Performance Now Presents THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, Now thru 10/19

An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home life, the tweens spell their way through a series of [potentially made-up] words hoping to never hear the soul crushing, pout inducing, life un-affirming "ding" of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves! At least the losers get a juice box

Performance Now presents "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" today, October 10 - 19 at the Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway in Lakewood. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18 - $35 Special $20 Intern Performances Sundays, Oct. 12 & 19 and Thursday, Oct. 16, 7:00 p m. All tickets are available or online at www.performancenow.org or by calling 303-987-7845.

In keeping with the educational aspects of the Mission Statement, Performance Now has double casting the roles of the spellers. The amateur cast is made up of junior and senior high school students. The Special Intern performances include the Intern Spellers along with the 3 roles of Rona, Panch, and Mahoney.

The cast includes Alisa Schmidt (Rona Lisa Peretti), Andrew Bates (Vice Principal Panch) and TJ Hogle (Mitch Mahoney) with adult spellers Carolyn Lohr (Olive Ostrovsky), Charlie Schmidt (William Barfee), Chelsea Ringer (Logainne SchwarzandGrubenierre), Brenna Larsen (Marcy Park), Adam Luhrs (Leaf Coneybear) and Michael Ochoa ("Chip" Tolentino). The intern spellers are Talie Stowell (Olive Ostrovsky), Jackson Garske (William Barfee), Lexi Vandewalker (Logainne SchwarzandGrubenierre), Ellie Maji (Marcy Park), Dawson Drew (Leaf Coneybear) and Addison Vandewalker ("Chip" Tolentino).