The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Music and Lyrics by William Finn
Book by Rachel Sheinkin
Conceived by Rebecca Feldman
Additional Materials by Jay Reiss
Originally Directed on Broadway by James Lapine
Directed by Mandy Fox
Music Direction by Theo Jackson
The performance runs two hours without an intermission.
Cast
Rona Lisa Perretti (also plays Olive's Mom)
Ashley DeAngelis
Vice Principal Douglas Panch
Youssef Nagaty
Mitch Mahoney (also plays Dan and Olive's Dad)
Lukas Cinko
Chip Tolentino (also plays Jesus)
Josh Mink
Logainne Schwartzandgrubenniere (Schwarzy)
Ansley Wilson
Leaf Coneybear (also plays Carl)
Ethan McCoy
William Barfee
Hayden Beatty
Marcy Park
Grace Kim
Olive Ostrovsky
Sophie O'Leary
Understudies
Rona Lisa Perretti (also plays Olive's Mom)/Logainne Schwartzandgrubenniere (Schwarzy)
Isabella Korzenok
Vice Principal Douglas Panch
Othman Shuri
Mitch Mahoney (also plays Dan and Olive's Dad)/William Barfee
Kyle Feeback
Chip Tolentino (also plays Jesus)/Leaf Coneybear (also plays Carl)
Nate Johnson
Marcy Park/Olive Ostrovsky
Shardaija Mumford
Originally produced on Broadway by David Stone, James L. Nederlander, Barbara Whitman, Patrick Catullo, Barrington Stage Company, Second Stage Theatre.
Based upon C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E, an original play by The Farm.
The Barrington Stage Company workshop of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was originally co-directed by Michael Barakiva and Rebecca Feldman.
The use of any recording device, either audio or video, and the taking of photographs, either with or without flash, is strictly prohibited. Please silence your cell phones and pagers prior to the beginning of the performance. In consideration of those seated around you, please refrain from texting during the performance.
Department Chair
E.J. Westlake
Production Manager
Sherée Greco
Director
Mandy Fox
Music Director
Theo Jackson
Scenic Designer and Properties Designer
Megan Wells
Costume Designer
Coco Mayer
Lighting Designer
Matt Hazard
Sound Designer
Keya Myers-Alkire
Production Stage Manager
Garrett Ratliff
Technical Director
Chris Zinkon
Assistant Director
Brian Rocha
Choreographer
Christopher Plummer
Dramaturg
Kate McCanna
Assistant Properties Designer
Mya English
Assistant Stage Managers
Persis Yoder
Jennifer Baldwin
Musicians
Nick Carver - percussions
Josh Harkins - woodwinds
Theo Jackson - keyboards/bass
Bobby Phillips - cello/guitar
Pam Villareal - keyboards
External Relations and Publicity Coordinator
J. Briggs Cormier
Ticketing Services and Audience Services Specialist
Julia Buttermore
Graphic Design
Formation Studio
Technical Director
Chris Zinkon
Scenic Studio Manager
Chad R. Mahan
Scenic Studio Teaching Associates
Katherine Simon, Megan Wells
Scenery Construction Crew
Nini Adams-Johns, John Baniak, Mathew Fisher, Gregory Goldberg, Matt Henry, Nil Kocaoglu, Mae Neighbor, Garrett Ratliff, Jillian Regal, Thomas Robinett, Zach Sudal, Amelia Whitley, Gabe Willenberg, Jenny Xu
Set Run Crew
Kevin Campbell, Matt Fisher, Shreya Jain, Gabe Willenberg
Costume Studio Manager
Coco Mayer
Costume Studio Teaching Associates
Jo Fuller, Catherine Huffman
Costume Construction Crew
Samantha Acevedo, Nini Adams-Johns, Valerie Dunmire, Mya English, Melissa Hobson, Madison Knight, Casey Kuhlman, Anne Lang, Saran Lendzian, Sofia Malik, Nina Pavis, Anastasia Smith, Christopher Smith, Kimberly Tatro, Brian Waligura, Tristan Weathers
Wardrobe Crew
Caityn Harris, Charlie Kaneer, Tommy Robinett, Amelia Whitley
Lighting Studio Manager & Production Electrician
Eric M. Slezak
Lighting Programmer
Robin Eaken
Light Board Operator
Katie Stephan
Follow Spot Operators
Ethan Dale, Darrian Ippolito
Lighting Crew
Luke Carman, Grace French, Gregory Goldberg, Nil Kocaoglu, Yeonjae Lee, Ruth Luketic, Sofia Malik, Zach Sudal, Nicholas Younoszai
Sound and Media Studio Manager
Keya Myers-Alkire
Sound Board Operator
Ray Hahn
Live Mix Operator
Nicholas Younoszai
Mic Techs
Rosaline Lyle, Max Wright
Sound Crew
Gregory Goldberg, Olivia Hamlett-Ho, Carolyn Kealey, Yeonjae Lee, Ruth Luketic, Nicholas Younoszai
Ticket Office Staff
Emily Broski, Mae Neighbor, Brenda Ramoz Perez, Jason Speicher, Gabrielle Wheeler, Julie Wietholter
House Managers
Fatoumata Kante
Jennifer Baldwin (asst. stage manager), 1st-year student
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: Windsor, OH
Major(s): human nutrition; moving-image production
Minor(s): theatre
Department Productions: 1st department production
Hayden Beatty (William Barfee), senior
Pronouns: he/they
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
Major(s): materials science and engineering; physics
Minor(s): theatre
Department Productions: The Country Wife; Blood Wedding
Lukas Cinko (Mitch Mahoney (also plays Dan and Olive's Dad)), 1st-year student
Pronouns: he/him
Hometown: Akron, OH
Major(s): business administration; marketing
Minor(s): theatre
Department Productions: debut
Ashley DeAngelis (Rona Lisa Perretti (also plays Olive's Mom)), junior
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: Toms River, NJ
