Arts & Culture

UWF Department of Theatre presents ‘Akeelah and the Bee’ 

The University of West Florida Department of Theatre presents “Akeelah and the Bee.” Performances will be held November 1, 2 and 3 and November 8, 9 and 10 with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. All performances will take place in the Mainstage Theatre of the Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Building 82, on the Pensacola campus.
Aleeka and the Bee, November first through third, and eighth through tenth.

Tackling the universal struggles of adolescence, community and belonging, “Akeelah and the Bee” was adapted for the stage by Cheryl L. West, based on Doug Atchison’s original screenplay. In a city where being book-smart gets you nowhere and being street-smart is essential, 11-year-old Akeelah Anderson feels trapped. She is brilliant, but her home life often makes school feel like a chore. When Akeelah finds herself winning her school’s spelling bee, her book-smart brain is suddenly on display for the world to see. Determined to find meaning in spelling, she sets her sights on the National Spelling Bee. Will passion and determination be enough for Akeelah to take home the coveted win? Or will struggling to connect with her peers, family and community be the true challenge?

In addition to being an accomplished actress and director, Marci Duncan, director of the production, serves as the director of acting and an assistant professor of acting at UWF.  Duncan is currently in her eighth year of teaching and continues to be an active director, performing both on stage and on screen. Her credits include professional camera appearances for Disney, Verizon Wireless, Neaxium Films and Lifetime TV. Among her credits include roles in the Lifetime TV Network movie, “Life is not a Fairytale: Fantasia Barrino Story” and the urban drama, “Just Another Day.” Most recently, Duncan was featured in the NBC comedy “Young Rock,” the one-woman show, “Florida Girls,” at Emerald Coast Theatre Company as well as directing “The Mountaintop” and James Webb’s award-winning play, “The Contract” at Mill Mountain Theatre in Roanoke, Virginia. As playwright and actor, Duncan tours frequently in her award-winning original play “DISSONANCE.” In addition to her performing and directing work, Duncan also provides actor coaching through her acting studio, Artists at Play. 

Duncan currently chairs the Southeastern Theatre Conference Auditions Committee. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Theatre from Florida A&M and a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance from the University of Florida.  

General admission ticket prices are $20 per person for adults, $16 per person for senior citizens and active military, $14 per person for non-UWF students and UWF faculty and staff, and $7 for high school students. All paid ticket purchases are subject to a $2 service fee. UWF students are admitted free with their Nautilus cards. Tickets can be purchased at the CFPA Box Office, Building 82, by calling 850.857.6285 or online at uwf.edu/tickets