The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Cast and Creative Team

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

TRE BUTCHER (Chip Tolentino / Jesus)

Tre is thrilled to be joining Charleston Stage for Season 48! Originally from Amarillo, TX, Tre recently graduated from Coastal Carolina University with a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre. Previous credits include Avenue Q (Nicky), Cinderella (Jean-Michel), Alice By Heart (Nigel/Dormouse), and Crazy For You (Eugene Fodor). Tre is incredibly grateful to his family, friends, and professors for their continued support. Instagram: @tre-butcher

Kristen therese chua (Marcy Park)

Kristen is a current Resident Actor with Charleston Stage who is feeling B-L-E-S-S-E-D to be a part of the bee! She previously performed in this season’s Sense and Sensibility, The Sound of Music, and A Christmas Carol, among others. Kristen graduated from Oklahoma City University with her B.F.A. in Acting and minors in Psychology and English as well as from Arizona State University where she received her B.A. in English, Narrative Studies. Her favorite credits include: Beauty and the Beast (Belle u/s), A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Wisconsin Shakespeare Festival (Hermia), Into the Woods (Little Red), and The Lion in Winter (Alais Capet). She would like to extend her gratitude to her family and friends for their endless love and support in all her endeavors! kristentheresechua.com

arrione magee (Olive Ostrovsky / Dance Captain)

Arrione is ecstatic to be doing a dream role in another production with Charleston Stage! You may have seen her in several other shows such as Legally Blonde (Serena/ Dance Captain), A Year With Frog and Toad (Mouse/Young Frog/Mole 1), A Christmas Carol (Mrs. Cratchit/ Mrs. Fezziwig), and The Last Stop on Market Street (CJ) recently. She would like to thank her friends and family for their endless support!
Instagram: arrione.magee

William Rutkowski (Leaf Coneybear / Carl Dad)

Will is very E-X-C-I-T-E-D to be in this show! You may have previously seen him in A Christmas Carol, Legally Blonde, Fiddler on the Roof, and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. He earned his B.A. in Theatre for Youth and Performance from the College of Charleston in 2017. After graduation, he toured the upper midwest with Prairie Fire Children's Theatre, and eventually made his way back to Charleston. Will is now entering his second year as Charleston Stage’s Education Program Coordinator. He would like to thank his family and friends for their love, support, and willingness to listen to him talk about this show a lot!

joey negrete (William Barfee)

Joey is thrilled to be joining Charleston Stage as a Resident Actor for their 48th season! Originally from Santa Clarita, California, Joey received his B.F.A. in Musical Theater from Ohio University. He has been performing as an actor and musician since a young age. Previous credits include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Joseph), Rent (Roger), 9 to 5: The Musical (Joe), A Little Night Music (Fredrik Egerman), and Ride the Cyclone (Ricky). He would like to thank his family and friends for their continued love and support in all his endeavors.

alexa NILES (Logainne Schwartzandgrunenierre "Schwartzy")

Alexa is ecstatic to be joining Charleston Stage for Season 48 as a Resident Actor! She recently graduated in spring 2025 from Coastal Carolina University with a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre. Previous credits include Avenue Q (Kate Monster), Into The Woods (The Witch), Cabaret (Fraüline Kost), and Carrie: The Musical (Margaret White). Alexa would like to thank her family, friends, and mentors for their support in helping her become the artist she is today! Be in the know about Alexa on her Instagram: @alexaniles or visit her website: alexa-niles.com.

mary ott (Rona Lisa Peretti / Olive's Mom)

 Mary is thrilled to be joining Charleston Stage for their 48th season! Originally from Moncks Corner, South Carolina, Mary is an experienced crossover artist who has performed with numerous ensembles nationwide. Previously, she completed her M.M. in Musical Theatre & Opera Performance at Arizona State University, and her B.M. in Vocal Performance at the College of Charleston. Over the years, Mary has delighted audiences in the roles of Emma Jones (Street Scene), Margaret Johnson (The Light in the Piazza), Jo March (Little Women), and Lucille Frank (Parade). Mary’s love for singing was fostered by the many choirs she sang in growing up, and so Mary remains active in the choral world, performing regularly with the nationally recognized Taylor Festival Choir around the Lowcountry. Outside of music and theatre, Mary’s loves include learning, gaming, and caring for animals of all shapes and sizes (especially her cat, Cat, and her kitten, Kyle).

ryan pixlar (douglas paunch)

Ryan is a Charleston native and graduate of the College of Charleston with a degree in Theatre for Youth. He was most recently seen on the Dock Street stage as the Rabbi in Fiddler on the Roof. Ryan was voted Charleston City Paper’s 2024 Best Local Actor for his role as Trent Oliver in The Prom with Charleston Stage. Other favorite credits include Disney's Beauty and the Beast (Lumière), Mamma Mia! (Harry Bright), Shakespeare in Love (Wessex), A Christmas Carol (Bob Cratchit), Disney's The Little Mermaid (Chef Louis), The Producers (Carmen Ghia), The Addams Family (Mal Beineke) and Noises Off (Garry Lejeune). Ryan is a Kindergarten Teacher at The Cooper School.

daniel porea JR. (Mitch Mahoney / Olive's Dad / Dan Dad)

Daniel is extremely excited to join Resident Acting Company at Charleston Stage for Season 48. Previous credits include Collins (RENT), Renascence (FATHER), Don Pedro (Much Ado About Nothing) and Mr./Lee (Sunday in the Park with George). Daniel graduated with a degree in Music Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University. Much love to his friends, family, and mentors for helping him get to where he is at today. Interested in learning more about Daniel? Check out his website danielporeajr.com or on Instagram @danielporeajr.

kailei hinton (SWING)

Kailei is so grateful and excited to be joining Charleston Stage’s 48th season! Originally from New Orleans, LA, she has loved performing all her life. Kailei recently graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University, receiving her B.F.A. in Acting with a minor in Film Studies. Previous credits include: All My Sons (Ann Deever), Vanities (Joanne), Constellations (Marianne), and Men on Boats (Seneca Howland). She also worked at the Showplace Ice Cream parlor last summer as a singing waitri! Kailei sends all her love to her family, friends, and professors who have helped nurture her dreams. Instagram: @kaileiannhinton   

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