A Note from the Performing Arts Department

A spelling bee is an opportunity for students to show off their command of words through their spelling ability. Their skillful display takes poise, confidence, and the conquering of nerves, much like the performers you see on stage today. The margin for error is low, the stakes high, and the excitement palpable.

The rehearsal process for this show was unlike any other, where students actively understudied and learned each other’s roles, often stepping in and making a character their own in moments. Understudying is an invaluable process to any arts production and these students deserve recognition for taking on the additional challenge. I encourage you to celebrate BOTH casts and enjoy the similarities and differences each student brings.

After years fraught with COVID protocols, it feels good to be back to true theater expression, where singing, dancing, and acting as a cohesive troupe shines. We are so proud of our performers and hope you enjoy the show.

Ashley Hacker MS/US Dance, Debate & Drama Coordinator

Director’s Note

Spelling Bee has been a favorite show of mine since I saw it on Broadway in 2005, and the more I work with and listen to it, the more I love the intricacies and witticism of the script and songs. I knew that this year’s students are all amazing character actors, and that this would end up being a perfect show choice to showcase the talent in the Performing Arts Department. Spelling Bee also has a strong Poly connection: the original concept show was created by Rebecca Feldman ‘90, and the role of Barfee, for which he won a Tony award, was originated by Dan Fogler ‘94. Given the emphasis and spotlight on the arts this year due to the building of the new Performing Arts Center, I thought it would be fitting to recognize the work and creative talents of our Poly alumni community as well.

I think part of the charm of this show is that despite the fact that the spellers are young children, the roles were written from a more mature point of view and are meant to be played by adults. This allows a greater understanding of situations into which a child may be thrust, including the pressures of perfectionism, helicopter parents, and the sexual awakening and maturity that we all inevitably go through at some point (for better or worse). It has truly been a pleasure to watch these young actors discover and create these characters for themselves, using aspects of their own personalities and lives to help them come to life.

Thank you to my co-creators, Daniel Doughty and Sam Turner, for helping this show come to fruition, my amazing Assistant Director, Sadie Schoenberger, for her maturity and leadership through this process, and the constant support of the Performing Arts Department by David Higham, Ashley Hacker, and Michael Robinson. I hope you enjoy the show!

Mariko Watt Director

Assistant Director’s Note

As the Assistant Director of Poly’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, I am thrilled to be writing this note. Thinking back to our first cast readthrough and contrasting it to the performance created and put on stage tonight is endlessly exciting, and I am grateful to have been a part of that process. It requires organization, problem-solving, collaboration, creativity, and an immense amount of time and effort from everyone involved. Ms. Watt’s unwavering kindness and dedication to bringing out the best in her students made this production a labor of love. Learning from her alongside the incredible Mr. Doughty and Mr. Turner has been an unforgettable and rewarding experience. Our incredibly talented cast has done a fantastic job digging into this show’s comedy, uniqueness, and charm; a production I cannot wait for you all to see.

Sadie Schoenberger Assistant Director

Cast

Lulu McDonald* Rona Lisa Peretti

Jasper Whiteley .............................................................................................. Douglas Panch

Donald Shields Chip Tolentino

Isabelle Gerling ............................................................................................ Olive Ostrovsky

Mia Gordon* ............................................................... Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre

Zeke Wise* William Barfee

Griffin Allen.................................................................................................... Leaf Coneybear

Drew Waldman Marcy Park

Ryan Geisler.................................................................................................... Mitch Mahoney

Adrianna Neal*..................................................................................................... Olive’s Mom

Cooper Flinn-Beane* Olive’s Dad

Tristan Kelley* ............................................................................................................. Carl Dad

Jasmine Donald* Dan Dad

Leo Yihan Wang* ................................................................................................. Jesus Christ

Katie Lopez* ............................................................................................................... Leaf Mom

Natasha Ellis* Leaf Dad

Stavroula Gabriel .................................................................................................... Leaf Sister

Ensemble

Maggie Cochran, Tessa Cooper, Carolina Lisk, Fiona Stephenson*,

Genevieve Fitzpatrick*

Cast

Adrianna Neal* Rona Lisa Peretti

Tristan Kelley* ................................................................................................. Douglas Panch

Cooper Flinn-Beane* Chip Tolentino

Katie Lopez* ................................................................................................... Olive Ostrovsky

Fiona Stephenson* .................................................. Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre

Zeke Wise* William Barfee

Natasha Ellis* ................................................................................................ Leaf Coneybear

Genevieve Fitzpatrick* Marcy Park

Jasmine Donald* ........................................................................................... Mitch Mahoney

Drew Waldman .................................................................................................... Olive’s Mom

Griffin Allen Olive’s Dad

Donald Shields............................................................................................................ Carl Dad

Mia Gordon* Dan Dad

Leo Yihan Wang* ................................................................................................. Jesus Christ

Lulu McDonald* ........................................................................................................ Leaf Mom

Jasper Whiteley Leaf Dad

Stavroula Gabriel .................................................................................................... Leaf Sister

Ensemble

Maggie Cochran, Tessa Cooper, Carolina Lisk, Ryan Geisler, Isabelle Gerling