They are middle-schoolers with kooky monikers like William Barfée, Leaf Coneybear and Chip Tolentino, all vying to win the top prize at the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
Divining the derivation of words like boanthropy or omphaloskepsis, they are supervised by a wackily stern Rona Lisa Peretti (Kristen Matson) and a merely wacky vice principal (Terry Christopher).
Given esoteric word puzzles like “syzygy” (the alignment of the sun, earth and moon) or “Weltanschauung” (world view), the six spelling aces soldier on while learning that life can be unfair and love elusive, but that a little magic comes in handy.
Life’s give and take and the lessons six teens derive from it comprise the gist of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” in its final weekend at No Square Theater through Aug. 7.
Produced by No Square, the musical is based on “Crepuscule,” a play by Rebecca Feldman about a middle-school spelling bee. It first premiered at the Circle in the Square Theatre on Broadway in 2005, but since then has been a staple on smaller stages nationwide.
It’s a fun romp under the direction and choreography by Joe Lauderdale, a stage veteran known for eliciting solid work from performers of all ages.
Straight off, signs delineating the spellers’ turf as “Home of the Putnam Possums,” set the tone, ranging from slapstick funny to slightly bizarre to poignantly moving.
Upping the bizarre quotient in this past Sunday’s production were audience members Pat Quilter, Carrie Reynolds, Maureen Maher and Leon Rosen (spouse of production manager Bree Burgess Rosen), who sat in having to spell “cow” and “Mexican” to the consternation of the more challenged teens. No worry though, the oldsters all washed out eventually. Burgess Rosen explained that the musical’s script allowed for individualization of locale and cast, so Lauderdale added the superannuated middle-schoolers and signage alluding to local supporters.
Cooper Reynolds, as last year’s spelling bee winner, Chip Tolentino, struts around in boy scout regalia and the outward cockiness of adolescent males, but eventually becomes fatally distracted from his spelling mission by longing (and its physical manifestation) for a fellow contestant’s sister. He’s hilarious as he hollers about “his erection” and the little head subverting the big one in “Chip’s Lament”.
His plight and that of other losers elicits scant sympathy from Midge Mahoney (Chancey Allen), a “comfort counselor” tasked with escorting them from the stage armed with a stern mien and a box of fruit juice. The slightly dissonant notes in her rendition of “Prayer of the Comfort Counselor” are written into the score, said Burgess Rosen.
As the insufferable, allergic-to-anything Barfée, pronounced Barfy to his ire, Eric T. Anderson steals the show with his insistence on first writing out a word with his foot. The magic foot works until sabotaged by another contestant’s two fathers, but magic prevails in the end.
Tara Waldschmidt portrays Olive Ostrovsky, saddled with an indifferent father and mother on a spiritual quest to India, as well as with the word lugubrious. Her best friend may be the dictionary, but after a couple of twists and turns she acquires a human one as well.
Aaron Griffin embodies an endearing Coneybear, a child-like sprite and graceful loser. Zofia Weretka ably portrays Marcy Park, a child prodigy speaking six languages but who’s ready to chuck it all for normalcy.
And there’s a live band. Whoopee to music director Christopher W. Smith on piano, Johnathon Smith on keyboard, Joseph Muskat on drums/percussion, Karen Zeal on reeds and Julia Howell on cello.
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” No Square Theatre, 384 Legion St.
949-715-0333 www.nosquare.org
