New Show, New Space

Last night we held our first rehearsal in our special performance space, known to those familiar with Firestone High School as the LIA, or large instruction area.

We have turned this space into our own “black box” theatre that will sit around 100 patrons. As we worked on the show in this space, it became apparent to all how close our show will be to its audience. This is an exciting way to present theatre. We think we will enjoy watching THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE in this fashion.

We have set up a small thrust stage around which an audience can sit on three sides. Each section has four rows. The furthest any audience member will sit from the stage is about 20 feet. In addition to proximity, the audience will enjoy more interaction with the performance than to what they might be accustomed in our 800-seat auditorium. The cast makes many entrances through the aisles and even uses some of the off-stage floor space as a dance area.

Three members of the audience will also find themselves on stage as part of the performance. It is a traditional part of the show that three volunteers from the audience become contestants in the spelling bee. Each volunteer will take a time or two at the microphone to spell words both common and obscure. This practice is popular with both audience and performers. It has been a standard part of the show since it first started to develop in workshop.

It is a little dangerous for the performers because you never know for sure what the audience volunteer will do once they get onstage. There are a few safeguards in place to make sure no volunteer hijacks the show. However, in the end, it is simply a matter of trust.

I think right now the actors are both scared and excited about the possibility of performing with three audience members who are simply being themselves. They are excited, too, because they think they have a really fun show to share with an audience. I am excited about that, too.

What we really need right now is you. Do you know what night you are seeing THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE?

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