The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a 2005 musical that follows is six young competitors in their county spelling bee, the musical deals with themes ranging from education to social status to family relations and all the stress that comes from them.
“I’ve wanted to ensure that the production values of our shows remain consistent with those in previous seasons, while also selecting shows that I know I can bring to fruition on schedule and prioritizing safety,” said Vanessa Campagna, theatre professor and director of this show. “Putnam is a musical that could be presented with as much or as little spectacle as the producing organization can manage. It was a smart choice for us—and I knew our students would excel in the roles.”
The show features Ray Shaul, Edrass Chávez-Alvarado, Hannah McGhee, Ivy Johnson, Maya Blackmon, and Robert Robison as the six spellers, in addition to a broader cast full of both theatre majors and non-majors alike.
Cast working through blocking during rehearsal. Photo by Dawsyn Wilson
Campagna said that the show is easy to stage since it takes place at a spelling bee, where contestants simply have to get up and spell. “What this means is that there’s been time for more FUN in this process than in musicals that required very complicated staging and choreography,” she said, “there’s been freedom to focus on building a community and sense of ensemble, and to exploring character and plot with a great deal of nuance.”
The show features a unique convention: it incorporates guest spellers, who will be students, not in the production, faculty, and community members. These audience members will be called up to the stage and participate in the bee and will remain there until they are eliminated. This aspect of the musical allows for very direct audience participation and emphasizes the free-wheeling nature of its story and structure..
Also, the show deals with many themes regarding the many misadventures and awkward situations of growing up including overcoming shyness, defying expectations, puberty, the desire to fit in, and the necessity of standing out. “There’s something for everyone, just as the characters themselves ultimately find that a day spent at The Bee turned out to be unexpectedly meaningful,” Campagna said.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will have shows April 10th and 11th at 7:30 and April 12th at 2:00, all in the Wells Theatre. Tickets can be purchased through the link in the Monmouth Theatre Instagram bio.