TCR Spells Success with Spelling Bee

by Rachel Brown

TCR - Middle School. That word alone is enough to strike fear into the hearts of anyone who has lived through it. Theatre Cedar Rapids' production of 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee paints a hilarious and intimate portrait of six adolescents, all of whom not only have to spell words I've never even heard of, but are dealing with the pressures and awkwardness of early adulthood. As stated before by director Leslie Charipar, this is not exactly a family show. I don't think anyone who hasn't already gone though these issues would be able to appreciate them as much as those who have. But if the goal of this production was to take us as audience members back to our own gawky pubescence, with an equally balanced mix of crude humor and the blatant truth of adolescent suffering, then they succeeded and how.

It was obvious everyone was up on stage having as much, if not more, fun than the audience. The amount of time and effort put forth by the directors and cast is evident in the commitment each actor had to his or her character. Each was a clearly defined and magnified version of people we all knew during our middle school years. There is someone for each of us to identify with.

Alex Schulte's head first dive into his character of William Barfee and his blocked sinuses had audience members in fits of laughter. Special recognition has to be given to Laura Tatar (as Logainne Schwarzand-Grubeniere) for singing so clearly with a lisp and to Nathan Scheetz: man, it takes a lot of balls to sing so convincingly about erections. This show allows for each character to have their bit in the limelight. Charipar made some great staging decisions with each character. One moment that sticks out in my mind was during Elizabeth Simon's solo “The I Love You Song” in the second act which demonstrates the problems her character Olives is facing at home. Her frustration and uncertainty are well illustrated by the blocking in addition to the song being sung so beautifully.

Actors Justin Braden (Mitch Mahoney), Dyanna Dawn Davidson (Rona Lisa Peretti) and Mike Wilhelm (Duglas Panch) were well cast and well suited to their roles. Each had a specific and well thought out character and the voices to support them, as did the entire cast.

This show is unique in its ability to literally draw the audience into the show by allowing them to offer themselves up as possible spelling bee contestants. Each actor then has to interact with the audience members while maintaining and reacting in character. Bringing audience members up on stage can be a dangerous thing, and this company excelled.

Compliments to Janelle Lauer for putting together such a cohesive sounding cast. This show doesn't really have principals and it doesn't really have an ensemble, but a cast that works together to form a well balanced mix of music and movement.

Having been to several TCR performances I have never been disappointed by the set. This show is set in a middle school gym in present day Putnam County. I don't know who to give credit to for the remarkable gym floor, so I will say kudos to both Derek Easton and Becky Buhlig. I had to ask someone on the production team if the floor was fabricated or if it was actually planking laid down on the stage. The only thing that could have made it feel more gym-like would have been the smell of gym clothes and floor wax. I am always impressed by the ability of a scenic designer to take a stage with the capacity of TCR's and make it feel so intimate. All in all this was a wonderful space for this company to use to convey their story.

No, I won't tell you who wins the Spelling Bee, but I will tell you this was a fantastic way to spend an evening. Please take the time to see 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Theatre Cedar Rapids. You will be laughing your way through your own trip down memory lane.


Rachel Brown has been a part of the Iowa City theatre community for three years. She graduated from Waldorf college with a BA in Theatre Arts, has acted in and directed shows for Iowa City Community Theatre and performed in shows with the now defunct Catalyst Acting Company as well as Red Door Ensemble and Washington Community Theatre.