Richmond actor Ryan Lino is putting his best foot forward this month at Vancouver's PAL Studio Theatre to play Chip Tolentino in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
The coming-of-age musical is about six quirky teen competing for the spelling bee championship of a lifetime. During the course of the competition the characters self-reflect on their lives and those around them. Tolentino, the defending spelling bee champion, is a scout and baseball player who comes from a privileged home.
The role should challenge Lino’s stage skills as he navigates playing a character who begins to face obstacles.
“A lot of descriptions list him as being relatively athletic and a ladies' man, two words that unfortunately don't capture me, but I can definitely relate to him in the sense that I used to put an excessive amount of pressure on myself as a kid in order to achieve the best that I could, which I think many of us can relate to growing up,” Lino told the Richmond News.
The musical, featuring a cast of nine actors, should grip audiences of all ages.
“I believe one of the biggest themes in this play is self-confidence and accepting yourself for who you are, as well as learning to go against expectations, whether it's from your family, your peers or yourself, in order to truly discover what makes you happy,” said Lino, a Cambie secondary school graduate who graduated with a degree in motion picture arts from Capilano University.
Now finishing a degree in political science at University of B.C., Lino continues to seek acting opportunities.
The show runs until Dec. 10 with tickets priced at $35. More info at the Fighting Chance Productions website.
