Since the start of the new year, sixteen students at Camden High School have been on a personal journey with the theatrical works of William Shakespeare. That journey, and the latest chapter in a long-running Camden High School tradition, reached its pinnacle as the Camden High School theater department presented its 33rd Annual Shakespeare Competition on January 27th and 28th.
The competition challenges students to immerse themselves in the wide-ranging works of Shakespeare, and put themselves in the shoes of a given character for a monologue performance. Students spent January preparing their work in and out of the classroom, with teachers and classmates providing guidance along the way. As with past years, the class was also fortunate to have the counsel of retired CCSD teacher and Shakespeare aficionado Robin Edkin, who brought the competition to Camden over 30 years ago. Today, the contest is organized and operated under the leadership and dedication of Stephanie Heath.
The contest builds self-confidence in front of an audience, expands comprehension skills by having students take on challenging material, and promotes understanding of character development and interpretation through detailed portrayal.
The school-wide competition is part of a larger national effort organized by the English Speaking Union. It includes advancement opportunities to the regional level, and a national competition in New York City. Top competitors can win cash prizes, and immersive Shakespeare experiences in the United States and Oxford, England. Over 15,000 students take part each year. Judges at the national level have included top stars such as Christopher Reeve, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dana Ivey, and Gene Wilder.
For this year’s school-wide competition, all sixteen students participated in a preliminary round on Tuesday, January 27th. The group brought a clear passion for the material to the stage while bringing Shakespeare to life for all in attendance. The judging panel for this round was composed of CCSD teachers Amanda Hughes, Kari Carpenter, and MacKenzie Pereira. That panel was tasked with determining the top eight competitors, who advanced to the finals on Wednesday, January 28th.
The eight finalists brought an impressive level of talent and preparation to the stage, which made decisions very challenging for a different panel of judges. Four students were selected to receive awards by the finals panel, which included Patti Kimball, Chelsea Light-Morrison, and Dr. Wayne Edkin. Award winners were as follows:
Honorable Mention: Mikinzie Collins, portraying Juliet from “Romeo and Juliet”
Third Place: Peyton Shivers, portraying Bottom (as Pyramus) from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Second Place: Brooklyn Waterman, portraying Sylvia from “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”
First Place: Gage Grinnell, portraying King Henry from “Henry V”
With his victory, Grinnell will travel to Syracuse Stage to compete in the regional competition on February 28th. He will vie for the opportunity to advance to the national competition in New York City. The senior ascended to the top step of the podium in the school competition after landing runner-up honors last year, and was the only returning finalist from 2025’s senior-laden group.
Other finalist qualifiers were as follows:
Nick Lawler, portraying Bottom (as Pyramus) from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
Kayleigh Harrington, portraying Gertrude from “Hamlet”
Natalie Hotaling, portraying Valentine from “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”
Garet Rocker, portraying Richard from “Richard III”
