Area high school students bring Shakespeare to life, lending their own interpretations of his monologues and sonnets as they compete for a berth in the national competition in New York City.

The 32nd annual event, sponsored by the Kansas City Branch of the English-Speaking Union, is designed to develop students’ speaking and critical thinking skills as they explore Shakespeare. It features the winners of preliminary competitions at KC-area high schools, plus a contest for home-schooled students. Local champions twice have gone on to win in New York, where the national event – this year tentatively scheduled for May 1-3 – is held in the Lincoln Center.

The Kansas City competition is part of an extended celebration of Shakespeare surrounding a June exhibit at the Library that will feature a rare copy of the First Folio, the first collection of his plays.