BmoreArt

Natayla Benton takes the lead role as Akeelah. She is radiant in the part. Benton, and much of the student cast, possess skill beyond their years. What’s even more impressive is their dedication to the craft. Akeelah’s best friend, the fashionable Georgia, is portrayed with humor and sass by Chloé Sheppard. Will Dombrowski plays Javier Mendez, Akeelah’s ally and fellow spelling bee contestant. His take on the character is a huge departure from the movie’s interpretation, but his humor and quirkiness steal every scene that he’s in. All three actors, remarkably, are high school freshmen. 

Comedic timing is a strong point of the entire ensemble. Mentor Dr. Joshua Larabee, played by Jefferson A. Russell, is channeling Laurence Fishburne with all the gravitas and excellence that goes along with it. Akeelah’s exhausted and overwhelmed single mother is portrayed by Zipporah Brown Gladden, who is also a teaching artist at Baltimore Center Stage. I’ve had the pleasure of workshopping with Gladden at Fells Point Corner Theater, and as previously proven, she effortlessly navigates the line between humor and pathos. Grief is an ever-present subject in Akeelah, but the play never feels anything less than triumphant. In every scene, the passion and pride of the student ensemble is contagious. The supporting adult cast features many standout actors, including Tracy “Symphony” Hall as neighbor Batty Ruth in a revolving series of wigs.

When the decision was made to partner with BSA, Baltimore Center Stage was clear about their priorities for the collaboration. The students’ education and safety were always placed at the forefront of the relationship. Participation in Akeelah and the Bee is an educational, graded opportunity for the students. Factors like homework/study time and snack breaks had to be integrated into rehearsal schedules. Dinner was provided for students during every rehearsal.

Parents, nicknamed the “special sauce” behind this production, volunteer behind the scenes as ushers, provide rides, and donate snacks. Becky Mossing, head of the BSA Theater Department, also met weekly with Baltimore Center Stage artistic associates, helping navigate the logistics of this new relationship. 

Associate Line Producer, Bridgette C. Burton, expects the relationship between the two organizations to deepen over time, “They’re the next generation of actors and artists. How do we pour into them now?” Walker-Webb along with the entire creative team at Baltimore Center Stage are interested in telling different kinds of stories about different kinds of people, and this includes plays for younger audiences. This year marks the 40th anniversary of their Young Playwrights Festival, a learning program for Maryland students wanting to write their own short form play.

This production of Akeelah and the Bee focused on connecting with student actors, but the artistic staff hopes to create collaborative opportunities on future productions with BSA’s stage design and production students. 

On March 8th, the original film, written and directed by Doug Atchison, was screened at the Parkway Theatre as a part of the Films on Stage series, followed by a talkback with members of the play’s cast. The movie premiered nearly 20 years ago and features Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, and Keke Palmer in a breakthrough role as Akeelah. Shiloh Hopkins, member of the BSA student ensemble, served as moderator for the event. The stage adaptation, written by Cheryl L. West, premiered in 2015 at the Minneapolis Children’s Theatre Company. The sheer number of initiatives and partnerships inspired by Akeelah and the Bee speak to the power and broad resonance of its story. 

Slight updates and changes were made to update the script for this production, with emphasis placed on uplifting the excellence of Black culture. In this version, we are in Baltimore City instead of Chicago. Rather than learning the rhythm of words from jump rope as in the movie’s plot, Akeelah channels the beat from step teams and the Divine Nine, with little hints to Black Greek life peppered throughout the set dressing. Anton Volovsek’s multipurpose set design is among the best I’ve seen at this theater. The circular set of windows along the top of the stage combined with Xiangfu Xiao’s striking lighting design are an ingenious way to frame key moments with multiple cast members in play.

While being introduced on stage at Akeelah and the Bee’s opening night, Burton’s eyes welled with tears, proud of what the cast and crew created. After seeing the play, she, and the entire creative team, have every reason to be proud.

What were you doing when you were 13 or 14 years old? Perhaps getting to safely try out your dream job would’ve changed the trajectory of your entire life. When I was 13, I wasn’t in a mainstage production at Baltimore Center Stage, but I did get to perform a scene from Hamlet on the mainstage during the Shakespeare Festival. Young people, while inexperienced, are capable of great levels of comprehension and appreciation when given the right tools. 

All of this comes at a time when the future is somewhat uncertain for both educators and the performing arts. Baltimore Center Stage, the state theater of Maryland, is clear in its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The first page of the show’s program features a land acknowledgement honoring Native American land and Indigenous culture. The theater is outwardly dedicated to being a safe space for self-expression and experimentation, as indicated in their vision statement, “We are building a theater for everyone.” 

This inclusiveness is in direct conflict with newly updated anti-DEI grant guidance for the National Endowment for the Arts. Under the provided NEA guidelines, most of the plays in the Baltimore Center Stage 2024-25 season would disqualify them from being awarded funding. Akeelah and the Bee does not shy away from representing the very real inequalities and prejudices historically faced by Black and brown children. Yet the story, and all the ways to tell it, is for us all. Organizations and partnerships that continue making space for everyone, despite the increasing political pressures against them, have never been more vital. 

Akeelah and the Bee runs March 20-April 13, 2025, at Baltimore Center Stage: 700 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. For more information and to book your tickets visit their website HERE.