25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee -- Auditions

Red Curtain Foundation For The Arts

About the project and the company

“An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming ‘ding’ of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves a champion! Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book.” –MTI

This hilarious musical, filled with audience participation, is the final show in Red Curtain’s 2022-23 Season. Performances are May 26-June 11, 2023. The show is directed by Scott Dittman, with music direction by Stephanie Phillips.

The Red Curtain Foundation for the Arts is an all-volunteer community theatre, based in Marysville, WA. Our goal is to be a teaching theatre for all aspects of live theatre, and to promote diversity, inclusivity and visibility through the arts.

Location of Audition

Red Curtain Arts Center 9315 State Ave #J Marysville, WA 98270 We are in the same shopping center as Goodwill, with our entrance around back, behind the beauty school.

Audition requirements

Bring a theatre resume and a headshot, or email them by 6 p.m. Monday, 3/27, to office@redcurtainfoundation.org. Actors should be familiar with the show and the character(s) they are auditioning for. You may be asked to read selections from the script that we provide. Please prepare 32 bars of a song that best highlights your vocal dexterity. We are looking for something in the "abnormal" theatre realm such as Sondheim or rock theatre. Please have a backing track ready or you can sing a capella. Please dress in a manner that will allow you full range of movement. The audition space can get very cold, so be prepared for temperature changes. Important Note on your Audition Time: Auditions will be in two parts - a group dance audition and an individual audition. Your time slot indicates when the dance audition starts, then individual auditions will follow. This whole process may take up to 80 minutes, so please do not leave until your individual audition is done.

Character breakdown / Project needs
William Barfee
Male -- tenor A Putnam County Spelling Bee finalist last year, he was eliminated because of an allergic reaction to peanuts and is back for vindication. His famous "Magic Foot" method of spelling has boosted him to spelling glory, even though he only has one working nostril and a touchy, bullying personality. He develops a crush on Olive.
Olive Ostrovsky
Female -- Mezzo-Soprano A young newcomer to competitive spelling. Her mother is in an ashram in India, and her father is working late, as usual, but he is trying to come sometime during the bee. Having found comfort in its words and vastness, Olive made friends with her dictionary at a very young age, helping her to make it to the competition. She starts enormously shy, and slowly blossoms.
Charlito "Chip" Tolentino
Male -- Tenor An athletic, social, boy scout and champion of the Twenty-Fourth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, he returns to defend his title, but he finds puberty hitting at an inopportune moment.
Leaf Coneybear
Male -- Tenor The second runner-up in his district, Leaf gets into the competition on a lark and finds everything about the bee incredibly amusing. He is home-schooled and comes from a large family of former hippies. He is neurodivergent and spells words correctly while in a trance.
Logainne "Schwartzy" Schwartzandgrubenierre
Female -- Mezzo-Soprano Logainne is the youngest and most politically aware speller, often making comments about current political figures. She is driven by internal and external pressure, but above all by a desire to win to make her two fathers proud. She is somewhat of a neat freak, speaks with a lisp, and will be back next year.
Marcy Park
Female -- Mezzo-Soprano A recent transfer from Virginia, Marcy placed ninth in last year's nationals. She speaks six languages, is a member of all-American hockey, a championship rugby player, plays Chopin and Mozart on multiple instruments, sleeps only three hours a night, hides in the bathroom cabinet, and is getting very tired of always winning. She is the poster child for the Over-Achieving Asian, and attends a Catholic school called "Our Lady of Intermittent Sorrows." She is also not allowed to cry.
Mitch Mahoney
Male -- Tenor The Official Comfort Counselor. An ex-convict, Mitch is performing his community service with the Bee, and hands out juice boxes to losing students. He has no idea how to offer comfort, but does find himself wishing he could find a way to make the kids feel better.
Vice Principal Douglas Panch
Male -- Spoken Frustrated with his life, he finds the drive of the young spellers alien to him. After five years' absence from the Bee, Panch returns as judge. There was an "incident" at the Twentieth Annual Bee, but he claims to be in "a better place" now, thanks to a high-fiber diet and Jungian analysis. He is infatuated with Rona Lisa Peretti, but she does not return his affections.
Rona Lisa Peretti
Mezzo-Soprano The number-one realtor in Putnam County, a former Putnam County Spelling Bee Champion herself, and the returning moderator. She is a sweet woman who loves children, but she can be very stern when it comes to dealing with Vice Principal Panch and his feelings for her. Her interest in the competition is unflagging and drives it forward.
Ensemble
Various
Additional information
Preferred method of submission

URL

Audition/Interview dates

March 27 & 28, 2023

Pay type

None

Audition location

Marysville WA

Pay type

N/A N/A

Callbacks or second audition/interview?

Please make yourself available for callbacks on Wednesday, March 29th from 6pm-9pm.

Submission instructions

Register online at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a054ba4ad2fabfa7-auditions10#/

Union Requirements

Non-Union

Equity Contract

None