'Spelling Bee' antics to provide family fun

The actors include Chance Hejde from Douglas, South Dakota, who plays Chip Tolentino, the Eagle Scout who won the previous spelling contest.

Asia Carr of Lusk, Wyoming, plays the activist Logainne SchwarzandGrubinierre (sic), who is trapped between her two fathers, Carl Grubinierre and Dan Schwarz who drill her to win the bee.

Derek Phelps of Sidney, Nebraska, plays Leaf Coneybear, who is the only pacifist in his otherwise aggressive family and is gifted with flashes of inspiration in spelling that allow him to compete in the bee.

Sam Martin of Hot Springs, South Dakota, plays William Barfee, a science whiz, a speller with a unique technique of spelling with his feet, and whose parents have remarried. Tami Rethman of Falls City, Nebraska, plays Marci Park, a highly gifted overachiever for who all things come too easily. Molly Thornton, of Riverton, Wyoming, plays the somewhat introverted Olive Ostrovsky, whose mother is on a spiritual quest and whose father has failed to show up for this important occasion in her life.

Interviews with the actors are available online.

The bee is run by three adults who are as quirky and ill-adapted as the spellers. Dara Edwards plays Rona Lisa Peretti, a real estate agent whose greatest memory is her winning the bee years ago. Lane Swedberg plays Mitch Mahoney, who, because of a misdemeanor, is required to be the “comfort counselor” for the losers of the bee as a requirement of his community service. Ryan Steinhour, a senior from Rapid City, South Dakota, plays vice principal Douglas Panch, whose presence is the result of a last-minute necessity because the actual principal is unable to attend due to an embarrassing revelation. Rian Mamula of Douglas, South Dakota, rounds out the adults as Olive’s mom, who makes a fantasy appearance in Olive’s dreams.

A unique and truly delightful aspect of the production is that four audience spellers will be recruited each performance to compete against the others in the bee. Like the actors, they will continue until they misspell a word. Recruiting the volunteers will be Wacey Gallegos, Tausha Holtz, Mason Jones, and Brittney Palmer who also served as surrogate volunteers in rehearsals, according to Mays.

The play is Oct. 8-9-10 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 11 at 2 p.m. in the Memorial Hall Auditorium. To reserve tickets call 308-432-6207 or e-mail boxoffice@csc.edu.