Cappies Review: '25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' At Annandale

By Wilson Weingast of Lake Braddock Secondary School

Moderator: "Your words are "Annandale High School?" Student: "Could you please use it in a sentence?"

Annandale High School's production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (music by William Finn; book by Rachel Sheinkin) was nothing short of brilliant. The script originated from an improvised comedic sketch; as performed, actors were given creative control over bits of the show. Putnam County also relied heavily on audience participation, adding an element of off-the-cuff performance that made this production especially entertaining.

Annandale High School was able to bring to life an elementary school spelling bee, balancing exaggerated humor with a sobering backstory for each character. Each actor stayed in their role the entire time, whether they were in the spotlight or in the background. Rather than vying for attention, the actors complemented each other's strengths, creating an ensemble completely in sync.

Putnam County followed six elementary schoolers hoping to win the crown as the best speller in the county. Among the crowd favorites were the reigning champion, Chip (Jessup Gravitt), the ever-arrogant, Barfeé (Jasson Rodriguez-Regalado), and the protege, Marcy (Kaya Thomas). There were also underdogs: the youngster Shwartzy (Casey Visscher), the bashful, Olive (Amanda Weaver), and Leaf (Nâti Asgedom) who's just there because of a poorly timed Bar Mitzvah. Helping the competitors along their way was the witty Vice Principal Douglas Panch (Aiden Scarbrough), the charismatic host of the show Rona Lisa Peretti (Jewel Coulter), and the students' emotional support adult, Mitch (Timothy Hurd).

As the contest proceeded, the purpose became clear: the students weren't competing for a cash award or trophy, but rather to prove something, whether to their parents, their peers, or themselves.

Two actors that stood out were Amanda Weaver and Aiden Scarbrough. In the role of Douglas, Scarborough continuously had the audience laughing. From the improvised bits with audience members, coupled with dry humor throughout the show, Scarborough's comedic abilities were masterful. Each of the students that Douglas was monitoring was able to build off the comedic beat that Scarborough set, allowing for many memorable moments. As a whole, the speller ensemble acted as a unit; however, the script gave each student their time to shine. No one did this better than Amanda Weaver. As Olive, Weaver's incredible vocals brought the house down, especially in her soliloquy, "The I Love You Song." Weaver's voice was spectacular, and in line with her phenomenal acting; the audience was drawn in as Olive came out of her shell.

In a show about elementary schoolers, it would be easy to go campy, however Annandale did not take the easy bait. Every prop, costume piece, and makeup design was purposeful and tailored to the specific actor. While still over the top, the costuming, designed by Phoenix Alvarado Diaz and Layan Masri, abided by the rules of color theory and contrasted nicely on stage. Each color portrayed something about the character, from Leaf's bright red candy wrapper cape to Douglas' muted brown suit. Another great design came courtesy of Kaya Thomas, with hair and makeup. The task of making teenagers look like elementary schoolers is very difficult, however Thomas' use of blush and highlights rejuvenated each actor.

Using Annandale High School in a sentence would most likely go like this: Annandale High School's production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was a hilarious adventure for theatre goers everywhere.