THOUSAND OAKS, CA. - The California Lutheran University Creative Arts Division will present “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” in April.

The Mainstage Theatre performances of the Tony Award-winning musical will be at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays from April 7 through 17 in Preus-Brandt Forum.

The one-act musical, which was nominated for six Tonys and won two, follows six quirky adolescents as they attempt to win the top prize in the annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Three equally quirky grown-ups run the bee. Conceived by Rebecca Feldman and written by William Finn and Rachael Sheinkin, “Spelling Bee” was called “irresistible” and “’A Chorus Line’ with pimples” by The New York Times. The original Broadway cast recording was nominated for a Grammy Award.

For each performance, four audience members will be chosen to join the cast onstage as competitors in the bee.

Ken Gardner, a CLU theatre arts professor for 26 years, is directing the play. The stars are senior theatre arts major Chaz Hodges of Chicago as Marcy, sophomore music major Eric Groth of Newbury Park as Chip, junior theatre arts major Alex Greene of Westlake Village as Barfee, freshman theatre arts major Sarah de la Garrique of Agoura Hills as Olive, sophomore theatre arts major Jeremy Hanna of Thousand Oaks as Leaf and senior international studies major Beth Palko of Glendale, Ariz., as Logainne.

The forum is located south of Olsen Road between Mountclef Boulevard and Campus Drive.

General admission is $20. For more information, call (805) 493-3415.