"Here is her picture: let me see; I think

If I had such a tire, this face of mine

Were full as lovely as is this of hers"

These lines, spoken by Julia in Act IV, Scene 4, of "Two Gentlemen of Verona," along with Sonnet 90, made up the winning presentation by Holly Strother, a sophomore at Pinecrest High School, at the ninth annual Shakespeare Competition of the Sandhills/Pinehurst Chapter of the English-Speaking Union.

This event was held Feb. 25 at the Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities.

In April, Strother will travel to New York City to compete against 59 contestants from other English-Speaking Union chapters throughout the United States. The national winner will then receive a full tuition scholarship to study acting in Shakespeare's homeland, England.

The runner-up in the competition was Lindsey Houseman, also a -sophomore at Pinecrest High School.

Each of the competitors memorized a Shakespeare monologue and a sonnet to present at the competition. They were judged on their understanding of Shakespeare, communication to the audience, artistic skill and overall impact; they were not permitted to use microphones, costumes or props. The judges were Shakespeare scholars, teachers and actors.

Eleven finalists from five area high schools - Jack Britt, North Moore, The O'Neal School and Union Pines, in addition to Pinecrest - were selected from approximately 220 fellow students. All 11 finalists were honored for their accomplishments and were presented with certificates of achievement and gift cards.

From Pinecrest High School the participants were Ashley Bleggi, Kaylan Gerdes, Lindsey Houseman, Erin Kratzer and Holly Strother; the faculty advisers were Libby Carter, Paula Boyer and Adam Faw. From Union Pines High School, the participants were Elena D'Argenio and Holly Mofield; the faculty adviser was Judy Osborne. From North Moore High School, the participant was Brittney Woodle; the faculty adviser was Clay Gaitskill. From Jack Britt High School, the participants were Lina Kuczero and Alec Niccum; the faculty adviser was Hillary Bogers. From The O'Neal School the -participant was Parker Fisher; the faculty adviser was Michael Norman.

In recognition of their dedicated work in preparing the students for the Shakespeare Competition, the faculty advisers were presented with -certificates of appreciation and gift cards.

A special feature of this year's -competition was the establishment of the Dr. Vertrees Hollingsworth Award. A trophy inscribed with a -tribute to the late Dr. Hollingsworth was accepted by Holly Strother for Pinecrest High School, where it will be on display until next year's competition.

Each year a plaque on the trophy will be inscribed with the name of the -winning student and school.

Hollingsworth and his wife, Alice Hollingsworth, started the local Shakespeare Competition and were instrumental in bringing an appreciation of the work of William Shakespeare to the local communities.

The National Shakespeare Competition is held annually and includes entrants from 60 English-Speaking Union chapters in the United States. The Shakespeare Competition is one of many educational programs sponsored by the Sandhills/Pinehurst Chapter of the English-Speaking Union.

For membership information about the English-Speaking Union or its activities, call (910) >692-7727.