The Caplin Theater transformed into a middle school gymnasium for Sidwell’s spring production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” The musical follows six middle school spellers determined to win their county spelling bee and the intriguing adults who moderate it.
Based upon “C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E,” an improvisational play, the show was performed on Broadway in 2005 after being adapted into a full-length musical by William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin.
“It has audience participation, which I enjoy, and I really like some of the themes of the show, like how to deal with adolescence, peer pressure, pressuring yourself, family expectations,” Sentell Harper, the head of the theater department, said.
“There’s a lot of things that I think a lot of our community can identify with when they see the show.”
Harper said that actors “all are perfectly cast because… working together as the director and helping them in coaching with their acting, they kind of start to mold those things into the character.”
Sorya Chung, who was cast as Douglas Panch, is “not a Debbie Downer person,” he said. “I trusted him and I knew his skills [so] he could deliver that role the way he’s delivering it.”
Sarah Markovits, the show’s music director and Sidwell’s chorus teacher, said that her favorite part of the musical was “seeing someone come in unsure of themselves and, through the rehearsal process, build[ing] the confidence to get up and perform.”
“The actors are playing middle schoolers, but they have to reconnect with what it actually felt like to be that age,” she added.
Markovits also admired the writing of the show. “There are musical jokes and references that you only notice if you know the styles the composers are drawing from,” she said.
“The way the show is written makes you feel like you’re watching a real middle school spelling bee, even though you know you’re watching a stage production.”
Lara Asch, who played Rona Lisa Peretti, the successful realtor who moderates the bee, commented on her character.
“A lot of people, me included, clown her because of her 15,000 different [favorite] moments,” she said. “But I think it’s really cute, because it shows how important this job is to her, and how much she loves it.”
“When it’s Barfée and Olive left, it says in the script, this is her favorite moment,” Asch added. “She is finally telling the truth. The music is written differently for that one.”
“I love experimenting with how I portray that every night. I always try to make my voice a little bit lighter, a little bit more vulnerable, a little bit more sincere,” she added.
Naiah Weetjens, who plays Olive Ostrovsky, reflected on her character’s journey throughout the show.
“Olive starts the spelling bee really shy and self-conscious, and she’s always looking for her dad. But in the second half, she starts to enjoy it, make friends, and decide that she actually wants to win,” she said.
Weetjens also remarked that “what’s special about this show is that everyone has an important part. It’s really ensemble-based, and even audience volunteers get to be involved.”
Leaf Coneybear, played by sophomore Wyatt Steel, is the most awkward of the spellers.
“I love being able to tap into the younger, more imaginative side of myself and let loose on stage. I’m really lucky to get to play Leaf,” Steel said.
As the youngest actor playing a speller, this was his last time participating in a production with his favorite seniors.
Behind the scenes, Rebecca Pfeil, the technical theater director, directs the technical aspects of the show. When asked about the more difficult aspects of the musical, Pfiel replied, “There’s a lot of spotlight… [and] a bunch of different people with solos.”
“The set was very fun to build in classes. It’s very bright and colorful and you don’t always paint that bright and colorful for a lot of shows,” she added.
Behind the scenes, senior and stage manager Lauren Jain managed the show, working on lighting and sound cues.
“I’m trying to make the most of not just the show, but the friendships and connections that come with it,” Jain said, reflecting on her final show at Sidwell. “I think a big part of why I’ve stuck with theater for so long is the community.”.
Other cast and crew members felt the same way
“The show is a family,” senior Zara Lakhanpal, who played the comfort counselor Michelle “Mitch” Mahoney, said.
