The 24th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Proscenium Theater

The Theatre & Performance Media Program at Eastern Connecticut State University is proud to present The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, directed by Tim Golebiewski with musical direction by Melanie Guerin and choreography by Amber Houde ’22 and Cassie Champagne ’22.  Music & Lyrics by William Finn, Book by Rachel Sheinkin,  Conceived by Rebecca Feldman with Additional Material by Jay Reiss; Originally Directed on Broadway by James Lapine.

Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book of a Musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a wild comic ride, complete with audience participation.  An eclectic group of six students vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. To win the prize, they’ll have to learn to deal with pressure, the idiosyncratic adults in the room, and puberty.  While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, life un-affirming "ding" of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Only one speller can win! At least the losers get a juice box.

While most performances of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee are suitable for all audiences, Friday and Saturday evening performances are “adult nights” and recommended for audiences 16 and up.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will be presented in the Fine Arts Instructional Center's Proscenium Theater from April 20-23 and April 27-30; April 20 at 5:30pm, April 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29 at 7:30pm and April 23 and 30 at 4:00pm.