Avenue Arts out for laughs at Cultural Center home

CANTON − A recent rehearsal of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" was a jubilant precursor to the hilariously entertaining stage show awaiting the audience when the musical comedy opens this weekend at the Cultural Center for the Arts.

A celebratory buzz overtook the W.G. Fry Theater, the new performance home of Avenue Arts, a local theater company.

Actors portrayed mid-pubescent students competing in a spelling bee while seated on bleachers in a gymnasium. Stepping to a microphone, tweens spelled out obscure or made-up words.

Childish quirks and a nearly endless stream of humor were infectious in the 139-seat, black-box style theater. Rehearsal featured choregraphed dance routines, leg kicks, chorus-style singing and solo performances.

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Cast member Alison Foutz, 30, of Canton, said the stage performance of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" will be even more energetic and fun, calling it an "escape" from reality for both actors and those watching.

"If you come out and see the show, you won't stop laughing," she promised. "Each of these people in this cast bring their own humor and their own little quirks to the character − a lot of the jokes are subtle and you catch them."

The two-hour musical will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Follow-up performances will be at 8 p.m. Feb. 3-4 and 2 p.m. Feb. 5.

Tickets, $20, can be purchased at https://www.avenueartscanton.com/. Avenue Arts can be reached at 330-409-7595.

Avenue Arts part of rebranded theater space at Cultural Center

David Lee, producing artistic director for Avenue Arts, said "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" marks the first full production with adult actors for the group since it relocated from a storefront at 207 Sixth St. NW in downtown Canton to the Cultural Center for the Arts, 1001 Market Ave. N.

Other recent changes at the Cultural Center have included the Players Guild Theatre relocating from its longtime home at the Cultural Center to Kent State University at Stark in Jackson Township, where its performances are staged at the Mary J. Timken Theatre in the Fine Arts Building.

Avenue Arts, New Direction Performing Arts Academy and Sing Stark! are now part of the rebranded Cultural Center Theater, which also has plans for hosting regional and national performers.

ArtsinStark, a nonprofit agency that promotes the arts in Stark County, operates the Cultural Center.

"The Cultural Center for the Arts can play a more significant role as an essential space that bridges the gap between the classroom and after school and provide an ideal environment for youth and adults alike to engage in connected learning activities," said David Whitehill, CEO and president of ArtsinStark. "Hands-on, arts-driven activities that enable our community to learn while exploring their passions and interests."

'The crown jewel of where arts and culture collide.'

Formed in 2017, Avenue Arts first performed on the lower level of an art gallery at 324 Cleveland Ave. NW in downtown Canton. This is the first time Avenue Arts has had a fixed seating arrangement.

Jared Sparks serves as managing director of Avenue Arts and musical director of the spelling bee production. Sarah Jane Toy choregraphed the production.

"Avenue Arts strives to be an immersive theater experience that tells the stories that sometimes go untold and don't get to be in the spotlight as often," Lee said. "Avenue Arts sets out to inspire, engage and challenge artists and audience members with thought-provoking and unfiltered theatrical experiences for every walk of life."

Avenue Arts also has an educational theater and offers student workshops, as well as Avenue Arts Jr. productions, including "Little Mermaid Jr." May 12-14. Now there's more room for students and patrons inside of Cable Recital Hall at the Cultural Center, Lee said.

Performing on local stages since age 10, Foutz said that teaching children the craft of theater is an integral part of Avenue Arts.

"Some kids don't fit into sports, some kids don't fit into other things, and their parents put them into theater and that is their passion," said Foutz, who also has appeared in "Steel Magnolias" and "Godspell" with Avenue Arts. "I just think in theater they find their passion for it and they find themselves in it."

Avenue Arts is supported through grants, ArtsinStark funding, donations and show ticket revenue.

"Avenue Arts continues to grow, and being at the Cultural Center allows for that growth," said Lee, who is also director of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee."

Lee said he considers the Cultural Center to be "the crown jewel of where arts and culture collide."

Musical features splits, cartwheels and 'magic feet'

Cast member Desirée Hargrave, 26, of Massillon said using a spelling bee as the storytelling basis for a musical might seem mundane.

"I'm going to tell you there's a lot of craziness that is happening in this spelling bee," said Hargrave, who teaches at Youtz Intermediate School in Canton. "So you're really not going to want to miss it. There's splits, cartwheels, magic feet. You gotta come and see it."

Four audience members also will participate in the production on stage; the individuals will be selected just prior to the start of each show.

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Cast members said "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" also weaves in poignant moments from the lives of the children who are vying for the spelling championship.

Pressure, anxiety and other emotions are also reflected through the eyes of the students.

"You explore that," said Hargrave, who has played roles in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" with the Youngstown Playhouse and "Jesus Christ Superstar" with the Players Guild. "It's really not serious, but there are some undertones of things that people can relate to − 'Will my dad be proud of me? Is my family here? Are they watching?'"

Lee agreed.

"This show is lighthearted fun with a meaningful message and allows our audience to engage and have an immersive theatre experience," the director said. "I’m a firm believer that theatre serves as a mirror to our society. So, if you imagine that the spelling bee is any event or situation in your life, the stories you see on the stage will allow the audience to find empathy and grace that they can then take with them after leaving the theatre to apply to their own lives."

Micah Harvey, 34, of Canton, said the design of the theater also will enhance the experience for both the audience and cast, which also includes Emily Schrader, Jordan Potter, Trenton Eaves, Ben Arrington, Jonathan Merechant and Hannah Marzano.

"I prefer this stage to the main stage (at the Cultural Center)," said Harvey, who previously played the lead in local performances of "Shrek" and "Sweeney Todd." "There's nuance that you'll see actors do that you'll never see on the main stage. You'll get a sense of realism that a proscenium style show will never give you."

Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com. On Twitter @ebalintREP.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: 'Putnam County Spelling Bee' musical promises laughs in Canton show