Payne Hopton-Jones is a cast member of the currently playing Auburn University Theatre musical comedy “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”
Hopton-Jones describes the play as the ultimate experience.

“The audience will definitely have fun,” he said. “And we’re having fun doing it, so that is the ultimate experience.”

“Spelling Bee” is a Tony Award Winning musical based on the book by Rachel Sheinkinis that is a wryly comic and tender look at the challenges of adolescence.

The play follows six quirky kids who are competing for the spelling championship of a lifetime. But as they fight for first prize, they also learn that winning isn’t everything.

“The play takes the audience on a trip, exploring the nature of childhood again,” Hopton-Jones said. “It really displays the essence of the human spirit in different forms.”

Hopton-Jones plays homeschooled contestant Leaf Coneybear, the second runner-up in his district who secures his spot in the bee after the winner and first runner-up are forced to attend the first runner-up’s Bat Mitzvah. Coneybear comes from a family of former hippies, makes his own clothes and spells each of his words in a trance-like state. But despite all his zany qualities, his intentions are good.

“Leaf is the ideal spirit to begin with,” Hopton-Jones said. “He’s very open, very free, very honest and sincere, and is completely earnest in everything that he does. He is just excited to be there and to meet new people.”

“Spelling Bee” also features characters like William Barfee, a boy with a severe peanut allergy who uses his “magic foot” method to spell his words before saying them, and Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, a socially and politically aware speller with overbearing gay men as parents who push a tad too hard for her success.

The cast will also choose an audience member to be a guest speller in the bee at each show, and Hopton-Jones said this type of interaction is what makes the musical even more entertaining.

“I think an Auburn student coming in will enjoy it because it’s fun, it’s fast paced, and you get to see the kids rebel, against the authority figures,” Hopton-Jones said. “The music is great, we have a wonderful cast and everyone’s voice is perfect for each character. It all just fits together.”

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” will run through this Saturday, Feb. 27. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.

Admission is free to all Auburn students who present their ID card. Tickets for the general public are $15; faculty, staff and senior citizens are $10; and grade and high school student tickets are also $10.

“People should come prepared to laugh, because it will happen,” Hopton-Jones said.

The Auburn University Department of Theatre supports the mission of Auburn University and the School of Fine Arts through instruction, research and outreach. The department’s program, offering both the BA and BFA degrees, is exclusively undergraduate, with immediate opportunities for scholarly engagement and hands-on experience in performance, design, stage management and technical production.

The theatre offers a B.A. degree in theatre and B.F.A. degree tracks in performance, music theatre, design/technology and management.

Linda Bell has worked with the Auburn Theatre Department for 22 years. Bell oversees publicity and promotion for the department.

Bell said that the biggest change at the theatre throughout the years has been technology.

“Technology has been the biggest change over the years for my department,” Bell said. “Marketing my first year, I did not have a computer! I still remember my first Macintosh. The screen was 9 in., it was black and white and the cost was $3,800!”

The theatre presents six mainstage productions a year, with several smaller productions that take place in the Theatre Upstairs.

Bell said that the decision of which productions will be presented is a long process.

“This is a very prudent and serious process conducted by the Theatre Department faculty usually a year or two before the actual season begins,” she said.
The theatre prepares anywhere from six to eight weeks for each performance and holds open auditions for anyone interested in participating.

One upcoming performance, Judy Bloom’s “Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing,” will be directed by Auburn University Theatre student Monica Bland.

Bland is a senior in stage management, but decided to give directing a try for her senior project.

“Senior projects for stage managers are usually a musical of the semester,” Bland said. “But I approached the department chair with the directing proposal of a show that I adapted that Christmas before. It wasn’t something I was hoping for, it just kinda happened.”

Bland said that last Christmas she checked out several kids’ books at the library and adapted them into short plays. Bland said that she’s always been into children’s theatre.

“I enjoy working with kids,” she said. “I work with Drake Middle School right now working with their ‘Willy Wonka’ show. And I’ve worked with Loachapoka during the after school program.”

“Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing” was one story that Bland thought would translate well in a production.

“Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing” tells the story of 9-year-old Peter Hatcher. When his mother decides to have a birthday party for his 3-year-old brother, Peter’s conquest to be an independent and mature boy is interrupted when his pet turtle, Dribble, goes missing.

“I thought why not take a children’s story that most of us read when we were kids and kind of adapt it so college kids can remember it and adults too,” she said. “It was one of those stories that kind of had meaning for kids as well as adults ... growing up and remembering what it was like to be a kid, and remembering what it was like to have an annoying brother or not getting your way and realizing that you’re growing up and responsibilities are the next step.”

Bland said that her first experience as a director has been fun. The story calls for several male parts, but the entire cast is female college students, which Bland said just happened. But she added that the cast works well.

“The cast is great,” Bland said. “We’re all close friends as well so it’s kinda interesting to work together in that situation.”

“Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing” will premiere on March 8 and will run until March 10 in the Upstairs Theatre at Telfair Peet.The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will last about 30 minutes.

Bland said that the entire process of creating the play will take about three months, but that she feels at ease with the process.

“I’m actually surprised that I’m not more stressed out or that there hasn’t been any problems going from a student to a director, directing people that I”m in class with an hour before,” she said. “It’s been very relaxing in a way. It’s almost like it’s supposed to be happening. I think I’ve kinda just found my niche of what to do and I think directing my be something I do in the future.”

Upcoming performances on the Auburn Theatre Mainstage include “Should’ve,” “Scapin, after Moliere” and “AU Pops!.” For more information, visit auburnuniversitytheatre.org.