If SNL and Broadway ran into each other, really fast

When Erin Ban steps onto the stage at Steeple Playhouse this week as Rona Lisa Peretti, she’s not just playing a character, she’s embodying a full-circle moment years in the making.

Ban, a Dartmouth native and 2004 graduate of Dartmouth High, has spent her life in and around the theater. As a teenager, she worked as crew on the New Bedford Festival Theatre productions and eventually became an apprentice performer. One of her first professional acting jobs came from the theatre’s 2008 production of “Les Misérables” — a role she credits as the launchpad for her career.

“This is a show I wanted to do since it was on Broadway when I was in college,” Ban said of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” “So when I found out they were doing it, I knew I had to audition and it worked out. I’m super, super pumped.”

Ban will play Rona Lisa Peretti, a former spelling bee champion turned successful real estate agent who returns to host the quirky, small-town competition. The role mirrors Ban’s own return to the South Coast after more than a decade in New York pursuing her acting career. She moved back about three years ago and now serves on the theatre's board of directors, which she describes as “really exciting and fulfilling.”

“It was just such a smash full-circle experience,” Ban said. Now, as Rona, Ban plays the nurturing, maternal figure to a cast of young adults, some in their first professional production, who portray a group of eccentric middle schoolers competing for the bee’s top prize.

“In my mind, she feels like she is Miss America coming back to host the New Bedford pageant,” Ban said with a laugh. “And as someone who grew up here, had this organization play such a huge role in how my life turned out — it just feels right.”

Ban shares the stage with George Kippenhan as Vice Principal Panch, the show’s other adult character. “I spent the entire callback feeling like I was in an episode of ‘SNL’ trying not to break because he made me laugh so hard,” she said. “I’m just really excited to laugh a lot and have a good time.”

Rehearsals began in mid-July and have been, in Ban’s words, “so great.”

“The creative team is super flexible and fun. It’s very collaborative because the show is really funny, and it takes a lot of people to find the jokes that are really funny,” she said. “We’re having a blast.”

The show itself, a Tony Award-winning musical comedy, blends fast-paced songs, improvisation and audience participation. Before each performance, attendees can sign up to join the onstage spelling bee as guest contestants. 

“We bring you up on stage, we ask you to spell words, you get eliminated one by one — and it’s so fun,” Ban said, noting that the words range from “cow” to “the most insanely spelled word you’ve ever read in your life.”

Adding to the chaos and charm, each of the eight performances will feature a special “celebrity guest speller” from the local community. Names include FUN 107’s Gazelle, State Rep. Mark Sylvia and Barstool Sports’ Jerry Thornton.

Ban describes the production as “a celebration for nerds – proud, happy, amazing, multifaceted nerds.”

“I would say this show is if a Broadway musical and an episode of ‘Saturday Night Live’ ran into each other really fast,” she said. “It’s super funny, but there’s a lot of heart to it.”

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” will run for eight performances at the Steeple Playhouse, located at 159 William Street in downtown New Bedford. Showtimes are as follows:

Friday, Aug. 8 at 7 p.m.
Celebrity Guest Speller: Gazelle – Morning show producer and on-air personality at FUN 107

Saturday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m.
Celebrity Guest Speller: Hendrick Hernandez-Resto – Latinx interdisciplinary artist and Berklee-trained audio engineer

Sunday, Aug. 10 at 2 p.m.
Celebrity Guest Speller: Blair Taylor – Director of Education and Community at the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center

Thursday, Aug. 14 at 7 p.m.
Celebrity Guest Speller: Shane Burgo – New Bedford City Council President

Friday, Aug. 15 at 5:30 p.m.
Celebrity Guest Speller: Jerry Thornton – Barstool Sports contributor, WEEI personality, and comedian

Saturday, Aug. 16 at 2 p.m.
Celebrity Guest Speller: Heather Gersten – Co-host of Heather & Matty in the Morning on LITE 105

Saturday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m.
No celebrity guest scheduled

Sunday, Aug. 17 at 2 p.m.
Celebrity Guest Speller: State Representative Mark Sylvia – Serving the 10th Bristol District

Tickets are $45 for general admission, with group discounts available. Seating is first-come, first-served. Tickets can be purchased online at newbedfordfestivaltheatre.ludus.com or by calling 508-991-5212.

The Steeple Playhouse is fully handicapped accessible, with two adjacent parking lots (including handicapped spaces) and free street parking nearby. The show is rated PG-13 for some language and themes that may not be appropriate for young children. Audience participation is voluntary, and guests may even have the chance to join the spelling bee onstage if they sign up in the lobby before showtime.