The HHS Theater Department’s production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is a witty, endearing musical filled with memorable characters, clever songs and abundant laughs.
The comedic timing of the cast makes for a hilarious show. Each character brings their unique personality to add to the spelling bee experience in both comical and heartwarming ways.
The musical’s plot centers around six middle and high school students, all determined to win first place and advance to nationals. The combination of their reactions throughout the bee shows the complex emotions of teenagers in a competitive environment.
The cast members walk, run and dance through the aisles, choosing different audience members to interact with along the way.
The set emulates a typical school spelling bee set up with chairs for contestants and a table for the moderators fit with a bell for when contestants spell their words wrong.
Amy Marchino, who teaches improv comedy, creative writing and is a theater director, was in charge of many aspects of the casting process and show design.
“Everybody was so tailor-made for their roles already, and they brought their own personality from the beginning,” Marchino said.
She said finally performing for a real audience opening night was a rewarding experience, and the actors feed off of the audience’s energy.
“It’s been this really beautiful, magical process, and hearing an audience laugh is pretty infectious,” Marchino said.
The cast picks three real audience members to participate in the spelling bee on stage with the characters, adding to the comedy as they struggle to spell.
Other features of the show include a screen with various backgrounds and floor seating for spectators, making the audience feel as if they are a part of the show.
A mix of emotions is seen through many songs performed by all members of the talented cast. From “Pandemonium,” a fast-paced and upbeat song to “The I Love You Song,” a deeply emotional ballad, the musical numbers shed light on the characters’ lives, struggles and hilarious traits.
William Barfee, played by senior Shepherd Wolfe, uses a unique strategy while spelling. He uses his “magic foot” to spell out words on the floor. Barfee’s eccentric personality, crippling peanut allergy and chronic sinus congestion paint him as an outcast amongst his peers.
Junior Camille McAnally plays Olive Ostrovsky, a student who simply loves words and finds solace in her best friend: the dictionary. Her mother is on a spiritual journey in India and her neglectful father makes no effort to come and support his daughter at the bee, leading her down a path of angst and insecurity.
McNally said she enjoyed playing such a complexly emotional character.
“My song and my character is a much deeper subject and it’s been really fun to dig in deep and experiment with that,” McAnally said. “Olive has taught me to get to know a person before you judge them.”
Another spelling bee participant is Boy Scout Chip Tolentino, played by senior Grady McClain. The previous winner of the 24th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, he returns to defend his title. However, he allows his affection for a real audience member sitting in a lucky seat to steal his focus.
Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, played by freshman Zoe Honeycutt, is a small girl with big opinions, and she leads the gay-straight alliance at her elementary school. She speaks with a lisp and has to hilariously lower the microphone when she comes up to spell a word. Logainne is determined to win the bee as her two gay fathers, who also provide comedic relief throughout the show, have put intense pressure on her to take home first prize.
Marcy Park, played by senior Morgan Coleman, seriously strives to be a winner in all that she does. She comes off as intense and is “all business” all the time. Marcy can speak six languages, play a variety of sports and play the flute beautifully, proving her to be a very competitive contestant.
Leaf Coneybear, played by senior Ethan Lee, isn’t supposed to be in the bee. He placed third in his school bee but was called up to compete in the Putnam County Bee when the second and first place from his school could not attend. Coneybear does not consider himself to be intelligent but somehow manages to spell almost all of his words right when he enters a sort of trance.
There are three adult characters in the cast that run the bee, providing pronunciations, definitions, sentences and an adult perspective on such a tense yet hilarious affair.
Rona Lisa Peretti, played by senior Camille Lucas is the host of the annual bee and a past winner as well. She is the coordinator of the bee and wants everything to run smoothly. She sings multiple ballads, displaying an impressive vocal range and high emotional intelligence.
Douglas Panch, played by senior Dante Hall, is the vice principal and acts as the moderator. He comes off as bored of his role, generally angry at life and is only at the bee because he has to be.
Mitch Mahoney, played by senior Loper Waters, is required to work the bee as part of his community service while on parole. He’s the security guard meant to escort eliminated contestants off the stage but takes on more of a counseling role for the children. He must maintain order during the bee and act as a role model for the kids, an expectation he does not quite meet.
The show is playing through Nov.21 with two shows on Saturday, Nov. 16. Tickets are available to purchase on GoFan for a show you will not want to miss.
