The 57th National Mathlete Sum-It
NextStop Theatre’s Teen Conservatory
Photo credit: Heather Regan
Calculus? Piece of cake.
Speaking in front of a crowd?
Suddenly this problem has no determinable solution.
Luckily, this was far from the case for the spunky cast and crew of NextStop’s annual teen conservatory production, The 57th National Mathlete Sum-It. With each tick of the championship clock, these actors delivered colorful characters, heartwarming hilarity, and all the relentless determination it takes to win.
Textbooks ready?
Don’t worry, no advanced integration today--just some good ol’ theatre history.
The 57th National Mathlete Sum-It
The show was originally conceived by Larry Little of CPA Theatricals: a non-profit company based in Chicago that develops new musical theatre works. Their mission is to create projects with strong female leads, or other groups that are typically underrepresented in musical theatre.
Fantastic. No notes.
With a book by Laura Stratford, music by David Kornfield, and lyrics by Alex Higgin-Houser, The 57th National Mathlete Sum-It was originally performed under the title Numbers Nerds at multiple workshops and readings before hitting the stage.
After performing at the New York Music Festival in 2017 with a sold-out run, The 57th National Mathlete Sum-It became available to license for companies across the globe.
The story follows an (almost) all-girl team of mathletes at Waukesha Charter High School who compete in the regional and national championships. As they compute equations through rounds of complicated math, the team comes face-to-face with problems of their own:
Former team captain Melissa battles with debilitating stage fright
Feminist MK (Mary Kate) fights her feelings for newest team member Leroy
Unicorn-obsessed Barbie clings to her drifting best friend
“Mean-girl” Amber worries about her perception among the popular kids
Chances are, at one point or another, every teen has dealt with one or more (or all) of these problems. That’s why The 57th National Mathlete Sum-It is targeted to middle and high schools in particular: it speaks to the problems of everyday teenagers, so it’s best performed by teenagers who are actively living through those problems.
Hence…
This Production
The 57th National Mathlete Sum-It perfectly showcased life as a high schooler: the friend drama, the frantic activity fairs, the awkward flirting, and the sweet, sweet taste of overcoming the odds. This cast and crew really leaned into these scenarios, crafting lovable characters you couldn’t help but root for.
Hannah Cuti’s layered performance as Melissa was at the helm of the story: a mathematician-hopeful and former team captain, who possesses a deathly fear of public speaking. From frantic scribbles in her notebook to passionate arguments with the team, Cuti expertly embodied Melissa’s inner turmoil and her desperate determination to prove herself. Eventually, she learned to combat her stage fright with the help of JoJo Apeldorf’s eager, spirited McGery--one deep breath from her diaphragm at a time.
Meanwhile, Ellie DeVaughn exuded glitter and rainbows in the role of Barbie: the delightfully quirky misfit who sees numbers as colors. With big dreams of attending Columbia and learning all there is to know about unicorns, DeVaughn was constantly bursting with energy. In moments of levity, she gleefully fired off facts, skipped across the stage, and happily sang to herself amid the toughest rounds of competition.
Edgy feminist MK, brought to life by Autumn Smith, was caught in a push-and-pull relationship with Barbie, her clingy best friend, and Leroy, the hilariously out-of-touch new kid portrayed by Owen Turner. When Smith wasn’t delivering wisecracks to her friends, she was nervously orbiting Turner, refusing to act on her feelings, but hopelessly curious as to where they might lead. With every crunch of his cheetos and enthusiastic “fo-sheezy,” Turner perfectly embodied the essence of a cringy (yet endearing) teenage boy; opposite Smith, the two developed a charmingly awkward, secretly budding relationship.
Finally, Emily Moser delivered a complex performance as Amber: the image-obsessed “mean girl” with a hidden penchant for math. Initially hesitant to compete because of her popularity, Moser found herself letting loose around her team members. Before long, she became dedicated to winning not just for herself, but for her friends.
This show’s ensemble (Alice McCormack, Ferris Bliss, Leo Saitta, and Violet Moody) was constantly working. Whether they were terrified students at the activities fair, iconic emblems of New York, or a team of trash-talking mathletes, these actors filled each scene with bustling life and energy.
Every larger-than-life character was elevated with the help of Imari Pyles and Abi Blair’s colorful costumes. Melissa donned a t-shirt with a complex equation, Barbie sported rainbow barrettes, and MK brandished an edgy version of her former Catholic school uniform. A special shout-out goes to the wigs and letterman jackets for the Stanford math team; they were a perfect caricature of the Waukesha team’s boastful, self-obsessed enemies. Plus, they were hilarious.
The mathletes’s harmonies, inner thoughts, and victorious cheers came through in perfect balance thanks to Rachel Borczuch and Alexandra (Neptune) Farrell’s clever sound design. Particularly when it came to Melissa, echoes of her teammates’ jeers in the background of a tense moment truly upped the stakes--and made for a heartwarming conclusion when those same jeers turned to words of encouragement.
Who is it for?
Even if you’ve never been a mathlete, everyone has wanted to win something. A sports game, a lead role, a singing competition, you name it… The 57th National Mathlete Sum-It is for anyone who’s proud of being a nerd. News flash: you all are theatre geeks if you’re still reading this review, so that’s you!
The show’s basically a family-friendly cross between The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Mean Girls, so it’s guaranteed for laughs and a fun time.
I’d recommend the show for all ages. Since it’s targeted toward middle and high schoolers, there isn’t any content to be wary of. It has the perfect middle-grade humor of a Disney Channel special, and some iconic, girlboss teenagers to match. I’m looking at you, Sharpay Evans.
The 57th National Mathlete Sum-It has one more weekend of performances, so grab the family and visit https://www.nextstoptheatre.org/teen-conservatory for tickets and more information.