Brandeis University’s Tympanium Euphorium presented “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” an obscure off-Broadway and eventual Broadway play originally directed in a workshopped format by Rebecca Feldman and Michael Unger, at the SCC theater last week. Though it may not be a particularly well-known play, that doesn’t alter its profound message or the production’s uniqueness, which can only be described as an altogether mind-blowing combination of genres. Between March 19 and March 22, the play was performed a total of five times, and without a doubt each performance was slightly different—and I’m not just saying that. Members from the audience of each showing signed up to be an improvised part of the performance, having never had any exposure to the play.
To dispel any uncertainty, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is about a bunch of kids and their struggle to win the county’s spelling bee. They’re all pretty smart, and they share the will and the determination to win, but the unfortunate truth is that only one can win. They come from different backgrounds and want to win for various reasons, but in the end the golden cup is all that really matters; after all, in the eyes of a 12-year-old, a spelling bee might as well be the Olympics. There is no greater victory in life.
A few words from the director, Sarah Hines ‘15, really eloquently sum up and articulate the play in a powerful way: “These characters are so vulnerable and authentic, and I believe there is an endless amount we can learn from them. Children do not apologize for being themselves, but as we grow up we begin to do just that. The kids in this play are not ‘normal’ in any sense of the word. They are odd and bizarre, but in the world of this play that is something to be celebrated.”
The transformation from college student to adolescent was disconcerting, but only because of the precision with which the actors portrayed their child counterparts. It was practically imperceptible that the actors were college students until one honed in on all the little things, like David Getz’s ’15 atypical tallness for someone his character’s age. Even so, perceiving these little inconsistencies required real effort on the audience’s part, which just goes to show how well the actors portrayed the behavior and mindset of an adolescent.
With an across-the-board gifted cast, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” was not lacking in any way as far as acting ability goes. Jenna Kahane ’15, who played Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, was excellent in her portrayal of the youngest spelling bee contestant, known for her strong political opinions and progressiveness. Furthermore, her ability to master a lisp was particularly impressive. Getz should also be celebrated for his performance as William Barfée, a character whose name none of the characters in the play could pronounce correctly. Getz’s rendering of adolescence and all its faults—an obnoxiousness and inability to sympathize with others—was a perfect exemplification of kids at that age.
Rodrigo Garcia Granados’ ’18 rendition of Leaf Coneybear was particularly notable. His character was the most extreme of the group, and his portrayal was more than spot on. Leaf Coneybear is that kid who makes his own clothes, is constantly fiddling with his own hair and finds pride in wearing the essentials, which for him, means sporting a cape. Garcia Granados’ commitment to the part and beyond accurate portrayal of a 12-year-old boy—in all his vulnerability and immaturity—was impeccable. His acting skills really blossomed in this role and, to be honest, it was his character out of the six kids that took center stage. I have absolutely no problem saying that he was the flame on the firework, the firework being the play itself.
Dennis Hermida ’17 played a hilarious Mitch Mahoney. He hammed up his one-liners and dramatic reactions, getting huge laughs from the audience.
As Marcy Park, Jessie Eichinger ’17 was perfectly stone-faced except for when she displayed tremendous vulnerability during “I Speak Six Languages.” Becca Meyers ’18 (Olive Ostrovsky) was very good at playing a preteen who radiated loneliness until she connects with William.
Gabi Nail ’18 played Rona Lisa Peretti in such a way that she wasn’t stuck dwelling on the past but rather remembered it fondly. Nail hit the soulful nostalgia in the opening song with her beautiful voice.
Jason Haberman ’15 (Vice Principal Panch) delivered very funny ad-libbed lines without breaking character. Because the student originally cast to play Chip Tolentino had to drop out because of vocal nodes, Brian Haungs ’15 joined the cast only weeks before the show went up. Haungs did a fantastic job considering how little time he had to workshop his character.
If you missed “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” because you envisioned that “Legally Blonde” was the better alternative, you must have underestimated just how wonderful the performance was. With varied elements like improvisation, comedy, musicality and, I might even go as far as to say, allegory, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” exceeded any and all expectations by a long shot. Though it may have been questionable at first, it quickly developed into something more heartwarming than a simple play about a meaningless spelling bee. Although I can’t say for sure why it was so easy to invest in this play, it might have something to do with the fact that the characters are easy to relate to. The characters’ experiences represent an aspect of our lives that can be easily lost because of the rapid pace of our everyday lives. Those experiences come back in a barrage of memory, unearthed at last, and all because of one unknown play very properly titled “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”
