Contestants reach toward the trophy held by actress Sara Coombs in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” at the Barnstormers Theatre. From left: Lee Hollis Bussie, Seth Tucker, Tiffany Chalothorn, Mallory Newbrough, Helen Jane Planchet and Seth Tucker. (LISA DUFAULT PHOTO)
Contestants reach toward the trophy held by actress Sara Coombs in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” at the Barnstormers Theatre. From left: Lee Hollis Bussie, Seth Tucker, Tiffany Chalothorn, Mallory Newbrough, Helen Jane Planchet and Seth Tucker. (LISA DUFAULT PHOTO)
Phil Sloves as William Morris Barfee in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" at the Barnstormers Theatre. (LISA DUFAULT PHOTO)
TAMWORTH — It’s actually surprising no one has based a play (or delightful musical) on a spelling bee before. Bees drip with inherent drama because we all know it will go one of two ways: a relieved smile from the speller or the slump of shame after the judge dings the dastardly bell.
Beyond that, though, you might wonder what other plot twists there could possibly be. Trust me, there are plenty. The Tony Award-winning “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” now playing at the Barnstormers Theatre through Saturday not only doubles down on the drama, invoking the often very touching back stories of six of the kids (played by adult proessional actors doing a great job invoking their inner child) but also ups the comedy content considerably.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.