When we walked into the foyer of Louis Theatre for the final dress rehearsal of NU’s production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” we were immediately greeted by cast and crew members urging us to sign up to replace absent participants of the Bee. Characters introduced themselves as they wandered through the theater, doing their best to win over the audience before the competition began. We looked at posters from the “families” of contestants and signed Miss Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre’s (played by Brooke Weisman) petition on Russia’s controversial ban on LGBTQ individuals entering the country. This pre-show entertainment is vital to the “Putnam” experience, so show up about half an hour early.
As the first show of the Theatre and Interpretation Center’s mainstage season, “Spelling Bee,” directed by NU alumnus Adam Goldstein (Communication ’12), is filled with a wealth of student talent on the cast and crew. It displays a high level of professionalism mixed with college humor to appeal to a wide audience, students and community members alike. Although a musical about a spelling bee may sound fairly innocent, this is definitely a PG-13 performance — something to keep in mind before inviting any smaller theater-goers.
“Spelling Bee” pulls off an immersive theater experience that actively includes audience members. Even if you’re not selected as an on-stage contestant, don’t expect the action to limit itself to the stage. The energy level starts out insanely high, with improvisation and plenty of adult humor marking it as a stand-out comedy. As the show progresses, the emotional core starts to come through, at which point the energy dies down and never quite recovers. That said, “Spelling Bee” successfully combines a heart-warming story with tongue-in-cheek humor for a night you won’t want to miss.
This is a cast without a single weak link. Although everyone was fantastic, Communication seniors Desiree Staples and Ryan Bernsten were the standouts as the proctors of the Bee — their ad libs and interactions with each other made the show. The decision to maintain actors in doubling roles could have gotten awkward but was pulled off cleanly and only added to the show’s quirky nature.
The production is inherently engaging, as you will likely be smugly spelling out words to the person next to you the entire time. While the spelling will be revealed almost immediately, you’ll be guessing which contestant will win until the end. This show was full of surprises, with some beautifully innovative lighting and staging decisions. Overall, “Spelling Bee” will leave you thoroughly entertained and with some newly acquired vocabulary.
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Twitter: @becca_eh
Email: [email protected]
