Scripp’s National Spelling Bee Finalist, Ramya Auroprem, Appears with the Cast of San Jose Repertory Theatre’s “Spelling Bee!”

WHAT:                    Ramya Auroprem will join the cast of San Jose Repertory Theatre’s The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as one of four audience volunteers on Saturday, June 6 for the 3:00pm performance. At each performance, four audience members are selected and invited onstage to participate in the “Bee.”

Immediately following the performance, Auroprem will join the cast in the Rep’s post-show discussion,  an informal Q&A session, which gives audience members an opportunity to meet the cast and discuss the performance.  The post-show discussion will be led by San Jose Rep’s Director of Outreach, Karen Altree Piemme.

WHO: San Jose resident Ramya Auroprem recently placed fifth in the 2009 Scripp’s National Spelling Bee Competition.  The competition was held on May 29, 2009, at the Grand Hyatt Washington, in Washington, D.C. She is an 8^th grader at Joaquin Miller Middle School.  Auroprem is fascinated by linguistics and is eager to learn new languages. She is fluent in Tamil and is currently studying French.

WHEN: Saturday, June 6, 2009, for the matinee performance at 3:00pm.

WHERE: San Jose Repertory Theatre

101 Paseo de San Antonio

Downtown San Jose

SHOW

INFORMATION:

The Tony® award-winning musical hit, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, is extended through June 14^th.  This sassy musical comedy follows six young people in the throes of puberty. Overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, they learn that winning isn’t everything and that losing doesn’t necessarily make them a loser.

Music and lyrics by William Finn

Book by Rachel Sheinkin

Conceived by Rebecca Feldman

Additional material by Jay Reiss

Directed by Timothy Near

Musical direction by Dolores Duran-Cefalu

Assistant Director/Movement Consultant Amanda Folena

Set Designer Robert Broadfoot

Costume Designer                    Shigeru Yagi

Lighting/Projection Designer      David Lee Cuthbert

Sound Design Jeff Mockus

Associate Lighting and

Projections Designer:                Seamus Stahan-Mauk

Stage Manager Laxmi Kumaran

CAST: Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre Molly Bell

Chip Tolentino Marc de la Cruz

Rona Lisa Peretti Alison Ewing

William Barfee                                         Mark Ferrell

Leaf Coneybear Clifton Guterman

Mitch Mahoney Berwick Haynes

Douglas Panch Steve Irish

Olive Ostrovsky                                       Dani Marcus

Marcy Park Sophie Oda

About the Rep

San Jose Rep is the premier non-profit, professional theatre company in the South Bay, presenting six main stage productions each year. As a major contributor to South Bay’s cultural community for 28 years, the Rep’s mission is to engage, entertain and inspire people.  The Rep produces innovative theatrical performances that offer fresh perspectives into the human condition, educational programs that promote life-long learning, and outreach initiatives that benefit our diverse community.  For more information, visit www.SJRep.com

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