Shakespearean Idol

Make Your Choice for this Year’s Shakespearean Idol

Have you ever yearned to see Buffalo’s civic leaders compete with each other by performing great speeches and poems by William Shakespeare?  Of course you have!

On Monday, December 3, Buffalo will crown its next Shakespearean Idol at the Buffalo History Museum. Esteemed civic leaders will compete for the prize before all-star judges from Buffalo’s theater scene.  

There will also be a special prize for the contestant who receives the most sponsors through our Mightycause site, so – whether you can attend the contest or not – please take a moment to sponsor your favorite contestant with a donation.

This year’s judges are Irish Classical Theatre Artistic Director Vincent O’Neill, Paul Robeson Theatre artistic director Paulette Harris, and playwright Annette Daniels Taylor.  But it’s the audience vote that crowns the winner.

Our contestants are Erie County Legislator April Baskin, Buffalo Museum of Science President Marisa Wigglesworth, Niagara River Greenway Commission Executive Director Greg Stevens, African Heritage Food Coop Founder Alexander Wright, Canopy of Neighbors Executive Director Sasha Yerkovich, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library Board Chair Frank Housh, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo Program Officer Ba Zan Lin, Buffalo State Educational Coordinator Win Thant, and Preservation Buffalo Niagara Director of Preservation Services Christiana Limniatis. 

The evening also features a special guest performance by Peace of the City’s youth ensemble, Shakespeare Comes to the 716.

Doors open at 7pm, and the contest starts promptly at 7:30pm.  After the contest, the audience is invited to stay for drinks, desserts, and socializing.

Donations of $25 and up earn you a ticket to the event, including drinks and dessert. All proceeds go to benefit the Partnership for the Public Good, a non-profit group that unites 284 community organizations working to build a better Buffalo.