Talent Needed for "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"

Tenor; The reigning spelling bee champion, returning to defend his title. A boy scout; he’s confident, athletic, charming and outgoing. He expects things to come easily to him. Puberty is now hitting at an inopportune time and the unexpected hormonal changes could hinder his chances at winning this year.

Mezzo/alto belter; The youngest of the spellers. A high-strung social justice warrior and political spitfire. She has a lisp, but doesn’t let it slow her down. Seemingly polite and put together at most times, she’s incredibly stressed because of internal pressure and the pressure her two fathers put on her. She is very smart and practices harder than anyone.

Tenor; No one is more excited to be in the Bee, he was a second alternate and was surprised to get the call to compete. Home schooled along with his many siblings in a hippie family, he has an active imagination, but an inferiority complex and Attention Deficit Disorder. To compensate, he is fascinated by everything, amused by everyone and goes into a trance-like state that surprisingly helps him spell hard words correctly. He doesn’t expect to win and is just happy to be accepted and included.

Baritone; A finalist last year, he was eliminated because of an allergic reaction to peanuts. His famous Magic Foot method of spelling has boosted him to spelling glory, even though he only has one working nostril that affects his speech and a touchy personality. Cocky but insecure, he is focused on winning and is not there to make friends. He has an often-mispronounced last name: it is Bar-FAY, not BARF-ee (there's an accent aigu, he explains with some hostility).

Soprano/belter w mix; A recent transfer student who attends Catholic School, she is an overachiever, is good at everything and is expected to be. She speaks six languages, is a member of an all-American hockey team, a championship rugby player, plays Chopin and Mozart on multiple instruments, sleeps only three hours a night, hides in the bathroom cabinet, and is getting very tired of always winning. She is also not allowed to cry and can come across as dry and unfeeling.

Soprano/high mixed belt. A newcomer to the competition and single child to absentee parents, she loves words and spends most of her time daydreaming and alone reading her dictionary. There she finds peace and comfort. Polite and painfully shy, but sweet and positive. She’s thoughtful and very attentive to other spellers’ needs.

Mezzo soprano with strong mix belt. Putnam County’s number one realtor and longtime spelling bee host. A former Spelling Bee champion, it was a highlight of her life and she loves to reminisce about it. Well liked and respected, she is sweet and proud of her accomplishments and her love for the competition. Warm and friendly, but can be stern and no-nonsense when needed to maintain control over the proceedings.

No solo singing. A beleaguered and frustrated Vice Principal, who is filling in as guest judge after a five-year absence due to an ‘incident’. Indefinitely awaiting his promotion to Principal, he doesn't really care about spelling or the Bee but enjoys the slight power trip as judge. Hoping to redeem himself from his previous mishap, but still has a curmudgeonly edge to him. He is infatuated with Rona, and takes the rules seriously in order to impress her.

Baritenor who can riff; The ‘comfort counselor’ at the Bee, who offers eliminated students a juice box and shoulder to cry on. A fitness-focused gym teacher by day, he is new to this sport and able to question its absurdities in a way those more deeply involved have lost sight of. He may initially appear out of place and rigid but is actually deeply caring.