The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Page 1 The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee STUDY GUIDE Study Guide prepared by Kathy Quayle, Education Coordinator, 2014 The Grand Theatre ...
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The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

STUDY GUIDE

Study Guide prepared by Kathy Quayle, Education Coordinator, 2014

The Grand Theatre Study Guide: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee 2013H14 Season

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TABLE OF CONTENTS CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS AND NOTE TO AUDIENCE................................................... 3 THEMES AND LESSONS........................................................................................................... 3 ABOUT THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE........................................... 3 SYNOPSIS OF THE MUSICAL................................................................................................... 3 MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR - DARCY EVANS................................................................ 5 FUN FACTS............................................................................................................................... 5 ABOUT OUR PRODUCTION..................................................................................................... 5 SUGGESTED CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES................................................................................... 6 THEATRE ETIQUETTE............................................................................................................... 9

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CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee directly supports learning in the subject areas and cirrculum strands of: The Arts (Dance, Drama, Music, Visual Art) Language/English and Writer’s Craft Social Studies: Geography, History, Religion, and Sociology.

THEMES AND LESSONS

Take pride in what makes you unique; self-confidence; winning isn’t everything; and losing does not necessarily make you a failure.



Please note: This show is not recommended for children under the age of 13. It contains mature language. One character speaks directly to Jesus on stage. This interaction may be offensive to some audience members.

ABOUT THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE



The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee musical comedy was conceived by Rebecca Feldman with music and lyrics by William Finn, book by Rachel Sheinkin and additional material by Jay Reiss. The musical was based upon C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E, an original improvisational play created by Rebecca Feldman. It was performed by The Farm, a New York-based improvisational comedy troupe. It was recommended that William Finn see the play. Finn then brought Rachel Sheinkin on board, and they worked together with Feldman to transform “C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E” into a scripted full-length musical.



Spelling Bee was developed and workshopped in two parts during 2004 at the Barrington Stage Company, in Massachusetts, U.S.A. The musical performed OffBroadway and moved to the Second Stage Theatre, opening January 11, 2005 where it enjoyed critical and box office success during the run. This production was nominated for six Tony Awards, winning two, including Best Book. The original Broadway cast recording was even nominated for a Grammy Award.



The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has grown in popularity with performances in schools, community and professional theatres in Canada, USA and Australia.

SYNOPSIS OF THE MUSICAL

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is set in the gymnasium of Putnam Valley Middle School and revolves around six quirky kids in the throes of adolescence competing for first place in the spelling bee, which is run by three

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equally quirky grownups. The musical begins with local realtor Rona Lisa Perretti, moderator for the spelling bee, entering the gymnasium to check that everything is ready to begin. As she passes by the microphone, she has a flashback to the moment when she won the third annual spelling bee. The spellers are called to the stage and they sing about their anticipation of the bee. At each performance, four audience members are invited on stage to compete in the spelling bee! The official word reader VicePrincipal Douglas Panch and the intimidating-looking comfort counselor, parolee Mitch Mahoney, who is doing his community service, are also introduced. The rules of the spelling bee are explained both verbally and in song. The spelling bee begins, and as each speller is called forward, the audience learns about his or her background through flashbacks played out by actors on stage. Logainne Schwartzandgrubenniere has two overbearing dads; Leaf Coneybear spells words while in a trance; Olive Ostrovsky is shy and reserved, her only friend is the dictionary, and is alone at the bee — her mother is in India and her father is at work; William Barfée practices his spelling with his ‘magic foot’; Marcy Park is shown to be the most accomplished speller; and finally Chip Tolentino returns as last year’s winner, though he makes a mistake because of his ‘unfortunate erection.’



Every time a speller misspells a word, the bell is rung, he/she is escorted off the stage, after receiving a hug and a juice box from Mitch. Chip is escorted off the stage to sell snacks during break; punishment for being the first eliminated.



Barfée begins to develop a crush on Olive; we learn the pressure that Logainne is under from her two fathers; and Leaf gains a new confidence in his intelligence and love of spelling despite being the next to be eliminated.



We learn that Marcy pushed herself to succeed in everything, which she does not enjoy. She asks Jesus a rhetorical question and He appears to her and teaches her that she is in control of her own life. She intentionally misspells her next word and exits excited about her new future.



Olive’s father calls to let her that he will be even later to arrive. The phone message is taken by Rona. During a moment of tension, Logainne’s father pours soda pop onstage to trip up Barfee’s magic foot. Meanwhile, Olive imagines her parents giving her the love and support that she has always wanted.



