The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2023)
Sierra High School | Collaboration with Stallion Theatre
Enrollment at Time of Production: 109 Students
Full Production Description & Overview:
This charming musical featured quirky characters, improvisational moments, and audience participation.
Performed in collaboration with students across the district, it showcased live vocals, comedic timing, and self-aware storytelling.
The inclusive production structure emphasized equity in performance opportunities and visibility.
Venue Capacity: 582 seats
Performances: 4 public performances
Cast & Crew: 5 students
Rehearsal Period: 8 weeks (4–5 days/week)
Tech Week: 1 week
Marketing Window: 6 weeks
Cross-campus collaboration with Stallion Theatre
Financial Overview (Documented Figures):
Revenue Structure
Revenue was split between Stallion Theatre and Panther Playhouse.
Final Net Earnings to Panther Playhouse: $550
Production Budget
Royalties: ~$2,500
Set materials: ~$1,000
Costumes: ~$800
Tech needs: ~$700
Total Budget: ~$5,000
Ticket & Sales Summary
Total Ticket Sales Collected (including tips): $3,480
Concession Revenue: $464
Net Revenue Collected: $2,376.40
Approximate attendance: ~464 audience members across 4 performances (20% occupancy of a 582-seat auditorium).
Strategic Goals & Outcomes:
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Train 50+ students in ensemble-based comedic timing
Develop mic technique and live pit coordination
Strengthen shared rehearsal scheduling across campuses
Expand Theatre Management student roles
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Build inter-school collaboration model
Share resource burden across programs
Increase audience reach beyond Harrison High School
Test scalability in a mid-sized venue (582 seats)
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Attract new families through partnership branding
Encourage cross-campus student attendance
Strengthen district-level theatre visibility
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- Live vocal performance and solo preparation
- Comic improvisation and audience interaction
- Team choreography and blocking
- Microphone etiquette and transitions
- Visual marketing and school-wide promotion
- Collaboration across school sites and demographics
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- Co-directed scheduling and logistics across schools
- Balanced casting to reflect student strengths and voice types
- Supported student agency in movement choices
- Created a rotating rehearsal model to ensure access for all participants
Strategic Impact
While financial return was modest ($550 net to Panther Playhouse), this production achieved critical structural outcomes:
Established cross-campus production systems
Strengthened revenue-sharing frameworks
Built collaborative leadership pipelines
Expanded program enrollment trajectory from 12 to 109 students
This show functioned as an infrastructure-building year rather than a revenue-maximization model.
