By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
Baltimore Center Stage’s (BCS) newest production, “Akeelah and The Bee,” opens March 20, and it’s kicking off BCS’s spring celebration of youth programs. Based on the 2006 hit film of the same name, the play follows 11-year-old Akeelah who lives in a rough Chicago neighborhood. With support from her community, Akeelah gets an opportunity to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
“Akeelah and The Bee” is coming to Baltimore Center Stage on March 20. The play follows the story of an 11-year-old girl from a tough neighborhood in Chicago who earns a shot to compete at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Credit: Baltimore Center Stage
Previews for the show will run from March 20-27, with performances at 7:30 p.m. each day except for a 3 p.m. matinee on March 23. The show will then run from March 28 to April 13, with performances on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., on Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and on Sundays at 3 p.m.
“Akeelah and the Bee” notably makes a young Black girl the center of the story, portraying her as a talented, determined and intelligent protagonist who navigates both personal and societal challenges. It also examines representation in spelling bees.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee was started in 1925, but the holding of spelling competitions dates back to the 1800s. Though the national spelling bee was never segregated, many local and regional spelling bees were, according to the Tennessee State Museum. Without a chance to compete at them, Black youth could not qualify for nationals.
In 1936, 13-year-old MacNolia Cox became the first African American to win the Akron, Ohio spelling bee. The feat landed her a spot in the national bee that year. Though she made it to the final round, she misspelled the word “nemesis,” according to AFRO reporting. A proper noun, nemesis was not on the approved contest list, but Cox’s chance at victory was shattered.
Shown here, MacNolia Cox, as she participates in the 1936 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Cox placed fifth after misspelling “nemesis,” a word that was not approved by the contest.
Credit: AFRO Archives
The first African-American winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee would not come until 2021. That year, 14-year-old Zaila Avant-garde made history after correctly spelling “Murraya.” She followed in the footsteps of Jody-Anne Maxwell, a 12-year-old from Kingston, Jamaica, who became the first Black person and non-American to win the national bee in 1998.
Tickets for BCS’s production of “Akeelah and The Bee” can be found here.
