Review: ‘Spelling Bee’ at TheatreWorks is just d-i-v-i-n-e

Spelling as a competitive bloodsport lives in its own stratosphere. The ability to memorize and spell the most obscure words is certified after a few critical questions — “What’s the country of origin,” or, “Are there any alternate definitions,” and the granddaddy inquiry of them all — “Can you use it in a sentence?”

Once the juggernaut of sporting life, ESPN, got hold of the competition, it turned brainiac, memorization hounds into legends, heroes in their communities, boons for the local...