Audience engaged by Weathervane's 'Spelling Bee'

NEWARK - Theatergoers should be prepared for a different kind of musical when they see Weathervane Playhouse's production "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee."

The nine actors in the comedic musical are joined by four audience volunteers who also compete in the spelling bee.

"It’s fun because the characters talk more directly to the audience and it really feels more of like an experience," said the show's director, Erika Wills.

One of actors in the show, Ben Hartwig, said while the show has a script they follow, in a way it feels like an improv show because of the audience members that participate. The actors have to be able to respond to whatever they do and include them in the action as the story moves forward.

"It’s like every night we almost have to read how they are going to react without even talking to them," Hartwig said.

Eli Brickey, another actor in the show, said having audience participation creates a different kind of challenge for the actors.

"We help guide the show along, but depending on their spelling and what happens with them, that kind of dictates what happens in our show. That’s exciting, and it keeps us on our toes for the first act," she said.

The show centers on six middle school children as they compete in an annual regional spelling bee. Wills said as the show goes on, the audience gets to know the kids' relationships with one another.

"They’re at their most awkward, most vulnerable stages in life, and they’re being thrust into this kind of higher stakes situation, and that’s where the comedy comes in," she said.

Brickey said throughout the course of the show, the kids discover their own identities, which is an exciting story to tell.

The show is funny and people will laugh, but Brickey said the material is moving, too.

"They may find themselves crying as well. It’s, to me, a wonderful balance of comedy and heart-wrenching drama," she said. "I do think that there are some special moments that the audience is going to be able to relate to."

The musical is the last of Weathervane's summer season, and Hartwig said it's a fun way to end the season.

“I think this will be a very unconventional night out,” he said. “It’s not going to be what they’ve seen if they’ve seen all the other four shows.”

mdevito@gannett.com

740-328-8513

Twitter: @MariaDeVito13

If you go

What: "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"

When: 8 p.m. July 28 to 30 and Aug. 2 to 6 as well as 2 p.m. July 30

Where: Weathervane Playhouse, 100 Price Road, Newark

FYI: Tickets are $35 for adults, $33 for seniors, $24 for students and $15 for children. All Tuesday evening performances are general admission and cost $18. For more information, call 740-366-4616 or go to weathervaneplayhouse.org.