(TEANECK, NJ) -- The Ma'ayanot Yeshiva High School Drama Society, in ongoing partnership with Black Box Studios, presents The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee from December 19-22, 2024 at the Ma'ayanot Performing Arts Center. The musical has charmed audiences across the country with its effortless wit and humor. An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime.
While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming "ding" of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves a champion! At least the losers get a juice box. A riotous ride, complete with audience participation, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a delightful den of comedic genius.
Performances take place Thursday, December 19th at 7:30pm, Saturday, December 21st at 7:30pm, and Sunday, December 22rd at 2:30pm. Tickets are available for purchase online. The Ma'ayanot Performing Arts Center is located at 1650 Palisade Avenue in Teaneck, New Jersey.
A scene from rehearsal.
The musical features Music and Lyrics by William Finn, Book by Rachel Sheinkein, and is Conceived by Rebecca Feldman. Additional Material is by Jay Reiss, and the show was Originally Directed on Broadway by James Lapine. Originally produced on Broadway by David Stone, James L. Nderlander, Barbara Whitman, Patrick Catullo, Barrington Stage Copany and Second Stage Theatre, the show is the Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book.
The Drama Society's Student Director is Sophie Fine (a senior); the Apprentice Student Director is Adina Goldstein (a junior); and the Production Stage Manager is Abby Berenholz (a senior). The cast features talent representing all four grades including Sophie Fine, Adina Goldstein, Tzipporah Chouake, Shira Halberstam, Sophie Muschel, Chaya Spool, Adira Feldhamer, Adiya Clement, Rebecca Anotenko, Avital Hermann, Zahava Tiersky, and Sarah Gutkin. The behind-the-scenes tech and design team includes Devorah Luber (head sound design/board op), Hannah Tollinsky (sound tech/board op) along with Dafna Vega (lighting), and Sarah Gutkin. Ms. Esther Brodsky, Ma'ayanot art teacher and a Drama Society alum, is art consultant; and Ms. Samantha Kur, English Department Chair, serves as the Ma'ayanot Arts Department chair. Black Box founder Matt Okin, the show's producer is a writer, director, producer, and educator -- and Ma'ayanot's long-time Performing Arts head.
This season, Ilana Schimmel from Black Box returns as the Musical's Director. An NJ/NYC based actor and teaching artist, Ilana's mission is to encourage students to connect and trust one another as they collectively explore what it means to be an ensemble, all while developing their musical theater and improv skills. Featured teaching artist credits: Once Upon a Mattress, Matilda, The Wolves, A Day in Hollywood/A Night in Ukraine, Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief, Little Shop of Horrors. Recently, Ilana served as production designer for Eric Bogosian’s 1+1 for its Off-Broadway premiere at the SoHo Playhouse, performed alongside F. Murray Abraham in Edward Albee’s Fragments, starred in the US Premiere of Sam Shepard's Little Ocean, and more.
The Ma'ayanot Drama Society is extremely honored to also have a Broadway, film, and television veteran working closely with the group as a Teaching Artist throughout the process! Danielle Ferland has been performing professionally since the ripe age of ten, traipsing into NYC from Connecticut to frolic on and off Broadway, on TV, and in movies. She was recently seen in the New Light Theatre Production of The Lights Are On. On Broadway, she originated the roles of Little Red Ridinghood in Into the Woods (Theatre World Award and Drama Desk nomination)) and the role of Louise in Sunday in the Park with George, as well as appearing in All My Sons, A Year with Frog and Toad, The Crucible and A Little Hotel on the Side (National Actors Theatre), and A Little Night Music (City Opera) Other New York City credits: New Girl in Town, She Stoops to Conquer and The Streets of New York (Irish Rep), Engaged (Theatre for a New Audience), Tartuffe (New York Shakespeare Festival), and How I Learned to Drive (Century). Favorite regional productions/roles include The Most Beautiful Room in New York (Long Wharf), Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods (Baltimore Center Stage and Westport Country Playhouse), The School for Husbands (Westport), Night Governess (McCarter Theater), and The Wizard of Oz (Actor’s Theatre of Louisville). She has performed in various concerts and benefit events throughout the US. Film credits include Diane (Kent Jones, dir.) Mighty Aphrodite (Woody Allen, dir.), Radio Days (Woody Allen, dir.), Tick Tick…Boom! (Netflix, Lin-Manuel Miranda dir.). Television credits include Rita in Alaska Daily (ABC), Blue Bloods (CBS), Orange is the New Black (Netflix, recurring)), The OA (Netflix), Jessica Jones (Netflix, recurring), Estelle in HBO’s The Normal Heart, The Good Wife (CBS), Law and Order SVU (NBC), and Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central). Danielle’s one woman show Sing for Your Ghosts recently had its premiere at NYC’s Greenroom 42. She continues to develop the material with plans to perform it in the New York City area soon. Danielle teaches private acting and song interpretation at her own studio and runs performance Master classes for theater programs, colleges and universities throughout the Northeast. She has directed readings and workshops for several companies in the tri-state area, including Black Box (in Teaneck and Englewood NJ), and has directed Cabaret and A Year with Frog and Toad for Boston Children’s Theater.
Danielle Ferland
Past Drama Society/Black Box productions include: The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime, Matilda The Musical, Fools by Neil Simon, Into The Woods, Golden Boy by Clifford Odetts, The Ballad Of The Sad Cafe by Edward Albee adapted from the novella by Carson McCullers, Blue Stockings by Jessica Swale as well as A Few Good Men, Street Scene, The Grapes Of Wrath, My Aunt's Son Vinny, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Detective Story, and Odett's masterwork Paradise Lost.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is presented through special arrangement with Music Theater International (MTI). All authorized performance materails are also supplied by MTI.
