Aleks Kostic, senior, placed second in the English-Speaking Union (ESU) Kansas City Branch Shakespeare Competition on Feb. 19 at the Plaza Library in Kansas City, Mo.

Kostic won first place in the school competition, therefore qualifying her for branch.

At the ESU Kansas City Branch Shakespeare Competition, she won $100 and a medal for second place.

Kostic prepared for the competition by working with Vicki Kohl, English teacher; David Hastings, theatre teacher, and Cathy Smith, English teacher.

She said each teacher brought something new to the table for her monologue and sonnet. Kostic said Kohl “worked with her a lot on the language, meaning, and rhythm used in the sonnet and the monologue.”

Kostic said Hastings “approached it in a different way, looking more at emotion and focused on how to make the character something I relate to.”

Though Kostic has never taken a class from Smith, she decided to seek further advice from her. Kostic said “she talked me through the more technical side of the speech and how to play with the blocking in order to push the comedy of the piece.”

The variety of teachers Kostic had to help guide her helped her to succeed in the competition.

This was Kostic’s first time in the competition, and she said, “It was pretty swell. We got cake after we were done, so that rocked.”