Dylan Holt, center, sings about his “magic foot” surrounded by the cast of Pendragon Theatre’s production of the “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” during a rehearsal last week. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

SARANAC LAKE — W-E-D-N-E-S-D-A-Y. Wednesday. Noun. Definition: The day Pendragon Theatre’s production of the musical “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” opens this week. Wednesday.

The show, a musical comedy, centers on a spelling championship, a life-altering, all-important event — at least, for its competitors. Through August, audiences at the theater will be drawn into the drama by an ensemble cast.

“This is such a good group,” Pendragon artistic producer Sarah Norris said. “We say that about all of our shows, but this one’s like a really good group.”

The show stars Joy Donze, Tyler Spencer, Brendan Gotham, Tyler Nye, Max Morter, Hannah-Kathryn Wall, Jenna Gilmer, Kelly McCarty and Dylan Holt.

The cast is a bit old to convincingly look like mid-pubescents, but they convincingly embody the heightened emotion kids have in a high-stakes competition like a county-level spelling bee. In a rehearsal last week, the cast was having a lot of fun together after the curtains. Their personalities off-stage were just as funny as their on-stage antics, which heightens their performances, Morris said.

Opening night is on Wednesday. Shows on Aug. 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18 and 20 will start at 7 p.m. with 2 p.m. matinees on Aug. 14 and 21. There is also a “pay what you can” final dress rehearsal open to the public today.

The show runs for 90 minutes with no intermission, contains some crude humor and involves some audience participation.