FIU Theatre’s 'Spelling Bee' puts students to the test

You step up to the mic. All eyes on you. One word stands between triumph and elimination. There’s only one way through the anxiety: spell.

The courage required to face your fears is at the heart of FIU Theatre’s charming new production, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, where awkward tweens battle it out for bragging rights and a $200 savings bond from the Putnam County Optometrists. The high-stakes musical comedy is now playing at the Wertheim Performing Arts Center through February 22.

“This is a fast, funny, and devastatingly human play,” said Olivia de Guzman, assistant professor and the show’s director. “It's about bittersweet coming-of-age, intense competition, and most of all, the power of words.”

The Tony Award-winning musical follows six fiercely competitive middle schoolers as they navigate spelling challenges, unexpected eliminations, and deeply personal revelations. Blending improvisation, audience participation, and heartfelt solos, the show captures the humor and vulnerability of growing up, and the bravery it takes to step forward when the spotlight finds you.

The production is powered by a live six-piece band made up of students and alumni from the Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts, underscoring the collaborative spirit across disciplines that defines the FIU Theatre experience.

The spotlight extends beyond the stage. While the characters may be middle schoolers, the students bringing them to life are navigating a rehearsal and production process designed to mirror the expectations of the professional theatre world.

BFA Musical Theatre student David Llamazares knows that pressure well. Before returning to campus for Spelling Bee, Llamazares performed on the national tour of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical.

“The rehearsal process during Spelling Bee was very similar to what I experienced on the national tour because we followed similar procedures from start to finish,” Llamazares said. “Both shows had days where you learn music, go through the script and learn about the show and its characters through tablework.”

Throughout the demanding months long process he found the expectations consistent. “As an actor we must come sign in on time, be ready to work as soon as we start and prepared for the task at hand,” he said. “When you walk into rehearsals you are there to work and not fool around so discipline is important to walk into any room with.”

In addition to performing as Chip Tolentino, Llamazares serves as a social media intern for FIU Theatre, creating behind-the-scenes reels that chronicle the rehearsal and design process and offer audiences a glimpse into the work required to bring the show to life. (Follow along on Instagram at @FIUTheatre.)

For BFA scenic design student Justin Delacuetara, the pressure of the spelling bee became the foundation of the show’s visual world.

“The core concept that I based my design around was the isolating effects that can come from intense pressure,” Delacuetara said. The center circular spelling area is “purposefully distanced from the rest of the set but placed merely a few feet from the audience,” creating moments of isolation for the contestants while allowing viewers to feel intimately connected to each character.

Developing that concept required early planning and consistent communication across departments. “Within our process here at FIU Theatre, the scenic design is developed and finalized very early on in pre-production,” he said. “I had to be in very close communication with each department to keep them informed of what the world of the show would look like.”

For the actors stepping into that circle of light, the fear their characters face is not entirely fictional. BFA Musical Theatre student Marycary Fundora Sonora, who plays Olive Ostrovsky, finds that the only way through those moments is to focus on the story rather than herself.

“When I start thinking about my own nerves and how I'm feeling in the moment, it's going to become about me and no longer about telling the story itself,” Fundora Sonora said. “The more I lean into Olive and how she's feeling, the less I'm thinking about my own.”

That willingness to move forward despite the stakes, to take the mic and spell, reflects the broader mission of the production. Students are not only portraying young competitors under pressure; they are meeting the demands of a professional-level rehearsal process and rising to the challenge.

“I believe that our students, in all areas of production, are doing some of the strongest work I've seen at FIU Theatre and I'm very proud to share this show with audiences,” de Guzman said. “And of course, there's audience participation... YOU could win the bee! Come and play with us!”

Audiences are invited to experience the laughs, the heart, and perhaps even a little stage fright of their own. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee runs through February 22 at the Wertheim Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available now at theatre.fiu.edu.