UI Theatre Department puts on first musical in three years
University of Idaho junior Sarah Marthinsen said people who choose to attend a performance of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” will know what they’re getting into right off the bat.
“It’s literally a spelling bee,” Marthinsen said. “You come in, as an audience member, knowing exactly what’s going to happen.”
Putnam, on stage beginning Thursday, will be the first musical the department has put on in three years, since they performed “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” in 2012.
Putnam is unique from most musicals because the play includes interactive portions, Marthinsen said. Members of the audience can be invited onto the stage with the actors where they will spell words and even participate in some musical numbers.
A guest performer will also attend the show every night and participate as one of the interacting audience members.
“Every night we’ll pick three random people and then we’ll have our special guests also come up,” Marthinsen said.
Marthinsen said the interactive component of Putnam will only add to the audience’s experience watching the show because it will give viewers the option to root for one of their own, rather than one of the fictional characters.
She plays the character of Logan in Putnam, a high-strung perfectionist and the youngest of all of the children competing in the spelling bee. Logan was raised by her two dads, who always taught her to strive to be the best.
Marthinsen said she connected with Logan and thinks the audience will root for her. She said there were other characters in the play who she thinks the audience will root against. She gave the example of Barfee, who she said is a bully.
“Barfee, played by Ryan Reed, is just a butt face,” she said. “He’s so mean. He’s so mean to Olive, one of the other girl characters.”
[box style=”rounded” border=”full”]More info
Showings are Thursday through Saturday and April 8 through 11 at 7:30 p.m. An additional matinee is Saturday at 2 p.m. All showings are in the Hartung Theater. Admission is free for UI students, and costs $15 for adults, $10 for UI faculty, staff and seniors and $5 for children under 12. The show will have a special guest performer each night. Thursday: ASUI President Nate Fisher Friday: UI President Chuck Staben Saturday: Moscow Pullman Daily News Editor Lee Rozen (matinee) and Latah County Commissioner Tom Lamar (evening) April 8: Kimberly Dawn from ZFUN April 9: Director of Athletics Rob Spear April 10 Community Theater Patron Jan Peavy April 11: Dean of UI’s College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences Andrew Kersten [/box]
Lauren Walters, who plays Olive in the production, said she found her character inspiring and thinks everyone in the audience will connect with her. She said Olive is shy but sweet, and competing in the spelling bee helps her make friends.
“She kind of has to grow up and be a little bit of an adult a little bit faster than some kids,” Walters said.
Both Marthinsen and Walters said Putnam relied heavily on the work done by UI students, both on and off stage. Walters said the cast was close from the get go, and she couldn’t be happier to perform alongside her best friends.
“Everyone is just so incredibly talented,” Walters said. “And not only that, but they’re incredibly hardworking as well. It’s really inspiring to work with a cast who’s just so willing to go for it.”
Erin Bamer can be reached at [email protected]