| Monmouth Co.Branch President, Richard Biernacki playing piano for the English Music Hall, June 10, 2007 at Historic Bingham Hall, Rumson, NJ |
| Board Members of the ESU Monmouth Branch. July 6, 2008 |
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Welcome to the Monmouth County, New Jersey Branch of the English-Speaking Union of the United States! We are in what is known as the Garden State. The opportunities for the work and advancement of the ESU are as plentiful as the wonderful foods and produce of this great State – and we have great seafood and the shore in the area of this Branch. Come visit us! |
2010 ESU Branch Shakespeare Competition At Brookdale Community College's Performing Arts Center on a recent Saturday twenty-two teenagers from various Monmouth County High Schools "strutted and fretted" their several minutes upon the stage reciting monologues and sonnets by William Shakespeare. The occasion was the twentieth annual Shakespeare Competition for High School Students sponsored by The English-Speaking Union, Monmouth County Branch. The young thespians were judged by theater professionals including John Bukovec, assistant Professor of Theatre Arts at Brookdale; Kate Cordaro, Director of Education for The Two River Theatre Company; William Henning and John Rathman. The judges rated the actors on their ability to convey, through voice and body language, without props, costumes or faux accents, their unique and effective understanding of the characters and themes they had selected from Shakespeare's 37 plays and 154 sonnets.
Each of the contestants represented his or her own high school, having been selected by placing first or second in an internal competition supervised by a teacher in that school. After their performances which were delivered in front of the red curtain and without special lighting or electronic amplification, the students and the approximately one hundred audience members anxiously awaited the judges' decisions. In the closing ceremony, Ellen Quirk, co-chair of the event, presented Honorable Mention certificates and checks for $50 each to three students. They were Matt Dubrow of Red Bank Regional (teacher Joe Russo); Evelyn Giovine of Ranney School (teacher John Doyle) and Kayla Riddleberger of Middletown South High School (teacher Alexis Kozak.)
Janet Pitman, chair of the event, presented the runners-up with awards and certificates. Third place and $100 went to Katherine Scott of Red Bank Catholic, portraying Lady Macbeth (teacher Keith Gissubel); 2nd place and $150 went to Einat Sapegin of Colts Neck High School, portraying Shylock from Merchant of Venice (teacher Reynold Foreman.) 1st place and $200 were presented by ESU Chairman, Richard Biernacki, and went to Reid Henderson for his excellent portrayal of Jacques from As You Like It and for his recitation of Sonnet 76, "Why is my verse so barren of new pride?"
The finalists were invited to perform for the Monmouth County ESU membership at their April 11th "Scholars' Spring Tea" at Bingham Hall in Rumson.
As the first place winner, Reid Henderson also won an all-expense paid weekend in New York City in April where he represented the Monmouth County Branch at the English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition on the stage at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center. Reid joined 57 students from other Branches of The English-Speaking Union around the United States. A report on the national competition is posted on on www.esuus.org.
TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP FOR SUMMER STUDY
 Pictured, 2010 Scholar Amy Acchione, English/Drama teacher, Howell HS, (center) with Richard Biernacki, ESU Monmouth County Branch President and Janet Pitman, Chair of Education.
Each year The Monmouth County Branch of The English-Speaking Union offers a scholarship to a Monmouth County high school teacher of English, drama, or social studies for summer study in one of three British University Summer School programs: The International Globe Centre in London, Oxford University or Edinburgh University. Since the early 1960's, the Monmouth County NJ Branch has awarded over thirty such scholarships to high school teachers who have benefited from these comprehensive international programs and who have returned to speak about their experiences with our branch members at Scholars' Teas. All interested teachers are encouraged to apply, but preference will be given to candidates with three or more years of teaching experience. Follow the links to the 2011 Scholarship Application and BUSS Program Information on this site.
For more information on the BUSS Scholarship Program see the brochure
To apply for the 2011 Teacher Scholarship complete and return the BUSS Scholarship Application
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