The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at TUTS

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.

In The 25^th 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.

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.

Gemini Quintos plays speller Marcy Park and describes her as “a classic stereotypical overachiever. That’s where all the comedy comes from; she’s very, very, very, very tightly wound. She must do everything perfectly and she must be the best at everything.” She also fears that her parents won’t love her if she doesn’t win all the time, Quintos says.

While Quintos never made it to the higher levels of a spelling bee in real life, she says she loves watching the competitors. “Just how smart those kids are and how much it means to them. It’s a reminder to us as to not diminish the experiences of children.” For them, this is the biggest thing.”

All the parts are played by adults. “It’s 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.

“And I think what’s really cool about these kids is that they’re 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’re at the age when they’re so self-conscious.”

Quintos has already had a long career as a professional actor. “I started when I was a child grew up in New York , My sisters and I all did Broadway as children

She likes theater because “It’s fun. At the end of the day we get to sing and dance as our jobs. Which I don’t think anything beats that.”

We had to ask, is Gemini a stage name?

“I am a Gemini.  My 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’t have a name for me. My mom is a Gemini  and she was reading her horoscope at the hospital and she was like ‘Oh, she’s also a Gemini so name her Gemini. ‘Our birthdays are four days apart.

“It’s my real, real name.” she said, laughing.

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’s always balancing their business with family life and acting.  It helps, she said, that their business is located close to TUTS. Their daughters are going to be in Houston Ballet’s Nutcracker. “I feel fulfilled in all pursuits of my life.”

Why should people come to see The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee?  “To laugh. People will be laughing the entire time .”

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.

Performances are scheduled for October 21 through November 2  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  tuts.org. $46 -$195.

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