The Cast Photo by Jere Torkelsen

Entering the modest lobby of the theater (a converted space in a tiny strip mall just off the 101 freeway), which is decorated in a spelling theme, with Scrabble tiles scattered across pretty much all the flat surfaces, audience members are invited to submit themselves to be on stage with the performers, participating in the competition itself. (Though the show's creators have structured the proceedings to ensure no audience members progress too far in the competition. In one revival of the show, a past winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee was on stage as an audience contestant, and it took 14 ever-more challenging words to get her back to her seat in the theater.)

The show begins with Rona Lisa Peretti (the ever-talented Dani Innocenti Beem), the competition's moderator (and top area realtor), recalling her victory some 22 years prior, when she won by correctly spelling "syzygy." Soon after, the spellers, including the audience volunteers, make their way on stage singing "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" as they take their places on a set of bleacher-like risers at stage right. The set is dominated by a printed banner that covers the entire upstage wall, floor to ceiling, depicting a school gymnasium, complete with scoreboard, basketball hoop and backboard, and trusswork.

Soon enough the spelling begins, with each speller asking for a definition of the word, and to have it used it in a sentence. This results in some of the biggest laughs of the night. When asked to use the word "phylactery" ("either of two small square leather boxes containing slips inscribed with scriptural passages and traditionally worn on the left arm and on the head by observant Jewish men and especially adherents of Orthodox Judaism during morning weekday prayers") in a sentence, the word pronouncer, Vice Principal Douglas Panch (Pat Barr), responds by saying "Billy–put down that phylactery, we're Episcopalians!"

The spellers each have their own quirks, all of which add to the comedy–physical and otherwise. Olive Ostrovsky (Nicole Stanley) writes out the words with her finger on her forearm, and William Barfée uses his "magic foot" to trace the word on the floor in front of him. Leaf Coneybear, who was second runner-up in his qualifying bee, but made these finals due to a scheduling conflict for the winner, has a supreme lack of confidence in his spelling skills, but seems to fall into a magical trance when the heat is on and manages to spell far better than his attitude would suggest. (Though Leaf Coneybear is written as a male, Marlee Ostrom is a woman–not sure why NTC didn't choose simply to change the gender–licensing issues?)

I'm a bigger fan of the book than William Finn's music, as there are no really hummable, memorable tunes here, but it's the unbridled enthusiasm of the cast director Larry Williams has assembled that gives this production life. Carly Harrington plays Loraine "Schwartzy" SchwartzandGrubenierre, with a delightful intensity as she struggles to please her two dads, who have instilled in her a need to succeed. Her pigtails are drawn as tightly as the expectations of her fathers. Ostrom is wonderfully naive as Leaf Coneybear, and sports a smile that could power our nation's electrical grid for months on end. Dani Innocenti Beem is perfectly cast as the realtor/moderator and her lovely soprano is put to good use, filling the space with her dulcet tone. And after failing to defend his title as champion speller, Boy Scout Chip Tolentino (Paul Hogarth)–thanks to an unfortunate bodily reaction to crushing on a girl in the audience–returns at one point as Jesus, delivering perhaps my favorite line of the show, when one of the spellers seeks the Lord's help: "The is not the sort of thing I care very much about."

Two performers stood out for me: as Vice Principal Panch, Pat Barr is close to perfection. He manages to convey authority (which nonetheless fails to keep the proceedings from veering wildly off-course) with a subtle attitude and brilliant comic timing. It's a reserved performance that manages to cut through the mayhem going on around him. Speaking of mayhem, Dominic Marco Canty gives William Barfée a level of intensity that reminds me of his work in last season's The Skin of Our Teeth. His face never seems to stop moving, always contorting from one shape to another, and his wild eyes show an almost feral cathexis (thanks, Merriam-Webster!).

The band, led by music director Christopher Hewitt, keeps the mood light, and never lets their sound overwhelm the vocalists or the action on stage.

If you're looking for a fun evening of theatre that won't break the bank or require too much intellectual involvement, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will fill the bill perfectly.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee runs through October 11, 2026, at Novato Theater Company, 5420 Nave Drive, Novato CA. Shows are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $40.50 general, and $28.50 for students/youth. For tickets and information, please visit www.novatotheatercompany.org or call 415-883-4498.