The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

By Colleen Pierson
WKTV Contributor

How do you spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S? One only has to be in the audience for Circle’s musical comedy to find out. The season opener is successful with tremendous audience appeal, superior talent, innovative staging and musical delights.

The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee follows six nerdy and eclectic tweens who are definitely quirky, interesting and share their life stories with effortless humor and emotion. It’s a small cast with big voices.

“What is the language of origins?” “Can you use that in a sentence?” “What’s the definition please?” These phrases take us back to some of the spelling bees of our school days. But what is the most memorable are the life stories of every cast member. The stories emotionally connect us throughout.

Kudos to co-directors Chris and Jenna Grooms for directing what seem to be young characters, but has a cast of all ages portraying that specific age group. They all try to spell their way through words like “capybara,” qaymaqam” “Cystitis” and other words I have never heard of.

Who will win the spelling championship of a lifetime? Audience members are on the edge of their seats just waiting to find out. There is no intermission which just adds to the suspense of the plot.

The show was a winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book. Well-deserved as the jokes, storylines, and content are relatable, emotional, funny and as clever as the characters themselves.

Zachary Avery, in the role of Leaf, doesn’t know how to spell, but when he goes into a trance, the results are correct and humorous. (Courtesy, Circle Theatre)

Another interesting aspect of the show is four audience members are called upon to compete in the bee. This provides an audience immersion delight and tests the casts’ improvisational techniques.

Each cast member has their own unique way of competing to win the spelling bee. Braden Bacon, portraying the role of Barfee, spells the word out on the ground with his foot. He gets the visual and then speaks it. Zachary Avery, in the role of Leaf, doesn’t know how to spell, but when he goes into a trance, the results are correct and humorous.

Usually there are stand out performers in musicals. This cast are all stand outs. Impeccable comedic timing, excellent voice and diction skills, in depth characterizations and gifted singers make this show one of the best I have seen in a long time.

Choreographer Mary Lohman and Music Director Scott Patrick Bell should also be commended on their creative efforts and in-depth talents.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee runs at Circle Theatre through May 20. Tickets and information available at circletheatre.org. The show runs May 4-6, 10-14 and 17-20, with May 14 being a matinee showing. Tickets are available for $26 – $30 at circletheatre.org. This season, Circle Theatre will present “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “Blithe Spirit,” “Pippin,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” Definitely a winning season and one that we have just come to expect from Circle Theater.

From left, Juan-Pablo Angel Marcos, Mellisa Hadzikic and Clay Howell watch as Victoria Castillo spells on her arm

By Erin Albanese

School News Network

Never ones to shy away from a challenge, Wyoming High School student actors are bringing to the stage the quirky characters obsessed with spelling their way to perfection in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” a show that combines raucous humor and music with underlying themes that hit home for youth.

Cast members who are presenting the PG-13-rated Tony Award-winning musical comedy recently sat down to talk about how humor and satire can be used to start dialogue.

Taking on their roles has allowed them to go deep into character development, while recognizing strong themes of isolation, anxiety and abandonment.

“It generally highlights a lot of the problems kids actually face today while growing up,” said senior Nick Byrd, who plays “touchy, on-edge” William Barfee. Those include pressure to over-achieve; a hard time making friends; and even for adults, problems moving on from their past.

Added senior Caitlyn Bulthuis, who plays spelling bee host Rona Perriti, “The humor the show brings to the audience is a way to start a conversation that needs to be talked about, especially around abandonment and always feeling like you have to achieve.”

Juan-Pablo Angel Marcos plays last yearâ€™s spelling bee champion

Caitlyn said many teens are overwhelmed by their hyper-scheduled lives, like some characters in the play.

“It’s a lot of pressure for kids and I think the kids in the play, even though they are excited to be in the spelling bee, they feel a lot of pressure to do well,” she said. “It’s a good way to start a conversation for students and adults.”

Another theme is winning at all costs, said Juan-Pablo Angel Marcos, who plays “boy scout” Chip Tolentino. There is so much emphasis on winning, he said, that characters dismiss other things that should be more important.

Senior Mellisa Hadzikic agreed.

“They are so focused on this one topic that it kind of consumes them,” said Mellisa, who plays the “shy” Olive Ostrovsky. “Their parents have these high expectations and want them to succeed, but the kids are under so much stress from other things that are happening, it makes them want to explode.”

Mellisa Hadzikic performs during rehearsal on stage

Many ‘Firsts’ for Theater Company

Jeremy Schnotala, 24-year Wyoming theater director whose repertoire includes high school performances of “Willy Wonka,” “Wizard of Oz,” “Cats,” and “Spamalot,” said the play includes a lot of firsts for the Wyoming Theater Company: It’s their biggest set yet, includes audience involvement that requires improv, and adds a “cheerleader” chorus that isn’t in the original production. Plus, serious issues span a wide spectrum of topics.

“What most excites me is how amazing my cast has connected with the story and with each of their roles,” Schnotala said. “I also love how the show juxtaposes humor and emotion. One minute you are laughing, and the next minute you’re crying. I’ve cried several times during rehearsal already. The show is honestly very touching and has some of the most tender moments, as well as the most raucously funny, of any show I’ve ever directed.”

Director Jeremy Schnotala has led Wyoming theater for 24 years, bringing big shows to the stage

Students said they love that Schnotala puts them up to big challenges.

“He respects us and understands we are people who are going to grow up and are growing up,” said senior Alexis Soto-Rodriguez, who plays the “desperate” Vice Principal Douglas Panch. “We are not just elementary school students who aren’t dealing with these grown-up topics. Not watering down or making it easier shows he has a lot of faith and respect in us.”

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