As Oxford High School finishes another year, the OHS Theatre Department produced “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”. Performed in the OHS Black Box Theatre, this musical delves into the lives of seven spelling bee participants, while providing some witty and fantastic humor to the audience. Not only was this musical emotionally provocative and personal, but extremely funny as well.
Being the last show of the school year, cast members and crewmates strived to make sure that the show was the best it could be for their existing seniors. Sophomore Uno Estialbo, who plays Logainne Schwartz, reflects on what this musical meant to her.
“There are many rewarding things that come along with being a part of the musical,” Estialbo said. “A few that stick out for me are the friendships and memories I make along the way. And by the end of the day, being able to put a production together in such a short amount of time to make people happy pays off.”
The theater program at OHS has been known to have a great impact on students. John Davenport, the OHS Theatre sponsor, is grateful for the impact and bonds he forms with high school students through a shared love for theatre.
“I like to think it’s the mutual respect that strengthens the bond,” Davenport said. “Several years ago, I had a student in the class of 2018, say that each class coming in doesn’t want to be the class that ruins the quality of the program and its shows. That has stood out to me since. I think I may live in tunnel vision going from show to show. I do not always see what impact the program, and my relationship with the students, are having on a larger scale. Regardless, I do hope there is an impact.”
One difference that set the production apart from others was its shorter time to rehearse. They began rehearsals in early March, and performed to a live audience for the first time on April 16, 2024. Due to the fact that the production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” was rushed, it was common to rehearse daily.
“We had rehearsal practically every night,” senior Rob Norman, who played William Barfee, said. “This show had a slightly rushed schedule so we worked day and night to get it all in.”
Although the show was rushed, school work and life still went on. By having rehearsals almost every night, students tried to find extra time to balance life outside of theatre.
“Keeping a balance of schoolwork and rehearsals is something I strongly care about,” Estialbo said. “Most of the time I would try to work on schoolwork when we were not doing anything, and I would work on it after school. Then I would take a break to let my mind clear for rehearsals that night.”
This production was not only different from the others this year because it was a smaller cast, but it was also performed in the Black Box Theatre, not in the Ava H. Bonds auditorium. This provided many new and interesting elements to the show.
“The biggest reward is that we learned we can produce musicals in our smaller space,” Davenport said. “I have been eager to attempt producing a musical in our Black Box Theatre so this one seemed perfect. Additionally, I chose this musical last summer because it was small and one that could be put together quickly-knowing the rehearsal period was going to be short.”
With “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” being the last production of the year, cast and crew members were emotional about some of their closest friends leaving the theater program.
“It was honestly very sad,” Norman said. “I began theater this year and I wish I had done it earlier because I love it. Also, it’s sad to leave all of the wonderful people I have met through the process.”
