Most of us never made our way out of the classroom let alone to the school stage during the annual winnowing of spelling bee competitors.<\/p>\n
In The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee we get to see the top echelon of spellers at a local level, who, we quickly learn, can be as cutthroat as adults looking to move up to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.<\/p>\n
But in this 90-minute, one-act musical, rather than unrelenting darkness, what follows is a hilarious and at times poignant treatment of how these young spelling wonders negotiate the world of competitive spelling bees. Theatre Under the Stars Artistic Director Dan Knechtges is at the helm, especially appropriate since he choreographed the workshop, summer productions and the original Broadway production for Putnam County, the first show he ever took to Broadway.<\/p>\n
Gemini Quintos plays speller Marcy Park and describes her as \u201ca classic stereotypical overachiever. That\u2019s where all the comedy comes from; she\u2019s very, very, very, very tightly wound. She must do everything perfectly and she must be the best at everything.\u201d She also fears that her parents won\u2019t love her if she doesn\u2019t win all the time, Quintos says.<\/p>\n
While Quintos never made it to the higher levels of a spelling bee in real life, she says she loves watching the competitors. \u201cJust how smart those kids are and how much it means to them. It\u2019s a reminder to us as to not diminish the experiences of children.\u201d For them, this is the biggest thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
All the parts are played by adults. \u201cIt\u2019s a fun challenge. We all have to play children which sounds easy , just act like a kid. But really, we have to tap into this part of ourselves that is really self-conscious and really vulnerable and really unsure of ourselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I think what\u2019s really cool about these kids is that they\u2019re some of the smartest in their environment among their peers. So they have an uber confidence because they know so much. On the flip side, they\u2019re at the age when they\u2019re so self-conscious.\u201d<\/p>\n
Quintos has already had a long career as a professional actor. \u201cI started when I was a child grew up in New York , My sisters and I all did Broadway as children<\/p>\n
She likes theater because \u201cIt\u2019s fun. At the end of the day we get to sing and dance as our jobs. Which I don\u2019t think anything beats that.\u201d<\/p>\n
We had to ask, is Gemini a stage name?<\/p>\n
\u201cI am a Gemini. \u00a0My parents [from] the ultrasound. They were told I was going to be a boy . So they had another name for me. So I was born and they didn\u2019t have a name for me. My mom is a Gemini \u00a0and she was reading her horoscope at the hospital and she was like \u2018Oh, she\u2019s also a Gemini so name her Gemini. \u2018Our birthdays are four days apart.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s my real, real name.\u201d she said, laughing.<\/p>\n
Eight years ago she moved to Houston. Living here has worked out well for Quintos and her family, she said. She and her husband Chris Blodgett own the clothing store Sam & Davy. She says she\u2019s always balancing their business with family life and acting. \u00a0It helps, she said, that their business is located close to TUTS. Their daughters are going to be in Houston Ballet\u2019s Nutcracker. \u201cI feel fulfilled in all pursuits of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Why should people come to see The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee? \u00a0\u201cTo laugh. People will be laughing the entire time .\u201d<\/p>\n
And in a special twist at every performance, four audience members will have the chance to compete alongside the six actors in the student roles. So, if you never made it to the spelling bee stage before, you might now.<\/p>\n
Performances are scheduled for October 21 through November 2\u00a0 at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and Sundays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sunday at Theatre Under The Stars at the Hobby Center, 800 Bagby. For more information, call 713-558-8887 or visit \u00a0tuts.org. $46 -$195. <\/p>\n