SBSpellingBee

Pros:
==1. The set was simplistic, yet versatile. While portraying the bareness of a high-school gym, it also had subtle qualities that enhanced the play as a whole. It was visually appealing and some of it, like the banners, had comical phrases that amused the audience. Though it was minimal and didn't have a lot of mass to it, the set performed various feats few other plays could. The trophy stand or bleachers becoming additional pieces when turned around. This imaginative function added a lot to the set without clogging up the stage.== ==2. Costumes were also a big plus in the play as they completely personified their characters. At first glance, one could tell if a child was a young athlete, homeschooled, poor, or a Catholic based solely on what they wore. Every character had a distinct personality and their costume told part of their story for them.== ==﻿3. Being a musical, the performers needed to be exceptional. This play certainly understood that and cast a fine set of actors. Overall, the cast was pretty good at singing with some being a little off-tune and others being outstanding. They worked well with one another and came together to create a very artistic production.== ==﻿4. The pop culture worked into the play brought it a lot closer to home than would most other musicals. The references to the Palin family, various movies, and popular books all created a common humorous atmosphere that all could enjoy. It added to the humor of the play and made it feel less like the stereotypical musical.== ==﻿5. The audience interaction and ensuing improv led to multiple unexpected moments. I assume that these audience members weren't scripted or simply cast members undercover as part of the audience so the spontaneity added to the reality of the experience.==

Cons:
==﻿1. Some of the characters got very annoying after a while. While being underdeveloped, they also tried to overplay their roles as children and come off more immature than they really should be. This got old really quick and kind of led to a loathing of the characters rather than an appreciation for them.== ==﻿2. The costumes, while they told a good story, seemed thrown together last-minute. The wigs and the tape that held them on were visible and just plain bad for that matter. Also, the costumes overall seemed a little over the top.== ==﻿3. The first half of the play was entirely too repetitive and became worn out almost immediately. The usual "definition, part of speech, etc." deal was overdone and monotonous. This led to the play feeling a little too much like a spelling bee, something no one would ever want to entertain themselves with.== ==﻿4. The characters, and their ages, were very unclear. The play as a whole left me with a large sense of disconnect and the lack of personification caused even more of this discord. With focus on a smaller cast, I think the play would have gone much more smoothly.== ==﻿5. A few of the characters were either bad or annoying...or both in some unfortunate circumstances. The actor playing Mitch was one of those 'both' situations. His acting and singing was average and his only decent scene was that of the 'Black Jesus.' Logainne and her lisp became very annoying after a short while and took away from her character.==