Tupelo Community Theatre dedicates season to memory of Tom Booth

Season starts with "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – An award-winning community theatre group is gearing up for another big season putting the spotlight on local talent.

And the upcoming season for the Tupelo Community Theatre is extra special, as it will honor the legacy of its longtime director, who passed away earlier this year.

The season opener for the Tupelo Community Theatre puts audience members at a unique spelling bee.

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is a musical comedy, and was initially directed by longtime TCT Director Tom Booth, who passed away earlier this year.

This entire season is dedicated to the memory of Booth, who led TCT for more than 30 years.

“It is an award-winning show that was one of Tom’s favorites. I was pleased to direct this.  I had worked with Tom so many times.  I wanted to do this to honor his memory and legacy.  He was such a driving force for many many years,” said Jennifer Cummings, who directs “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”

Cast members said they want to honor Booth’s memory, by giving their best every performance and they promise a fun night, with some unique characters on stage.

“I play Leaf Coneybear, in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.  If you come out, you can see all these awesome people here, and sitting here and spelling and you might be able to see me,” said cast member John Carroll.

“It’s really funny, but also really really sweet, and it looks into the heart and soul of these young kids and is kind of a testament to the human condition,” said cast member Gabby Nieto-Hale, who plays Logainne Schwartzy.

“We are all very different individuals, so you get to see all kinds of different people represented and all their quirks,” said cast member Paden Gates, who plays Olive Ostrovsky.

“The 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” runs from August 24 through August 26, kicking off the 54th season for TCT. The entire season has been dedicated to the memory of Tom Booth and features his favorite productions.

For more information on TCT and ticket information, you can call the TCT Box Office at (662)844-1935.

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