Daniel Light has no idea winning the lead role in Bethlehem Central High School’s fall production of Romeo and Juliet would lead to a trip to New York City.
After reading the play in English class and painstakingly learning about the emotions behind the lines to play the role of Romeo, Light used the monologue from the famous balcony scene to compete in the school-level competition of the English-Speaking Union’s 28th Annual Shakespeare Competition.
“I heard about the competition last year from a friend and I thought about competing, but didn’t get around to it,” he said.
This year, he did get around to the competition and he had an advantage because of his experience. Still, Light was nervous because seven or eight other students had signed up as well.
For the competition, he recited the first 20 lines of Romeo’s monologue from the play’s balcony scene.
“It helped that I knew what (Romeo) was supposed to be feeling and how he was dealing with the things going on around him,” said Light.
“Acting classes are a little more instructive on the how as opposed to English class, which is the why. Why the characters do what they do,” Light continued. “In English, you know the premise of the play but the actual play is more in depth emotionally. I didn’t used to like Romeo. I thought he was shallow and uninteresting. Then I did the play and learned how challenging and interesting he really was.”
The competition’s next level would be tougher. Having advanced to the Albany Branch competition on Feb. 12, contestants would again need to perform a 20-line monologue but would also need to select a sonnet to recite.
Light said he decided to stick with the same balcony monologue since he knew it so well, but chose Sonnet 90, one of Shakespeare’s more aggressive poems, to offset the dialogue from the play’s famous love scene.
“It wasn’t the first one I picked,” said Light. “I at first thought of doing Sonnet 20 but it’s a bit controversial. It’s a love poem but it’s vague as if it’s to a man or woman. I didn’t feel it was the best antithesis to my monolog. I thought it would be best to let the judges see a wider range of my abilities.”
Light recited the poem and performed the monologue, and again won first place to advance to the national level.
According to the English-Speaking Union, the competition helps students meet language arts standards and develop English language proficiency.
In the Spring, Light will go to New York City to compete at the Lincoln Center against 59 other students. He will need to recite a monologue and sonnet one more time, then he will have to recite a “cold monologue” the judges give him the same day.
Light said he was unsure if he would recite the same monologue. It depends on the number of lines required and how much he can do to prepare.
“It’s difficult to choose a monologue to study that they might give you because there are so many. The best preparation I would say would be to look through the works and choose the most eloquent and powerful,” he said. “Be familiar with the characters and the four questions actors need to know on stage. Then I might not know the monologue but I’ll know the characters’ motives, so I’ll know how to portray them.”
Light will compete at the national level in April.
