The 1st Annual Blacktop Theatre Company Spelling Bee

Blacktop Theatre Company, along with The Keegan Theatre, transports you back to the standby of 4th grade teachers everywhere: The Spelling Bee. But instead of the usual Merriam-Webster approved list, our words, sentences, and definitions will be shamelessly contemporary, proudly DC-centric, and yes, a little bit spicy.

10 of DC's finest in the theatre industry will spell off against each other. Judging the evening will be 3 special guest judges.

The 10 theatre artists won't be the only contestants, however. In an homage to Keegan's current production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, each audience member can enter to win one of five additional slots onstage. This opportunity will be open to any audience member who arrives before 7:50, when the drawing will take place.

Blacktop Theatre Company and The Keegan Theatre are a natural fit to co-host this exciting event. Keegan is currently readying its production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, "a hilarious tale of overachievers' angst chronicling the experience of six adolescent outsiders vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime." Meanwhile, Blacktop is in rehearsals for its 2011 Capital Fringe Festival production of the comedy Pun: (n) a play on words. This premiere production follows five of the dictionary's keywords as they revel in their superior status -- until a dark prophesy warns that their power trip will soon come to an end. The commonalities of the respective shows-words, winning, and wit-led the two companies to join forces to create this one-night only event.

WHO: Blacktop Theatre Company with The Keegan Theatre

WHAT: The 1st Annual Blacktop Theatre Company Spelling Bee

WHERE: Church Street Theatre 1742 Church St NW

WHEN: Monday, June 20 at 8 pm