Two area colleges are staging their final shows of the school year’s semester.

Northampton Community College Theatre Department presents the musical comedy “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” April 10 - April 13, Lipkin Theater.

The Lehigh University Department of Theatre and the school’s Mustard & Cheese Drama Society present the comedy drama “The Bookstore,” April 11 to April 13, Diamond Theater.

NCC’s final production of the spring semester, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” is a quirky, heart-warming musical that follows six middle school students competing in a regional spelling bee in a geographically-ambiguous Putnam Valley Middle School.

The six quirky adolescents are newcomer Olive Ostrovsky (Devvani Choudhury), former finalist William Morris Barfée (Max Wetherhold), politically-aware Logainne SchwartzandGrubenierre (Lucy Moore), over-achiever Marcy Park (Angelina Dries), home-schooled Leaf Coneybear (Morgan Lotito) and defending champion Chip Tolentino (Aidan Weller).

As the students compete for the title, they share their hopes, fears and dreams through humorous songs with music and lyrics by William Finn, book by Rachel Sheinkin, and conceived by Rebecca Feldman with additional material by Jay Reiss.

The spelling bee is run by three equally quirky grown-ups, moderator Rona Lisa Peretti (Brittany McGorrey), vice principal Douglas Panch (Mark Breiner) and comfort counselor Mitch Mahoney (Jayden McFaddin).

Four audience members are invited on stage to compete in the spelling bee alongside the six young characters.

The cast includes Abby Murphy and Jordan Joseph.

The musical is directed by Clair M Freeman, Northampton Community College assistant professor of theater.

The musical opened Off-Broadway in 2005, winning a 2005 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical and a 2005 Drama Desk Award. It premiered on Broadway the same year and won two Tony Awards.

“The 25th Annual Putman County Spelling Bee,” 7:30 p.m. April 10, 11, 12; 2 p.m. April 13, Lipkin Theater, Northampton Community College, 3835 Green Pond Road, Bethlehem Township. 484-484-3412, https://www.ncctix.org/

Lehigh University Department of Theatre is finishing its season with “The Bookstore,” written by Adam Szymkowicz.

Nick Contin directs the 90-minute drama about a whimsical, almost magical bookstore.

The future of the bookstore is uncertain after the owner dies and leaves the shop to her niece Rachel. Rachel has a job in New York City that doesn’t pay her enough and a fiancé that won’t stop calling.

She doesn’t have the time or patience to run a bookstore, so when real estate agent Max Brewer offers her more money than she can imagine to turn the store into an apartment complex, her choice seems like a no-brainer.

But as the shop works its magic on her and she gets to know the eccentric employees and clientele, she starts to wonder if you can really put a price on a beloved community bookstore.

“The Bookstore,” 7:30 p.m. April 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19; 2 p.m. April 13, Lehigh University Department of Theater, Diamond Theater, Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Avenue, Bethlehem. 610-740-3780, https://zoellner.cas.lehigh.edu/

Touchstone Theater is holding auditions April 13 for Touchstone’s Young Playwrights’ Festival at Touchstone’s theater, 321 E. Fourth St., Bethlehem.

The Young Playwrights’ Festival consists of a selection of plays created by local young playwrights in third through eighth grades. Touchstone is seeking community performers to bring to life animals, objects, aliens and other outlandish characters that make up the creative plays.

Audition time blocks are noon to 1 p.m.; 1 to 2 p.m.; 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. and 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Auditions will consist of small-group theater games, simple improvisations and play readings. To register: https://touchstone.org/

“Curtain Rises” is a column about the theater, stage shows, the actors in them and the directors and artists who make them happen. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com