The collaborative process can be rugged even with the most traditional of projects. But with "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," it was all the more difficult, insists Rachel Sheinkin, who penned the book for the musical, which bowed Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre on Mon., Feb. 7. The modest show has garnered largely rave reviews and is now Broadway bound (previews begin April 15 at the Circle In The Square Theatre with a May 2 opening). The first challenge, Sheinkin says, was her hitherto unknown status. By her own admission, she is a relative newcomer with few credits, thrown in with heavy hitters like composer-lyricist William Finn and director James Lapine.
"It was my job. I had to learn not to be intimidated," says the very youthful—indeed, girlish-sounding—Brooklyn-born Sheinkin, who is speaking to me on the telephone. "There were many arguments I lost. Although we all wanted an ethnically diverse cast, some of the casting, at least in the beginning, made me uncomfortable—and I said so. For example, I didn't want the ex-con, who plays the comfort counselor, to be black. But the actor, Derrick Baskin, brought such humanity to the role—it was no longer a stereotype. The brilliant Marcy Park, played by an Asian performer [Deborah S. Craig], didn't really bother me, even though the image of all Asians as brilliant is a stereotype. But Deborah created the role for herself."
"Spelling Bee," a lighthearted musical about a kooky array of young students competing in a spelling bee, is partially based on the actors' personalities and their own improvisations—further stumbling blocks that made the collaboration even more problematic. So notes Sheinkin, adding that some of the script was set by the time she and Finn and Lapine came on board.
In fact "Spelling Bee" was already a completed theatrical project, originally called "CREPUSCULE," conceived, developed, and directed by Rebecca Feldman with her improvisatory company, The Farm. Finn saw a filmed version of "CREPUSCULE" and expressed interest in turning it into a musical, inviting Sheinkin to write the book for his lyrics and music. Sheinkin was a student of Finn's in New York University's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing program.
"Three of the actors in the show are from the original. We kept them because they could sing. But their characters were already largely formed and I had to work with and around that," Sheinkin recalls. Despite the presence of existing characters, lots of fine-tuning was called for, new characters had to be created, and the piece needed a structure. And then there was the question of song placement.
"Everything happened in every variation," says Sheinkin. "Some songs were inspired by something the actors did. An actor might have the idea, I might have the idea, or Bill might have the idea. And then I would write the book to accommodate the song. Or the songs might be placed on the basis of the book. I spent a lot of time just sitting in a rehearsal room, listening. And then I'd go back to my room and write," creating story and character.
The spelling bee contenders are a motley crew. There are, among others, Leaf Coneybear, a country bumpkin if ever there was one; the horny Chip Tolentino; the earnest Olive Ostrovsky, emotionally abandoned by her mom and dad; and the slightly repellent William Barfee, who has mastered the art of spelling by writing the word with his foot on the floor before voicing the letters. Each kid arrives with his or her own comic compulsions and baggage.
In charge of the proceedings are two psychologically challenged adults: Rona Lisa Peretti, a former champ still reveling in her past glory, and Douglas Panch, the relentlessly sincere vice principal who overenunciates each word and uses it in a sentence, often foolishly, thus reducing the whole spelling bee to total wackiness.
"This is a story about growing up, figuring out what winning means," says Sheinkin. "Different characters find different answers. Often it's not what they expected when they walked in."
The show also zeroes in on the "absurdity of language," Sheinkin remarks. "The way in which we build meaning and use words is often absurd. I think the play ultimately suggests we find meaning in each other."
Although this project is a major career boost for Sheinkin and a clear departure from her lesser-known collaborations, she maintains that it's an extension of them. The common denominator in all her projects, she suggests, is "the combination of humor and sadness. I love material that's hilarious but at the same time respects everyone's intelligence. And you don't have to sacrifice silliness."
Sheinkin's recent productions include "Striking 12," a hybrid concert-play written with the rock band GrooveLily and director Ted Sperling (Prince Music Theater, Philadelphia; Old Globe, San Diego; TheatreWorks, Palo Alto, Calif.); book and lyrics for "Blood Drive," with composer Joel Derfner (O'Neill Music Theater Conference); and book and lyrics for "Serenade," with music by Nils Olaf Dolven.
Dry Spells
Sheinkin recalls always wanting to be a writer. "Although I was not sure what form it would take. I'm still not sure," she admits frankly. Still, when she started writing, she thought of herself as a playwright and says she would like to return to playwriting.
At Brown University, Sheinkin majored in modern literature and society, yet she found the time to study playwriting with Paula Vogel, who heads the playwriting program at Brown. Sheinkin continued her studies at the Yale School of Drama, earning her M.F.A. in playwriting, and later went on to NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing program, where she was offered a fellowship and met William Finn, who became her teacher.
None of this is to suggest that Sheinkin hasn't had her dry spells. For a while, she earned her living writing textbooks on such topics as social studies and geography—"I'm the world's worst student of geography," she chortles—along with a teacher's guide to literature. The ability to wing it has undoubtedly served her well. Consider this: At every performance, volunteers from the audience come up on stage and participate in the spelling bee. "They're selected and prepared ahead of time," Sheinkin says. "They're told to ask the vice principal to define the word they're given and then use it in a sentence."
Almost every contingency is prepared for, she insists, short of their winning: "We have words ready to go that they will not be able to spell!"