Kajal Dongre ’22 and Zack Finacchio ’21 Tops in School Shakespeare Competition

Kajal Dongre ’22 and Zack Finacchio ’21 are the winner and runner-up, respectively, in Lawrenceville’s annual Shakespeare competition, held in association with the English Speaking Union (ESU).

Dongre has advanced to the Princeton Branch competition, to be held on Sunday, Feb. 21. National finals will be held on April 26. Scholarships to the British American Drama Academy Mid-Summer Conservatory Program and American Shakespeare Center Theatre Camp will be provided for the first and second place winners, respectively, and the third place finisher will receive $1,000.

In the virtual Lawrenceville contest, Dongre performed Phoebe's monologue in Act 3, scene 5 from Shakespeare's “As You Like It,” as well as sonnet #90. Finacchio performed both Edgar's monologue from Act 2, scene 3 from Shakespeare's “King Lear’ and sonnet #95.

Per ESU regulations, there was a judge's panel of three Shakespeare experts, Miranda Christoffersen (English department chair), Katey O'Malley (English teacher), and Matthew Campbell (director of theatre).  The panel assessed each of the memorized performances in two categories: understanding and expression/communication.  Aspects of meaning, language, and character were evaluated, alongside vocal quality, physical interpretation, and general ownership of their selected monologue and sonnet.

“All of this year's performances were compelling in their own right, and it is always challenging to apply the criteria to student performances,” said Campbell, who will help prep Dongre for the next round of competition. “Both Kajal and Zack met high standards in preparing and performing, tapping into the objectives of their respective characters and releasing the meaning in their sonnet performances.” 

The ESU National Shakespeare Competition is a performance-based educational program serving grades 9-12. Since 1983, the competition has engaged more than 360,000 young people. Approximately 2,500 teachers and 20,000 students in nearly 60 ESU Branch communities participate each year.

For additional information, please contact Lisa M. Gillard Hanson, director of Public Relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.