Stage Door Theatre’s “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, produced in collaboration with Agnes Scott College, explores the awkwardness of adolescence, the power of family and friendship, and the thrill of competition – all in the eyes of a group of spelling bee competitors.
The Tony Award-winning play, which runs through April 20 at the school’s Dana Fine Arts Building, features several actors, musicians, and production staff with ties toAgnes Scott, according to Stage Door Artistic Director Justin Ball.
The partnership allows SDT to expand into other geographic locations, as well as utilize the larger venue at Agnes Scott, he said.
“With ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,’ we pick up Stage Door’s tradition of producing quality musicals and take it one step further by putting it in the largest theater we’ve ever performed in,” Ball said.
The exuberant production follows the lives of six middle school spelling bee finalists as they negotiate the stresses of competition, as well as their back stories, in words, dance, and songs.
The ensemble cast is led by the Brie Wolfe (Olive), Asher Thornton (Chip), Andrew Goodall (Leaf ConeyBear), Shane Murphy (Barfee), Ryan Barber (Marcy), and Bekah Medford (Logainne). Cory Phelps as assistant principal Douglas Panch, Juan Unzueta as Mitch, the competition comforter, and Daryl Patrice as Rona, the emcee or the spelling bee, are a perfect complement to the angsty teens as they attempt to keep order during the competition.
And the wild card: The cast includes three audience members, who volunteer to be part of the cast as fellow spellers. The day we attended, all three did a masterful job of blending in with the cast, whom were seen giving them instructions during the play regarding what to do during their time on stage.
They did such a great job that, during intermission, I asked two of them if they were actually part of the cast, but was met with a vigorous denial.
But audience participation was not limited to the trio of spellers. The characters often singled out audience members as their “family” members, waving to them or having a one-way conversation.
Chip, the first contestant eliminated, is forced to sell snacks in the audience as the second act opens (and if you are near the front of the theatre, you just might get a bag of Cheetos). During the production, other characters frequently walked through the auditorium and engaged attendees.
The songs, as one might guess, reflect the high-energy of the competitors, with “My Friend, the Dictionary,” “The Magic Foot,” “Prayer of the Comfort Counselor,” and “I’m Not That Smart” as my personal favorites.
While it would be natural to assume the play’s target audience to be the middle-school crowd, that’s not the case, with some of the songs and “wink-wink” dialogue elevating the production to a somewhat-spicy status (but not in an over-the-top manner).
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, directed and Choreographed by Candy McClellan, plays through April 20. Tickets are available on Stage Door’s website.
