Musical revisits pre-teen years

Oh, to be 12 again: just hitting puberty, subject to the increasingly unwavering gazes of ones' judgmental peers and attempting to cling to the talents that might serve as a defense against oncoming adolescent struggles. Future Waitstaff of America's (FWA) upcoming performance of the Tony-award winning Broadway musical "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" offers a chance for Vassar students to revisit those awkward years. Combining improv comedy and dramatic narrative with song, "Spelling Bee" offers a humorous but sensitive take on the pain of growing up. It will be performed in Sanders Classroom's Spitzer Auditorium at 8 p.m. on April 8 through 10, with a performance on Saturday, April 10 at 3 p.m.

"The show is about a group of 12-year-olds who are competing in a spelling bee," said director Molly Shoemaker '12, whose previous directing credits at Vassar include another spelling bee-centered play, "Eleemosynary." She added, "It's really about that awkward age that we all go through, like middle school, and just beginning to realize that people have expectations for you… It's definitely a coming-of-age play."

The characters both competing in and moderating the spelling bee share a general quality of eccentricity, indicated in their names—Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, for example—and their behavior. Their interactions allow both the comedic and dramatic scenarios to unfold in a wholly entertaining fashion. Said Sam Schrader '10, who plays competitor Chip Tolentino, "It's just a big mix of kids, and I think that dynamic in itself makes for a lot of funny situations."

"At the same time," he continued, "you also get a closer look at some of these kids' family lives. And even though they're really accomplished, they don't always have the support that they should, or they do, but it's in the wrong form—too much support or too much pressure."

For the cast, the challenge has been balancing the two different elements. "We've been talking a lot in rehearsal about not making it all about the dramatic element, while at the same time not letting any of the comedic aspects go too far to the point where we don't feel like these characters could be real people," said Shoemaker.

Another challenging aspect of "Spelling Bee" is its integration of improv-style comedy. One part of the show involves five volunteers being called up to the stage to participate in an actual mock spelling bee.

"They're spelling real words. If they get the words right, then they're still in the bee. If they get them wrong, then they're out. It's really kind of a crazy situation. It's kind of like ‘choose your own adventure,' the way we've been practicing it," explained Shoemaker. "We've really been trying to get the word out so people are excited and also prepared—maybe they can start studying."

Compared to standard musical fare, "Spelling Bee," particularly given its previous Broadway success, is something of an anomaly. "It's very hard these days to get anything on its feet that isn't, you know, ‘Shrek! The Musical,' or something that isn't a commodity to bring in the tourists from New Jersey," said Danny Lempert '13, who plays Vice Principal Douglas Panch. "This is the atypical thing that really made it even though it's so well done. You add in the participation element, so it's definitely not your old-timey show."

Added Schrader, "The stigma about musical theater is that it's very two-dimensional, and I think this show especially breaks out of that two-dimensional mold. It really presents you with somewhat complex characters… I feel like the show was developed so much more to tell a story and to really send a message, rather than just providing sing and dance entertainment."

For students, the subject matter, though universally entertaining, may hold a special appeal. "Especially here at Vassar, a lot of us can sympathize with the awkward years and having interests that aren't necessarily considered ‘cool,'" said Lempert. "It's a really funny show, but at the same time also sad—everything is sung, and it's a musical, but a lot of it is really sad. It's just sort of a heartwarming show."

The show will be staged again at co-sponsor P.E.A.C.E.'s April 30 PEACE Day event for local elementary students. The day, which will be full of activities and games for the children, will include a surprise outdoor performance of the play during their picnic lunch. The production will be more kid-appropriate and shorter than this weekend's.
"The idea seemed perfect for both groups," wrote Kelly Long '11 in an e-mailed statement. "PEACE students and mentors will be treated to a fun surprise, while the members of the FWA will be able to perform for a younger audience that will appreciate their work in an entirely different way."