Calliope Auditions: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by William Finn, with a book written by Rachel Sheinkin, created by Rebecca Feldman with additional material by Jay Reiss.

Synopsis: 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! At least the losers get a juice box.

A riotous ride, complete with audience participation, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a delightful den of comedic genius.

The Characters

Seeking actors age 16+ to play both pre-teen spellers and adults. While the script does not specify race for each character, we intend to cast a diverse group of actors to play these roles.

Pronouns as listed below are used in the script to refer to characters in the play, but casting is flexible and actors are welcome to audition for any character. While many of these roles are written on the gender binary (he/she), we invite and encourage gender non-conforming, genderqueer, transgender, and non-binary actors to submit for the roles they most identify with.

The Spellers

Chip Tolentino - The reigning spelling champion of Putnam County, relatively athletic and social, he expects things to come easily to him. Lately though, he's been going through some weird changes, and things are slipping out of his control. Vocal range C3-B4. Also plays Jesus.

Logainne Schwartzandgrubeniere (Schwartzy) - Younger than most bee participants, she is driven by internal and external pressure - but above all by a desire to win to make her two fathers (from whom she takes her combined last name) proud. She lisps, is a little uncomfortable in her body, but still manages to strike a strong presence with her political awareness and keen sense of justice. Having drilled words for hours a day, she is aware of everything that passes in the room. Vocal range G3-G5.

Leaf Coneybear - A second alternate, he never expected to compete here today. Home-schooled with his many siblings, everything about this public bee is an adventure for him, from meeting the other kids to showing off his homemade clothing, to each moment of unexpected attention. He may have severe Attention Deficit Disorder but delights in his own wandering focus. Leaf doesn't expect to win – or even to spell one word correctly – but he finds absolutely everything incredibly amusing. His mother has made him wear his protective helmet to the beе. Vocal range A2-A4. Also plays Carl Dad.

William Barfee - Has a host of health problems and a lot to prove. Loud and combative as a defensive posture, he is the kid who becomes a bully to avoid being picked on (though he often gets picked on anyway so gets into a lot of fights). William does not expect kindness from anyone but his mother, so friendship takes him by surprise. Still, he's noticed on the spelling circuit for his remarkable technique – spelling words out on the floor with his foot. Taken out of competition last year because of an ill-timed allergic reaction, he's here for vindication. The journey he doesn't expect is one of coming to care about someone else – when he sees outside his own needs for perhaps the first time, it shakes him fundamentally. Vocal range C3-Bb4.

Marcy Park - The ultimate over-achiever, Marcy has never been given another option. She comes from a family where excellence is expected and so simply produced. A parochial school student, she assumes God, too, expects perfection. She sees herself as a mass of problems but she keeps them to herself. Having moved often because of her parents' work, she knows she can beat the local competition. Her many talents include piano, dance, martial arts, baton twirling, and/or any other special abilities that this actor can perform. Vocal range A3-Eb5.

Olive Ostrovsky - A word lover, Olive has a fairly quiet life. An only child with often-absent parents, Olive spends a lot of her time alone. She fills some of that time reading the dictionary- the words bring her comfort, as does the idea of the vastness of the world the book contains. During the first half of the bee, she often peers into the audience to see if her father, who is delayed at work, has made it yet. She starts enormously shy, and shyly blossoms. Vocal range A3-F#5.

The Adults

Rona Lisa Peretti - Putnam's long-time spelling bee hostess, a local realtor, and 3rd annual Putnam County spelling champion. This is Rona's day to be queen. From her perspective she keeps the bee running smoothly, upholds protocol, and conveys crucial information to the audience. Her interest in the competition is unflagging and drives it forward. She thinks of this as a complex cerebral sporting event, and she wants the audience to understand every twist and turn. If anything, in her life in general, she has to minimize the importance of this event to her, embarrassed that her own championship moment remains such a highlight. A little concerned when the substitute word pronouncer arrives, she knows she has to step up her game to make the day a success. Vocal range C4-E5. Also plays Olive’s mom.

Douglas Panch - The Vice Principal of Lake Hemingway Dos Passos Junior High is frustrated with his life. He fell into education, less out of love than a general ability uncoupled to a particular passion. The drive of the young spellers is alien to him. He never found anything that important. Stuck in his current job, endlessly awaiting a promotion that isn't coming, he was not happy to get the call this morning that he was needed to substitute; but he starts the bee eager to do well, to redeem himself for past mistakes, and to impress the local hostess, Rona Lisa, who impressed him long ago.. Non-singing role.

Mitch Mahoney - With a bouncer's physique and demeanor, Mitch appears an odd choice to be the bee's "comfort counselor," but it's part of his community service assignment. The outsider who in a way gets to inhabit the audience perspective, he wonders about the wisdom of putting the kids through this at all. He has no idea how to offer comfort, but does increasingly find himself wishing he could find a way to make the kids feel better about losing, and perhaps place misspelling in wider perspective. Vocal range E3-B4. Also plays Olive’s dad and Dan Dad.

Last updated on 6 January, 2026, subject to change.

©2026 Calliope Productions, Inc.