June 27, 2025
Cowley College & The V.J. Wilkins Foundation Bring Laughter and Heart to the Stage with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Cowley College and The V.J. Wilkins Foundation are proud to present their 2025 summer theatre production, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Performances will take place July 17鈥�19, 2025, at 7:30 PM and July 19th at 2:00 PM in the Brown Theatre on Cowley College鈥檚 main campus in Arkansas City, Kansas.
This delightfully offbeat musical comedy follows a group of six eccentric pre-teens as they vie for the championship title at a local spelling bee, overseen by a panel of equally quirky adults. As the spelling bee progresses, the contestants share hilarious and touching personal stories, confronting life鈥檚 big questions while navigating the awkward, wonderful chaos of adolescence. With its witty script and catchy songs, Spelling Bee is both a heartfelt coming-of-age tale and a laugh-out-loud comedy, perfect for mature audiences.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee features music and lyrics by William Finn, a book by Rachel Sheinkin, and was conceived by Rebecca Feldman. Additional material is by Jay Reiss. The original Broadway production was directed by James Lapine and produced by David Stone, James L. Nederlander, Barbara Whitman, Patrick Catullo, the Barrington Stage Company, and Second Stage Theatre. This production is based upon Crepuscule, an original play by The Farm, and the Barrington Stage Company workshop was originally co-directed by Michael Barakiva and Rebecca Feldman.
Please note that this production is rated PG-13 for mature content and mild adult language.
This production is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.
Tickets are available at the.
Hunter Ferguson | Integrated Communications Specialist
Cowley College
125 S. 2nd Street
Arkansas City, KS 67005
hunter.ferguson@cowley.edu