CORRECTIONS APPENDEDThe spelling bee has never been funnier. Tympanium Euphorium's production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was a complete riot from start to finish. The plot is simple enough-six elementary school students from all over Putnam County gather in a gymnasium to battle for the title of County Spelling Champion-but the combination of a great script, hilarious acting, beautiful singing and superb directing made the show a phenomenon that should not have been missed.

Alex Davidson '10 made his Undergraduate Theatre Collective directing debut with Spelling Bee. In his director's note, he mentioned how important it is for him to have fun and excitement in theater, and he made that quite evident in his directing. The production seemed effortless and well-rehearsed, making it a joy to watch.

The entire production fit together perfectly, and a good deal of that had to do with the skill of the musical direction. Mindy Cimini '12 was both the musical director and the pianist for the show. The musicians were able to support the action onstage without ever detracting from it. The performance was clean and blended beautifully with the voices of the actors.

This was a highly talented cast of actors and singers. The actors were able to pass beyond acting and actually become the characters. All of the 20-or-so-year-old actors were completely believable as elementary school-aged children. In one case, it may have been slightly overdone: Julie Stein's '11 character had an overpowering lisp that made it difficult to understand her when she spoke, even though that may have been the intention. Nick Maletta's '13 song "Prayer of the Comfort Counselor" was a stunning song with every note piercing the heart of the audience. Adam Levine '11 sang about the embarrassment of having an uncontrollable erection in the song "Chip's Lament (My Unfortunate Erection)." He sang with realistic emotion and had everyone watching feeling his pain. I would say that the stand-out acting job of the performance was that of Jeremy Weinberg '12. He played a home-schooled child named Leaf, and every single movement he made while onstage intensified the depth of his character.

One of the amazing aspects of the play was watching the actors change roles. Many of them played multiple and varied parts. Maletta and Weinberg slid seamlessly between playing their main roles and portraying two flamboyant gay men, while Levine made a brief appearance as Jesus. This use of doubling, and the fact that it was done so well, made it obvious how talented the actors were. These abrupt appearances kept the audience perpetually on the edge of their seats.

Another great aspect of the play was the audience participation. Four members of the audience at every performance were pulled onto stage to participate as the additional spelling bee contestants. For the performance on Sunday at 2 p.m., the audience members were Prof. Harry Coiner (ECON), Carly Saada (an eight-year-old), Josh Basseches '12 and Melanie Steinhardt '13. The actors onstage were able to improvise around all of the audience members. Herbie Rosen '12, playing Vice Principal Douglas Panch, did a great job at making sassy comments off the cuff at Prof. Coiner, and economist jokes abounded.

The set on which the actors stood was simple yet evocative. Although sparse with only a set of bleachers, a judging table and a chair for the Comfort Counselor, it had the essential set pieces to make it clear that the play took place in a school gymnasium without adding visual distractions. In addition, there were little details on the walls of the auditorium that added to the elementary school ambience, like posters of art projects from a fourth grade class and juvenile science projects.

In my opinion, the play was a complete success. The directing of both actors and music coupled with an enthusiastic cast made every moment of the production a pleasure. I have rarely laughed that hard in my life, especially at something as trivial as a simple spelling bee.

Corrections:
The article originally misstated the name of a theater organization. It is the Undergraduate Theatre Collective, not the University Theatre Company.
The article originally misstated the age of an audience member. Carly Saada is eight years old, not nine.