BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – As part of the Homecoming celebration weekend, the West Virginia Wesleyan College Departments of Theatre & Dance and Department of Music present “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 10-12 at 7:30 p.m. and also Sunday, Oct. 13 at 2 p.m. in the Virginia Thomas Law Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are available at the door one hour prior to curtain and are $10 for general admission, $5 for seniors, students or anyone with a WVWC ID. 

Winner of the 2005 Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” has charmed audiences across the country, featuring a fast-paced, wildly funny and touching book by Rachel Sheinkin and a truly fresh and vibrant score by William Finn.

An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents vie for the county spelling championship while candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives and hoping never to hear the soul-crushing “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. The musical runs approximately 90 minutes with no intermission, and is appropriate for “PG” audiences.

Wesleyan’s cast includes senior musical theater majors Ben Long ‘25, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, as Chip Tolentino and Sydney Stewart ‘25,  of Barboursville, West Virginia, as Olive Ostrovsky, sophomore English major Amelia Hughes ‘27, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, as Rona Lisa Perretti, junior musical theater/communications double-major Julius Pretlow ‘26, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, as Leaf Coneybear, sophomore acting/directing major Eli Dickey ‘27 of Chloe, West Virginia, as Douglas Panch, sophomore music major Theo Chevalier ‘27 of Philo, Ohio as Carl Dad, senior acting/directing major Ellery Brown ‘24, of Bay City, Michigan as Dan Dad, and freshmen musical theater majors Mallory Szerkoman ‘28, of Charleston, West Virginia, as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, John Spellman ‘28, of Morgantown, West Virginia, as William Barfee, Adrian Legg ‘28, of Charleston, West Virginia, as Mitch Mahoney, and freshman pre-drama therapy major Payton Hill ‘28, of Hedgesville, West Virginia, as Marcy Park.

The production’s stage manager is sophomore arts administration major Christina Green ‘27, of Huntington, West Virginia. Additional crew includes costume designs by sophomore psychology major Kostadena Matina Hartley ‘27, of Las Vegas, Nevada, properties design by senior psychology major Cam McGriff ‘25, of Wilmington, Delaware, sound design by sophomore acting/directing major Rhyan Sebring ‘27, of Caldwell, Ohio, secondary education/math major Anthony Hartley ‘26 of Buckhannon, West Virginia, with lighting design by senior technical theater major Jay Coping-Smith ‘25, and scenic design by David Hartley, Director of Technical Theater. Musical direction is provided by Associate Professor of Music, Dr. R. Daniel Hughes while Adjunct Instructor and Dance Team Coach Lesa Dencklau serves as choreographer. The musical is directed by Professor of Theatre Arts Thomas Schoffler. 

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is presented by arrangement with and licensed by Music Theatre International (MTI). If you have questions, please contact schoffler_t@wvwc.edu.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2023 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan seventh in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 20 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.