This June the Monroe-Woodbury Drama Club presents “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” which contrary to popular belief, is not an actual spelling bee, but instead a musical which chronicles a group of children and their lives both within and outside of the spelling bee. Still, this musical is both a comedy and an upbeat display of the ups and downs of the bee, as the children are faced with the feelings of both victory and failure in life and in competition.

This musical also features participation from the audience that strengthens both the comedy of the show and the immersive experience for the audience. 

“We started the process back at the beginning of May…that was when we had our first rehearsal. We’re going on June 5th…and for that really, really short amount of time, I think it came together wonderfully,” said Daniel Solano, who plays Chip Tolentino. “All the characters have their little specific character moments and their little quirks.
I think it blends together really nicely. I think anyone would love to see their show. It’s hilarious, it’s fun, energy’s always up.”

“This cast is so small, so rehearsals have been very close knit,”  says Gregory Grisar, who plays Leaf Coneybear. “The smaller cast helps us get work done. We’ve only had three weeks, and this show is so far along, and I’m just so proud of everybody.”

Dylan Escobar, who plays Douglas Panch, commented on the lack of time to prepare the performance.

“The experience was pretty crazy,” said Escobar. “We did this whole thing in three weeks.”