeare’s timeless monologues and sonnets for a panel of expert judges. The winner of the competition will represent the state of Michigan at the English Speaking Union’s National Shakespeare Competition, which will take place April 26-28 in New York City.
The National Shakespeare Competition is composed of three levels: School competitions, branch competitions, and the National Competition. Each participating high school hosts a local competition for their students and selects a champion to represent their school at the branch competition. Branch competition winners advance to the National Competition in New York City to compete for the top prize: A session at the British American Drama Academy’s Midsummer Conservatory Program in Oxford.
The Arts Academy Theatre Division first held the Michigan branch competition in spring 2024. Director of Theatre Bill Church—who studied at Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust through an English Speaking Union program—and Instructor of Theatre Andy McGinn were inspired to host the event after learning that the competition did not have an active Michigan branch. Arts Camp alumna Arielle Olkhovsky of Cranbrook, Michigan won the 2024 competition.
The 2025 competition will be judged by David Montee and Janice Blixt. A former Interlochen Arts Academy faculty member and frequent Interlochen Shakespeare Festival performer, Montee has won two Wilde Awards for Best Performance of the Bard and authored the 2014 book Translating Shakespeare: A Guidebook for Young Actors. Blixt is the producing artistic director of the Michigan Shakespeare Festival and has also won multiple Wilde Awards. In addition to receiving personalized feedback from the judges, participants will have the opportunity to attend workshops about Shakespeare led by Blixt and Montee.
Arts Academy senior Archie Darlington will represent Interlochen at the March 1 Michigan branch competition. All Arts Academy theatre students are welcome—and highly encouraged—to attend the judges’ workshops.
Although the deadline to participate in the 2025 competition has passed, Church hopes more Michigan high schools will get involved in the future.
“Shakespeare is, in my opinion, the world’s greatest playwright,” Church says. “The understanding of the acting process that a young actor gets while working on Shakespeare will help them in whatever material they choose to work on for the rest of their career: The close attention to script, the details, the rhythm, the brilliant characterizations, the energy it takes to make realistic the heightened language. It’s incredible material to work on.”
For more information—including eligibility criteria, competition details, and how to participate—visit the Michigan Shakespeare Competition webpage.
