Adult thespians playing preteens isn't as easy as it may seem to many in the eyes of Jeff Casey, director of Hammond's Towle Theater's production of the musical comedy "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee."

"Part of it is that you have to relax a little bit and shed the stresses of the day and let your shoulders drop and remember what it's like to be 12," he said. "But there's also a line you can cross where you can start acting too childish and childlike. There's kind of a balancing act to it."

Opening today and running through March 14, "Putnam" showcases the trials and tribulations a half dozen preteens go through and the adults in charge of their middle school's annual spelling bee.

Featuring songs such as "Woe is Me," "The 'I Love You' Song" and "My Friend, the Dictionary," "Putnam" was created by American composer and lyricist William Finn, who found Broadway and Off Broadway successes with musicals and revues such as "The Sisters Rosensweig," "a New Brain" and "Elegies: A Song Cycle." 

"Putnam" was a hit on the Great White Way when it made its debut in 2005, receiving two Tony Awards from six nominations, including Best Musical and Best Score for Finn.  

Casey, who first saw a production of "Putnam" when it made its way to Chicago's Drury Lane Theater, jumped when the rights to produce the musical at community theaters were made available late last year.

"(Finn) so captured the innocence and awkwardness of being 12 years old and the eccentric nature of kids that compete in spelling bees," he said. "It's hilarious. It's probably one of the funniest shows that I've ever seen."    

Chicagoan Danna Pantzke; Shawn Smith, of Hammond; Zachary Gipson, of Valparaiso; Vasily Deris, of Homer Glen, Ill.; Munster's Kate Taylor and Nicole Dizon, of Tinley Park, play the young contestants in Towle Theater's production of "Putnam."

"I think people can identify with little elements in each of these characters," Casey said. "These characters (are portrayed) as real people, and (the cast) has done such a fantastic job with bringing that out."  

At presstime, tickets remain available for the March 11 through 14 performances of "Putnam." Tickets have sold out for Towle Theater's performances of the play today, Saturday, March 5, 6 and 7.            

Next up for Towle Theater is their production of the comedy "Kissing," scheduled to open May 7.

 

'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,' 8 p.m. today, Saturday, March 5, 6, 11, 12 and 13 and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 7 and March 14

WHERE: Towle Theater, 5205 Hohman Ave., Hammond

COST: $15

FYI: (219) 937-8780, TOWLETHEATER.ORG