JustArts: How did you get interested in theater? Are you a theater major?Alex Davison '10: Growing up in New York City, I don't remember a time where I wasn't interested in theater. One of my older sisters was in shows throughout her high school years, my family like to attend Broadway shows, etc. It has always been part of my life and something I never wanted to stop doing. Whether I am watching shows, performing in them, or working on a show in some capacity, it is always nice to get away from the stresses and reality of life and escape to something new and imaginary. I guess you could say theater was my version of an imaginary friend. I started performing in plays in 6th grade in Middle School and never stopped. I started doing musicals in high school even though I had no musical training. Once I got to Brandeis, I tried a little bit of everything.

One reason I chose to come to Brandeis was for its very strong undergraduate theater community. I didn't apply to schools with the mindset that I would be a theater major and a struggling actor for the rest of my life. In addition to theater, my other main interest is science. I fell into HSSP here and have decided that I would be more likely to pursue a health profession as a career than a role in the theater community. However, I soon realized that there was a void when I was no longer studying theater, so I quickly picked up a Theater Arts Minor just so I could get my fix each semester. Had I realized this sooner, I may have decided to double major but there are no regrets because even as a minor I learned a lot about theater and acting that I hadn't already known.

Zoey Hart '13: I am not a theater major, but, newbie that I am, I am not an anything major- so that's subject to change. I always participated in my high school theater program, and come from a very theatrically inclined family so it was a little bit of genetics and a little bit of fate that brought me to the Brandeis stage.

JA: How did you and the others at Tympanium Euphorium decide to do this play in particular?

AD: Spelling Bee has been part of my life since 2005, when it opened at the Circle in the Square Theater on Broadway. I saw the musical accidentally. The other show I was supposed to see was sold out so my father and I decided to try and see this new comedy. Since cheap tickets were given away via a lottery system for $25, we decided to try it. It was the best accident to happen. Pretty soon, I was hooked on this show and went back several times to bring all my friends and family.

This show is addicting. The music is fun, the plot is hilarious, and it is written to show off a great ensemble cast and everyone's individual talents. I had always said that I wanted to be in this show, but throughout my 4 years at Brandeis, the rights to perform the show were never available. At least not until last fall. When Tympanium Euphorium was looking for a proposal for their spring musical, I decided to ditch my dream of being in the show. I realized what I wanted more was to recreate it and highlight what I love about it. I am so familiar with the show and know what parts people love and people come to see. I wanted to end my Brandeis years on a high and decided to put together an amazing top-notch production staff to pull it off. I proposed the show and my ideas the club, the proposal passed, and the rest is history.

I have heard a lot of hype around campus about Spelling Bee. I think the reason it is exciting is because it is very different from the musicals one would normally see in the UTC. The show is very modern. It is a comedy. There are no moments in the show that require deep thought. The show is just fun. Spelling Bee is about six pre-adolescent kids who try to win a spot in the National Spelling Bee. What they don't know is that their toughest obstacle to that goal is not their competition, but themselves and their hysterical and amazing quirks and absurdities. Each performance we call up four audience members to participate in the bee. This allows for the show to change each night, which adds more fun for the actors and the audience. Each performance is different, which keeps things fresh for everyone involved. My four years at Brandeis had been highlighted by all the fun I have had being involved with shows, and I wanted to emphasize that with this show. What better way could I highlight fun with quite possibly the funniest musical written? When you go to the theater, you go to escape real life and have a good time. I think that this show brings both these facets of theater together.