Meet ‘Putnam County Spelling Bee’ actor T.J. Wagner (Leaf Coneybear)
On stage now through April 12 at Florida Rep is the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. From set to music to storyline and acting, this production is so heartfelt, engaging and outright hilarious that it deserves your attendance even if you only use your personal copy of Merriam-Webster’s or the New Oxford American Dictionary as a door stop or to settle arguments on Scrabble night.
One of the spellers in this show is Leaf Coneybear, who is portrayed by T.J. Wagner. Coneybear is the 
troupe’s resident victim of verbal abuse. Early on, Leaf shares a story about his demeaning family, who regularly denigrate him by repeatedly calling him dumb. Wagner delivers an upbeat, but moving performance in “I’m Not That Smart.” Kids who are told growing up that they’re dumb, stupid or an idiot typically retreat into a protective shell and take less risks in the long run. Not Leaf. He lays it on the line in the Putnam County Spelling Bee.
T.J. is feeling super-sonic about making his Florida Repertory Theatre debut in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. T.J. was recently seen Off-Broadway in Measure for Measure 
(Bryant Park), A Midsummer Nights Dream (Access Theatre), On Your Mark (47th Street Theatre), and Far From Canterbury (Soho Playhouse). T.J.’s regional credits include Little Shop of Horrors, Red, Ragtime (Hangar Theatre), Othello (Ithaca Shakespeare), and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Hope Summer Repertory). T.J. is a recent graduate of Ithaca College and a proud AEA member.
Find out more about T.J. at www.tjwagner.net.
March 31, 2017.
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About the Author
Tom Hall is both an amateur artist and aspiring novelist who writes art quest thrillers. He is in the final stages of completing his debut novel titled "Art Detective," a story that fictionalizes the discovery of the fabled billion-dollar Impressionist collection of Parisian art dealer Josse Bernheim-Jeune, thought by many to have perished during World War II when the collection's hiding place, Castle de Rastignac in southern France, was destroyed by the Wehrmacht in reprisal for attacks made by members of the Resistance operating in the area. A former tax attorney, Tom holds a bachelor's degree as well as both a juris doctorate and masters of laws in taxation from the University of Florida. Tom lives in Estero, Florida with his fiancee, Connie, and their four cats.