Barfée is called to spell next, and when using his signature technique, his foot sticks. However, he is able to spell his word correctly anyway. Logainne is next, and she overcomplicates her word. Rona is excited that it has come down to the final two spellers.



The finals are shown quickly through another montage. When Olive misspells a

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word, Barfée is given a chance to win by spelling his next word correctly. He is torn between winning and letting Olive win, but with Olive’s encouragement, he spells his word correctly. Panch awards Barfée the trophy and two hundred dollar prize, and in a surprise act of generosity, gives Olive a fictitious runner-up prize of twentyfive dollars from his own pocket — exactly the amount needed to cover her missing entrance fee. In conclusion, each character updates the audience about what they do in future years.

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR - DARCY EVANS

The authors of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee describe the show in this way: “Spelling Bee is designed to feel newly created with each performance, and to belong to the community that presents it. The involvement of audience volunteers allows for adaptability and surprise, so that no two performances are exactly alike.”



In this spirit, we’ve taken great care to research local events and to listen to stories and anecdotes about life here in London as we tailor the production to reflect this community. We’re also proud to have three former High School Project alumni in the production. We hope you will enjoy seeing them, as well as some of your family and friends who have volunteered to spell this performance.



Artistic Director, Susan Ferley, and the rest of the incredible team here at The Grand have welcomed me, and the Spelling Bee company, with open arms. The sense of community that we feel in this building sets us up beautifully to tell a story about six young people at a turning point in their lives, who come to discover a place where they truly belong.

FUN FACTS

-During the 2005 Tony Awards, former Presidential candidate Al Sharpton competed as a speller from the audience.



-the official pronouncer, usually an improv comedian, provides ridiculous usage-in-asentence examples when asked to use words in a sentence.



-The modern National spelling competition began in 1925. Now, at the start of the 21st century, the spelling bee is enjoying a tremendous resurgence in popularity, particularly due to coverage from television, movies, and theatre.

ABOUT OUR PRODUCTION

The Grand Theatre is thrilled to welcome High School Project alumni back to London to perform in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Callandra

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Dendias was in Hello, Dolly!, Natalia Gracious was part of Oliver! and The Music Man cast, and Trevor Patt played the lead in Les Miserables, School Edition. The rest of the cast is made up of Josh Blackstock, Jeremy Crittenden, Kaitlin Lane, Stephanie Roth, Andrew Scanlon, and Lee Siegel, under the creative direction of Darcy Evans and musical direction by Anthony Bastianon.



Set and costume designer Scott Penner transformed The Grand Theatre stage into a detailed gymnasium, complete with bleachers, basketball hoops, and realistic walls. Lighting designer Renee Brode created a number of moods from the bright gymnasium setting to the razzle-dazzle of Broadway, to the warm mystique of India. Our live band provides the music for every production from another rehearsal hall inside The Grand and sound designer Jim Neil ensures that the music and voices blend together seamlessly.

SUGGESTED CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Preshow Activities -Compose a response to the song lyrics from the show: ‘life is random and unfair, life is pandemonium’



-Test your spelling! Have a spelling bee in your classroom. -Have a games session– set up various tables of Scrabble, Scattegories, Pictionary, Bananagram and Balderdash or a version of ‘Wheel of Fortune.’



-Practise using new words in a sentence. Be creative!



-Choose a song or verse from the soundtrack to learn and perform it for your class. The lyrics are very telling. What is the intention or meaning behind the song? Incorporate movements that reflect that feeling into your selected song.



-View a film about a spelling bee: 2006 movie, Akeelah and the Bee, directed by Doug Atchison; 2005 movie, Bee Season, directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel; or 2002 documentary, Spellbound, directed by Jeffrey Blitz.



Dance Activities -Choreograph and perform your favourite number from the show.



-Take ‘Magic Foot’ as your inspiration to explore movement with one piece of the body.



-Write critically about the dance performance of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee which you attended.



Drama and Writer’s Craft Activities

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-Choose a character and create a detailed biography, using both real and imagined information. Use this biography to create monologues to be performed.



-Imagine an alternate ending to The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. What if a different character were to win? Write it in a story form, then adapt it into a script and perform it.



-Improve your vocabulary. Pick a difficult new word and play ‘20 Questions’ to arrive at what it means.



-This play happens in ‘real time’ over the course of an afternoon. Create your own real time scene or short play set over surgery or a golf course or a karate class or ?



