On November 28, the third year of the Shakespeare Festival took place. The sophomores took time with their English classes to memorize lines and prepare for this day. They performed different acts from a variety of Shakespeare plays. The freshmen, juniors and their teachers enjoyed watching the plays, which lasted about 20 each. There were two rotations so each group performed twice.

Groups of sophomores were scattered throughout campus with different themes to enhance their Shakespeare performances. There were adjustments from previous years to make the performance more enjoyable for the audiences. 

Ms. Ellis, an upper school English teacher, said, “I felt really good about how the kids did and how they embraced the project. There were a lot of really exciting performances to see and experience. The changes we made from last year were simplifying the structure to see more performances with less movement around the campus.” 

Most sophomores were nervous about performing in front of their upper school peers, but once they started, the majority felt more comfortable by the second rotation. They also bonded over being able to share this experience together. 

Jane Anderson, a sophomore at ESJ, said, “The Shakespeare Festival was a cool experience and will be a high school memory for me. Although it took some time memorizing lines, it was nice to experience it with the rest of the grade.” 

The Shakespeare festival went smoothly and everyone finished on time. One of the freshmen, Skyler Luzar said, “I really liked watching the sophomores perform because it excited me for next year when I get to do the same. Everyone did a really good job.” 

The Shakespeare Festival is a tradition at ESJ that is unique and unlike most traditions at other schools. It is a good way for students to learn Shakespeare, while having fun with it. Episcopal should continue this tradition for the years to come, as it is a special and memorable upper school experience.

Image courtesy of Fleming Walthour ’25.