Indie Women Strike Again - theHumm November 2016

By — C.Lee Bates

“Sex is a three-letter word even the worst speller in the world can spell.”

Now that we have your attention with this quote from erotic writer Chloe Thurlow, let us hasten to assure you that the word “sex” is unlikely to be offered to any of the children in indie women productions’ The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, the hit Broadway comedy by William Finn, Rachel Sheinkin and Rebecca Feldman. This delightful, quirky musical opens at Ottawa’s Gladstone Theatre on November 15 (preview performance) and runs through November 19.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee received near-universal positive reviews Off-Broadway, sold out its entire run, extended, and broke the Second Stage’s box office records. It closed on March 20, 2005, and in less than a month, opened on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre. It was nominated for six Tony awards and won two, including Best Book.

Spelling Bee focuses on six middle school kids — all played by super-energized and uber-talented adult actors channeling their inner adolescent — each of whom reveals his or her hopes, struggles, and passions in hilarious, touching and catchy songs, as they make their way through the Regional Spelling Bee Championship. Three equally eclectic adult characters run the bee and do their best to keep things running smoothly, often to little avail. Rona Lisa Peretti, Putnam County’s top realtor and a former champion herself, is the valiant host, while the odd vice-principal Douglas Panch reads the words and enforces the rules. Mitch Mahoney, the Comfort Counsellor, is at the bee performing community service as a condition of his parole.

The spellers include Chip Tolentino, defending champion and confident all-boy competitor. He may not be called on to spell “sex”, but it is certainly on his mind as he wrestles with alarming pubescent challenges early on in the bee. Sweet and shy Olive brings her best friend (the dictionary) with her to the bee; bold and hyperallergic speller William Barfee uses his “magic foot” to propel him to greatness; easily distracted Leaf is unconvinced that he’s smart enough to be a challenger; overachiever Marcy is disappointed by her consistent success; and politically-aware Schwartzy only wants to impress her gay dads.

The cast is composed of some the best musical theatre talent in the Ottawa area, including Jenn Cecil, Julia Redfern, Erika Jones, Pascal Viens, Andrew Portolesi, Evan Huus, Christine Moran, Paul LeDuc and Dale Waterman (of the popular musical group The PepTides). Creative dynamo Kodi Cannon (Avenue Q and next to normal) is the artistic director and choreographer, while the multi-talented Wendy Berkelaar (next to normal, A Chorus Line) is the musical director.

indie women productions (iwp) is a small independent theatre company, nominated last year for a Best Play award by the Capital Critics Circle for its production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, next to normal. Its mandate includes the production of uncompromisingly provocative theatre with strong roles for women. Every show incorporates fundraising by various means, including a percentage of ticket sales, the proceeds of which go to a worthy charity. iwp raised over $16,000 for The Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health and more than $12,000 for the Jillian O’Connor Family Fund with Studio Theatre Perth. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is raising funds for the Do It For Daron Foundation, which supports youth mental health.

There will be six performances of Spelling Bee at The Gladstone: November 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 at 7:30pm, with a matinée on November 19 at 2:30. The preview performance on the 15th is being offered at a reduced price. Tickets can be purchased at thegladstone.ca . Please visit indiewomenproductions.com for further information. Don’t miss this hilariously entertaining and poignant award-winning musical comedy! One of the show’s many charms is the inclusion of audience volunteers as spellers in the first act, creating plentiful opportunities for improvisation by the cast. A celebrity guest speller will participate in each performance. And remember, “Be mindful of your spelling. Auto correct is not always write.”

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