-In groups, research other musicals revolving around adolescents. Write critically or present the similarities and differences, possible influences on The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Music Activities - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee uses music for exposition and explanation, and to both speed up time with montages and slow time down with a flashback. Choose one of these styles and outline a song that you would sing if you were in the show.



-Make morse code music – learn about the sequences of rhythms created to communicate over electric telegraphs. In small groups decide on a short message using the morse code and create a rhythmic piece with percussive instruments. -Write a response to support or argue the phrase “Life is random and unfair; Life is pandemonium” in both relation to the show and to real life.



Visual Arts Activities -As a class, recall the events/scenes of the plot in order. Divide these and assign one to each person. Each student will draw a comic book or graphic novel version of the scene. Compile these into a complete book.



-Create a diorama of the set, the Putnam County Middle School gymnasium. Consider what you would include in your project.



-Create a textured piece of art using a word or words in Braille.



-Design costume sketches for a character of your choice. Try to include elements that speak to the characters’ idiosyncrasies.



-Design a new posters for the next production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

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-Divide into groups and create tableaux of scenes from the play.



Language/English Activities -Journal or blog about the performance; your expectations pre-viewing and your thoughts post-performance.



- Write a review of the performance you attended. Include a synopsis, themes, and critique of the theatrical elements production (script, direction, acting, lighting, set, costume, music). Compare and contrast your review to other theatre reviews in the London Free Press or online reviews.



-Imagine that you are Olive’s mother in India. Compose a letter expressing your regret or happiness since leaving Olive to go on a spiritual quest and describe what that is like.





-Most characters experience a change over the course of the musical. In theatre, it is called a journey or arc. Pick one or two characters and describe their arc from where they began at the before the Spelling Bee began to when one was pronounced a winner. -Imagine a new character in the play. Create a character bio and write a monologue about his/her journey at the spelling bee.



-Discuss the role of a Comfort Counsellor and the irony of this role for an exconvict. What does Mitch discover about himself over the course of the musical?



Social Studies -Divide the class into groups and assign each group a form of communication and linguistic expression to research and teach the class (including their time, culture, development and use: pictographs, hieroglyphs, Chinese writing, Morse code, Braille, and American Sign Language).



-Discover who created the first alphabet and then who was responsible for creating the alphabet used in Western European languages today.



-Learn the origins of our Official languages. From where are English and French languages derived?



-Learn about spiritual quests in various religions. Discuss the value of finding peace and tranquility and where it can be found today (ie. church, nature, yoga practise, meditation, worship, prayer, etc). -As a class, discuss the need for humans to feel accepted, loved, and sense they belong. Assign reflections on this topic in relation to the characters in the musical.



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-Journal about the impact of the internet, spell check, and Wikipedia have had on our society in relation to the need for dictionaries and encyclopedias in homes and classrooms. -Journal about how text and instant messaging have affected written communication and in society today. Predict the impact this will make on our language as we know it in the future.

THEATRE ETIQUETTE







1. Are food and drinks allowed in the theatre? No, only bottled water will be allowed in the house. The reason we do not allow food or drinks inside the theatre is because spillage can harm the seats and noise can distract the actors and audience during the performance. For most shows there is usually a 20-minute intermission. Students are able to buy a snack or drink at that time and consume them in the lobby. 2. Can I bring my camera and take pictures? Picture taking and/or recording are not allowed inside the theatre. In addition, it’s important all beepers, cell phones and assorted electronic noise makers are turned off during the performance. 3. Is there a dress code for theatres? There is no dress code for either our MainStage or McManus productions. While some patrons like to dress up, patrons can wear whatever is comfortable. 4. Why aren’t audience members allowed to talk to each other while watching a play? Talking can be distracting to other audience members and also distracting to the actors who want to give the best possible performance. 5. What happens if I arrive late? Late arrivals will be required to wait in the lobby until an appropriate break in the show so as not to disturb the actors or the rest of the audience. 6. What if I have to leave my seat in the middle of a performance? Of course there will be times when you must leave your seat, but we hope you’ll make every effort to stay seated until the intermission. Movement in the audience disturbs the actors and other audience members. If you must leave, please wait for an appropriate break in the show (i.e. scene changes). 7. What happens if a person is misbehaving during a performance? If a person is disruptive to other audience members around them during a performance they may be asked to leave by an usher or our front of house manager. 8. When should I be back in my seat after intermission? Please return to your seat at the end of the 20-minute intermission so that we don’t continue the show without you. The lobby lights will flash to let you know when the intermission is coming to an end.

The Grand Theatre Study Guide: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee 2013H14 Season