The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Finally belle of the ‘Bee’
With Cleveland Play House production, director gets to oversee ‘Putnam County’
“These elementary-school kids are competing for their lives. It’s a little interesting about our culture that we put our children through something so stressful when they’re just starting to become people.” — Marcia Milgrom Dodge, director of the Cleveland Play House production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
Last summer, Marcia Milgrom Dodge was supposed to direct “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” but a sudden illness forced her to bow out of that Cape Playhouse production in Massachusetts. ¶ Little did she know a second chance of helming the Tony Award-winning musical comedy was only months away when she was offered the gig for the Cleveland Play House’s production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” appearing April 14 through May 6 at the Allen Theatre at Playhouse Square.
“I said yes right away because I never got to finish the journey,” Dodge said. “So I brought my whole team. We had a good foundation for how we wanted to tell the story, but we have a lot more resources here.
“We’re able to realize some sort of scenic and costumes elements that weren’t able to realize before, so it’s very exciting to get to really dig into this show.”
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” revolves around six middle-school-age students who find themselves in a highly competitive spelling bee with the winner heading to nationals.
Unlike most Broadway shows, this production is truly interactive providing theatergoers the opportunity to compete for a coveted spot as a guest speller (chosen from a mock spelling bee prior to the performance). There are also also VIP guest spellers. The latter includes Cleveland celebrities such as Betsy Kling (WKYC) and Kenny Crumpton (WJW FOX 8).
Going into the Cleveland Play House production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” Dodge said she was committed to a diverse cast.
“I wanted it to feel authentic,” Dodge said. “If you’ve watched any spelling bee, there are very few Caucasians making it into the top 10. So it was really important to me to bring in that element of diversity.
Naturally, one doesn’t necessarily associate a spelling bee backdrop with a musical, but Dodge, who is also choreographing the show, said the cast of characters lends itself to every cliché of the genre. Each has dreams, fears and fantasies that she said create a universal story about forgiveness, community, understanding and acceptance.
“There’s a whole sort of theme running through this show about how people don’t like losers,” Dodge said. “People like winners, and these elementaryschool kids are competing for their lives. It’s a little interesting about our culture that we put our children through something so stressful when they’re just starting to become people.”
While the show is 10 years old, Dodge said she was pleasantly surprised to discover it doesn’t feel dated. Also, factored into the dialogue are areas to insert contemporary references while still toying with the audience’s own personal experiences.
“It really does give you the opportunity to reach back and go into that nostalgia of being in school and sitting in a cafe-gymatorium and wondering if you’re going to get picked or be able to say, ‘Hello,’ to this person next to you,” Dodge said.
“I think there’s just something innocent and remarkable about the piece because it really transcends all of those insecurities into something poetic and beautiful.”