Major(s): political science
Minor(s): musical theatre; theatre
Department Productions: In the Next Room (Or the Vibrator Play)
Mya English (asst. properties designer), junior
Hometown: Loraine, OH
Major(s): communications; theatre
Department Productions: 1st department production
Kyle Feeback (Mitch Mahoney (also plays Dan and Olive's Dad)/William Barfee Understudy), 1st-year student
Pronouns: he/him
Hometown: Metamora, OH
Major(s): undecided
Department Productions: 1st department production
Nate Johnson (Chip Tolentino (also plays Jesus)/Leaf Coneybear (also plays Carl) Understudy), sophomore
Hometown: Dublin, OH
Major(s): marketing; theatre
Department Productions: She Kills Monsters
Grace Kim (Marcy Park), sophomore
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: Dublin, OH
Major(s): French; theatre
Minor(s): musical theatre
Department Productions: She Kills Monsters
Kate McCanna (dramaturg), senior
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
Major(s): arts management; theatre
Department Productions: The Country Wife
Ethan McCoy (Leaf Coneybear (also plays Carl)), sophomore
Pronouns: he/him
Hometown: Painesville, OH
Major(s): psychology
Minor(s): musical theatre; neuroscience
Department Productions: She Kills Monsters
Josh Mink (Chip Tolentino (also plays Jesus)), 1st-year student
Pronouns: he/him
Hometown: Shaker Heights, OH
Major(s): creative writing; moving-image production
Minor(s): Spanish; theatre
Department Productions: She Kills Monsters
Shardaija Mumford (Marcy Park/Olive Ostrovsky Understudy), senior
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: Canton, OH
Major(s): theatre
Department Productions: Everybody
Youseff Nagaty (Vice Principal Douglas Panch), undergraduate non-degree student
Hometown: Giza, Egypt
Major(s): biology
Department Productions: debut
Sophie O'Leary (Olive Ostrovsky), 1st-year student
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
Major(s): theatre
Department Productions: debut
Christopher Plummer (choreographer), senior
Pronouns: he/him
Hometown: North Canton, OH
Major(s): Spanish; theatre
Minor(s): musical theatre
Department Productions: 1st department production
Garrett Ratliff (stage manager), junior
Pronouns: he/him
Hometown: Plymouth, MI
Major(s): social work
Minor(s): theatre
Department Productions: Wilderness; Blood Wedding
Brian Rocha (assistant director), graduate student
Pronouns: he/him
Hometown: New York City, NY
Major(s): theatre
Department Productions: Sweat; Everybody
Othman Shuri (Vice Principal Douglas Panch Understudy), sophomore
Hometown: Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Major(s): theatre
Department Productions: Violet: The Musical; The Country Wife
Megan Wells (scenic designer and properties designer), graduate student
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
Major(s): theatre
Department Productions: 1st department production
Ansley Wilson (Logainne Schwartzandgrubenniere (Schwarzy)), sophomore
Pronouns: she/her
Hometown: Johnson City, TN
Major(s): theatre
Department Productions: Men on Boats
Persis Yoder (asst. stage manager), 1st-year student
Pronouns: they/she
Hometown: Wooster, OH
Major(s): theatre
Department Productions: 1st department production
Welcome to The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, the first musical produced in our recently opened Theatre, Film, and Media Arts Building at The Ohio State University! Transitioning into our new building marks a thrilling period of growth for our department. You know what’s trickier than moving the Department of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts across campus? Middle school!
The characters at the Putnam County Bee confront their own notions of change and growth, navigating their own insecurities on stage while reminding us of the struggles from our own prepubescence. Throughout the Bee, the spellers share their experiences of adolescence and puberty often to awkward, heart wrenching, and hilarious effect.
Based on the play C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E by Rebecca Feldman, book writer Rachel Sheinkin and lyricist/composer William Finn have crafted a truly unique evening in the theatre, with a select few audience volunteers participating in the Bee. This convention allows us to collectively identify and recall the awkwardness of our own adolescence.
Now a bit of background about spelling bees. Performances of orthographic knowledge (spelling bees) have served various functions throughout American history. The connection between education and social advancement framed bees as highly competitive stages where participants, through hard work and determination, can succeed, in effect, making bees a surrogate for the American Dream. That’s a lot of pressure for young spellers and we hope you enjoy following our characters tonight as they circumnavigate the highs and lows of it all.
Enjoy! We’re glad you’re here.
On Saturday, April 6th, the department will publicly celebrate the new Theatre, Film, and Media Arts Building. Join us as we recognize this milestone in the department's and university's history.