“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” by FSU Department of Theatre and Dance
FSU’s Department of Theatre and Dance production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” was especially impressive. The performance was of great success and made possible by the talented student cast. Putnam Bee is an award-winning comedic musical created by Rebecca Feldman with lyrics and music by William Finn, it is based on a book by Rachel Sheinkin with additional material by Jay Reiss.
It is about six distinct, awkward adolescents competing in a regional spelling bee run by three administrators –Mitch, an ex-felon on parole who never smiles but is assigned the duties of a comfort counselor, Ms. Peretti, a local realtor and former Putnam Bee spelling champion, and Vice Principal Panch, who is only there to impress Ms. Peretti. As the musical advances, we learn a lot about the competitors through their songs and humor. The cast was devoted to their roles which took hours of practice and commitment. In an interview afterward, Hayden Shoemaker-Davis (as Leaf ConeyBear) said his biggest challenge was channeling his inner child to make his character more believable. Zoie Collins (as Ms. Peretti) was asked how she prepared for all the singing, to which she replied, “It’s a lot of chugging water, making sure I’m hydrated, drinking tea and all of that. It’s a process”.
The ambiance of the room kept the audience engaged, it was very colorful, fun, and bright. The set and lighting added to the already captivating and lively atmosphere. The creative team made sure to present the right feeling for different scenes. A great example was during the performance of the song “I Love you”. Olive, played by Laurel Plitnik, sings to her absent parents, expressing her love and optimism for their return. At this moment, the lights go dark, there is a spotlight on Olive, and a warm orange light beams on her face, creating a feeling of heightened emotions. On the other hand, Olive’s mom is shown singing back at her in a spotlight, but she has blue lighting beaming in her direction which in turn creates a sad mood to the scene. The use of lighting and color added a better understanding of Olives’ story, a young optimistic adolescent who is sadly let down by her parents.
It was also fascinating to see so much talent come together and the ability of improvisation by the cast is one to highlight. Playing the role of Chip Tolentino, Brian Records demonstrated good use of improv with an audience member. During the show, Records pointed out his so-called love crush by choosing a random audience member and describing what top and color face mask they had on, his lovestruck feelings were shown throughout the play as he constantly waved to that audience member or vividly blushes when he sees her. Four members were also chosen from the audience to participate in the spelling bee and all members were a good sport. The cast constantly included the audience members in the play by making funny remarks and the inclusion of audience members contributed to the show’s success.
“It was my first time seeing it Thursday night and I came, and I supported my friends, and they did a really awesome job” – Ashlee Casey (Freshman at FSU)
The FSU Department of Theatre and Dance production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” was a comedic masterpiece, from the talented cast to the directors and committed crew, the musical was a beautiful success filled with lots of creativity and talent. If you ever have the chance to see Putnam bee, I highly recommend you do so!
Be sure to support FSU’s Department of Theatre and Dance as there are always upcoming events to attend. The next event is the Spring Dance Concert scheduled to take place on Thursday, April 7, 2022, at 7:30 pm (ET) at the Drama Theatre in the Performing Arts Center.
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