As part of the Homecoming celebration weekend, the West Virginia Wesleyan College Departments of Theatre & Dance and Music present “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Performances run from Thursday through Saturday, October 10-12 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 13 at 2 p.m. in the Virginia Thomas Law Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are available at the door one hour before the show and cost $10 for general admission or $5 for seniors, students, or anyone with a WVWC ID.

Winner of the 2005 Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” has charmed audiences across the country. It features a fast-paced, wildly funny and touching book by Rachel Sheinkin and a fresh, vibrant score by William Finn.

An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents vie for the county spelling championship while sharing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives. They hope never to hear the soul-crushing “ding” of the bell signaling a spelling mistake. The musical runs approximately 90 minutes without intermission and is suitable for “PG” audiences.

Wesleyan’s cast includes senior musical theater majors Ben Long of Buckhannon, West Virginia as Chip Tolentino and Sydney Stewart of Barboursville, West Virginia as Olive Ostrovsky, among others. The production’s stage manager is sophomore arts administration major Christina Green of Huntington, West Virginia. Additional crew includes costume designs by sophomore psychology major Kostadena Matina Hartley of Las Vegas, Nevada, and others who contribute to properties design and sound design.

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is presented by arrangement with and licensed by Music Theatre International (MTI). For questions, please contact schoffler_t@wvwc.edu.