County Players at the Falls Theatre

AUDITIONS – “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – 6/9 at 4pm & 6/10 at 7pm

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Music & Lyrics by William Finn
Additional Materials by Jay Reiss
Directed by Jeff Wilson
Audition Dates: June 9 at 4pm & June 10 at 7pm

Six middle school misfits are thrown into a cutthroat, high-stakes competition, and P-A-N-D-E-M-O-N-I-U-M takes first place. Welcome to the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, where eccentric adolescents (all played by adults!) get their chance to shine as they vie to prove they are worthy of a shot at “Nationals.” A touching and irreverent coming-of-age comedy with a high-spirited, improvised spelling bee, this Tony Award-winning musical is a laugh-out-loud winner.

Rona Lisa Peretti: Female, 27-39

late 20s–late 30s. Soprano, with a very strong mix. Putnam County’s longtime spelling bee host and also the number one realtor in the county. A former spelling bee champion herself, she loves children but can be stern when necessary. Her interest in the competition is unflagging. Role requires excellent improvisational skills. Strong movement ability is a plus. (Also plays Olive’s Mom.)

Vice Principal Douglas Panch: Male, 30-49

30s-40s. Baritone. Frustrated with life and awaiting a promotion, he returns to the Bee as substitute judge after a five-year absence due to an “incident” at the 20th Annual Bee. Though he finds the young spellers alien to him, he starts the day eager to redeem himself for past mistakes. Also, he is infatuated with Rona Lisa Peretti, but she doesn’t return his affections. Role requires excellent improvisational skills. Strong movement ability a plus.

Mitch Mahoney: Male, 27-39

late 20s–30s. Baritenor who can riff well. An ex-convict, Mitch is performing his community service as a “comfort counselor” at the Bee. He’s a tough guy who seems utterly unlikely to be at a spelling bee, or in a musical. Strong movement ability a plus. (Also plays Dan Dad and Olive’s Dad.)

Chip Tolentino: Male, 18+

18+ to play preteen. Tenor. The reigning spelling champion, he expects things to come easy to him. Athletic, social, and a boy scout, he returns to defend his title, but he finds he’s been going through some weird changes that he did not expect. Strong movement ability a plus. (Also plays Jesus.)

Leaf Coneybear: Male, 18+

18+ to play preteen, tenor. A second alternate with a severe inferiority complex, he deals with life by finding things amusing rather than stressful. Homeschooled and from a large family, he has severe attention deficit disorder but somehow achieves a trancelike state that allows him to spell words correctly. Strong movement ability a plus. (Also plays Carl’s Dad.)

Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre: Female, 18+

18+ to play preteen. Alto/belter. The youngest speller, she is incredibly political, keenly aware of her surroundings, and driven by internal and external pressure. She wants to win to make her fathers proud. She is also somewhat of a neat freak and has a lisp. Strong movement ability a plus.

Marcy Park: Female, 18+

18+ to play preteen. Soprano/belter. A recent transfer student who attends Catholic school, Marcy is a quintessential overachiever and comes from a family where excellence is expected. She speaks six languages, is athletic, and plays multiple instruments among her other talents. She keeps her problems to herself and is not allowed to cry. Strong movement ability a plus.

Olive Ostrovsky: Female, 18+

18+ to play preteen. Soprano/high mixed belt to an F. A newcomer to competitive spelling, Olive loves words and spends time alone reading her friend, the dictionary. She’s alone at the Bee, as her mother is in an ashram in India, and her father is working late, as usual. Words bring her comfort and are exciting to her. She starts out enormously shy and begins to blossom. Strong movement ability a plus.

William Barfee: Male, 18+

18+ to play preteen. Baritone. A finalist last year, he was eliminated because of an allergic reaction to peanuts and is back for vindication. Friendship surprises him today as he relies on his “Magic Foot” method of spelling that boosted him to spelling glory (even though he only has one working nostril and a touchy personality). Strong movement ability a plus.