Audition Notice - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Summit Playhouse

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE

Directed by Brian Swasey

Musical Direction by Jeffrey Campos

Music and Lyrics by William Finn
Book by Rachel Sheinkin  

Production Dates: April 26 - May 11, 2013

Rehearsals to begin the week of March 10th, 2013.

Auditions Dates:

Wednesday, December 19th at 7pm

Thursday, December 20th at 7pm

Call backs Sunday December 23rd at 7pm

Please come prepared with one musical song to perform.  Please bring sheet music.

All auditions are at The Playhouse, 10 New England Ave, Summit, NJ (directions: http://summitplayhouse.org/auditions.html).

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE is a hilarious tale of overachiever's angst chronicling the experience of six adolescent outsiders vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime.  The show's Tony Award winning creative team has created the unlikeliest of hit musicals about the unlikeliest of heros: a quirky yet charming cast of outsiders for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time. Six young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, learn that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser.

Character Breakdown: 

CHIP TOLENTINO/JESUS CHRIST 

An athletic, social, boy scout and champion of the Twenty-Fourth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, he returns to defend his title, but he finds puberty hitting at an inopportune moment.

DOUGLAS PANCH

The Vice Principle. Frustrated with his life, he finds the drive of the young spellers alien to him. After five years' absence from the Bee, Panch returns as judge. There was an "incident" at the Twentieth Annual Bee, but he claims to be in "a better place" now, thanks to a high-fiber diet and Jungian analysis. He is infatuated with Rona Lisa Peretti, but she does not return his affections. 

LEAF CONEYBEAR/CARL’S DAD

The second runner-up in his district, Leaf gets into the competition on a lark and finds everything about the bee incredibly amusing. He is home-schooled and comes from a large family of former hippies. He has severe Attention Deficit Disorder and spells words correctly while in a trance.

LOGAINNE SCHWARTZANDGRUNENIERRE (SCHWARTZY) 

Logainne is the youngest and most politically aware speller, often making comments about current political figures. She is driven by internal and external pressure, but above all by a desire to win to make her two fathers proud. She is somewhat of a neat freak, speaks with a lisp, and will be back next year. 

MARCY PARK

A recent transfer from Virginia, Marcy placed ninth in last year’s nationals. She speaks six languages, is a member of all-American hockey, a championship rugby player, plays Chopin and Mozart on multiple instruments, sleeps only three hours a night, hides in the bathroom cabinet, and is getting very tired of always winning. She is the poster child for the Over-Achieving Asian, and attends a Catholic school called "Our Lady of Intermittent Sorrows." She is also not allowed to cry.

MITCH MAHONEY/DAN’S DAD/OLIVE’S DAD

The Official Comfort Counselor. An ex-convict, Mitch is performing his community service with the Bee, and hands out juice boxes to losing students. He has no idea how to offer comfort, but does find himself wishing he could find a way to make the kids feel better.

OLIVE OSTROVSKY

A young newcomer to competitive spelling. Her mother is in an ashram in India, and her father is working late, as usual, but he is trying to come sometime during the bee. Having found comfort in its words and vastness, Olive made friends with her dictionary at a very young age, helping her to make it to the competition. She starts enormously shy, and shyly blossoms.

RONA LISA PERETTI/OLIVE’S MOM

The number-one realtor in Putnam County, a former Putnam County Spelling Bee Champion herself, and the returning moderator. She is a sweet woman who loves children, but she can be very stern when it comes to dealing with Vice Principal Panch and his feelings for her. Her interest in the competition is unflagging and drives it forward.

WILLIAM BARFEE

A Putnam County Spelling Bee finalist last year, he was eliminated because of an allergic reaction to peanuts and is back for vindication. His famous “Magic Foot” method of spelling has boosted him to spelling glory, even though he only has one working nostril and a touchy, bullying personality. He develops a crush on Olive. 

For more information, please visit www.summitplayhouse.org