Akeelah & The Bee opened to a packed house at Arena Stage on November 13th. Based on the beloved film, Akeelah and the Bee tells the story of an independent 11-year-old girl whose razor-sharp mind just might take her all the way from the Chicago projects to the finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Johannah Easley, in her Arena Stage debut, “triumphs [portraying] all of the young word-lover’s fears and hopes as she fights for her dreams” (Star Tribune). Playwright Cheryl L. West (Pullman Porter Blues) and director Charles Randolph-Wright (Ruined) bring this spirited adaptation to life this holiday season in a production hailed by City Pages as “E-X-C-E-L-L-E-N-T.”

Tickets are on sale now through December 27, 2015. Click here for times and additional information.

Check out the Opening Night Picture Gallery