By: Sophie Kaźmierczak
Photo Credit: Salem College Instagram
Recently, I had the pleasure of viewing the Spring Musical, the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, hosted by Salem College’s theater company, The Pierrettes. If you’re unfamiliar with this musical, which was written by the one and only Rachel Sheinkin, or if you were one of the few unlucky souls who were unable to attend, the plot synopsis is as follows: Set in a high school gymnasium in Putnam County, the host of the spelling bee Rona Lisa Peretti, who was played by the talented Faith Meadows, takes the center stage. While finalizing the preparations for the spelling bee, Rona reminisces about her victory in years past. After Rona snaps back into the present reality, the contestants arrive and are introduced to the audience. The first contestant and the previous year’s winner, Chip, who is the devoted Boy Scout, was played by the wonderful Alex Angelini. Next, we meet the quirky and competitive Schwarzy, who is played by the passionate Molly Togni. Schwarzy’s overbearing dads, Carl and Dan, were played by the hilarious Lillian Allen and Gisselle Garcia-Vasquez. The other contestants included the not-so-serious Marcy, who was played by S.C. George, and the space cadet Leaf, who was played by the Salemite’s very own Venus Radoslovich. There was also the soft-spoken Olive, played by Becca Conner, and Olive’s unsuspected love interest, Barfee, played by Lydia Shumaker.
Olive and Barfee showed us the true meaning of enemies-to-lovers and just how great it can be, by starting the show as opponents then ending as friends. In my opinion, my favorite characters, Vice President Panch and Mitch Mahoney, had the audience in an uproar of laughter. From VP Panch’s sudden bout of lactose intolerance to Mahoney’s deadpan sarcasm. Carter Bowles was a natural when playing Panch, and Trennae Hollis decided that her character Mitch should give our president, Dr. Summer McGee, a run for her money on the opening night of the musical. Just when I thought I’d seen just about everything from random erections to juice boxes drenching audience members in the front row, there he was, Jesus Christ, standing before me! Izzie Menius played both Jesus and Leaf’s dad, and had the perfect comedic timing.
Photo Credit: Salem College Instagram
Whether the role was big or small, the actors greatly contributed to the plot. This included the roles of Leaf’s mom played by Maureen White, Leaf’s sister Brooke played by Hailey Farris, and Marigold Coneybear played by Emy Walter. Overall, from the set design, costumes, and memorable songs, this comedy took Salem College by storm and knocked us off our feet. Audiences left the show unsure of their spelling capabilities and with a sudden inkling to compete in a spelling bee.
Special thanks to The Pierrettes director, Ashley Pearson, and all the hard work, time, and effort the tech crew and actors put in to ensure the high quality of the show. That concludes the 2024-2025 theater season. I can’t wait to see what The Pierrettes have in store for us all in the Fall. That’s all for now, you were good but not good enough, please don’t ask why, simply say (or spell) G O O D B Y E!
Photo Credit: Vera Kahn
The Salemite- Salem College's Newspaper 
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