The Spitfire Grill Is an Interesting and Entertaining Script

The Spitfire Grill stars (from left) Meg Laskey as Percy, Mickey Reed as Hannah, and Morgan Parpan as Shelby (photo by Gabi Tessier)

Judge not, that ye be not judged. (Matthew 7:1)

Siding with the underdog and the down-and-out is something that we all feel inclined to do, and that's a good thing. On the other hand, many of us might also feel inclined to be judgmental of others; that's not always a good thing.

Stone Soup Theatre Company's production of the 2001 Off-Broadway musical, The Spitfire Grill, playing now through Sunday at the Center Theater Company in Carrboro, gives the audience the opportunity to do both. Thanks to the efforts of James Valcq (music and book) and Fred Alley (lyrics and book) and Stone Soup director Melissa S. Craib Dombrowski, we can side with and/or judge any and all of the characters as Percy makes her attempt to begin a new (and, hopefully, better) chapter in her life and as the new people in her life respond to her presence in their town.

The Play:

Percy has just been released from prison. She has settled on Gilead, WI, as the place to start over. She reports to Joe (the local sheriff), and he convinces Hannah (the owner of The Spitfire Grill) to take her in and put her to work. Caleb (Hannah's nephew) is unhappy about this.

When Hannah injures herself, she has to have Percy take over running the grill. Percy gets help from Shelby (Caleb's wife). The local postmistress (Effy) is also a major-league gossip; her mouth causes trouble for Percy.

Why, exactly, does Hannah tell Percy to wrap a towel around a loaf of bread and to leave it near the old stump out back of the grill? And how do events in Hannah's family's past relate to current events.

The Spitfire Grill has a few different plots that are interwoven. They all deal with the themes of people understanding and respecting each other, helping each other, and forgiving each other.

Brady Bowman and Meg Laskey star as Joe and Percy in the musical version of The Spitfire Grill in Carrboro (photo by Gabi Tessier)

The Acting:

It has been said that being brave does not mean being unafraid; rather, being brave means going forward in spite of being afraid. As Percy, Meg Laskey shows a character who is, indeed, going forward with toward her dream in spite of being afraid, and Laskey makes this obvious from the very start. There is a tough, no-nonsense veneer that is easily read in the posture with which Laskey imbues Percy, but there is also a tenderness that she readily shows to others.

Brady Bowman's Sheriff Joe fits the bill for the man whose job it is to preserve order and always manages to do so with compassion. Plus, there is a definite chemistry between Laskey's Percy and Bowman's Joe.

Mickey Reed hits the right notes for Hannah's dry humor and occasional sarcasm. Bruce Rosenbloom, as Caleb, displays the character's rigid adherence to his view of the world. I would wonder, however (due to the deep bass quality of his voice), if it might be possible for the sound board to increase the volume for his songs.

Hannah Lingafelt, who plays Effie, knows when (and when not) to include a twinkle in her eye. Morgan Parpan plays the concerned and compassionate Shelby to a T. And although he has no lines (that I remember(!)), Tristan Smith makes clear The Visitor's feelings and thoughts during his brief appearances.

The Music:

Let me begin by saying: "I have no recollection of ever noticing an accordion or a mandolin in a stage orchestra. Bravo!"

Dr. Joanna Sisk-Purvis (music director, conductor, and keyboard), Frederic Ayala (violin), Alita Bluford (accordion), Rick Keena (guitar and mandolin), Finn Purvis (cello) flawlessly blend to provide both incidental music and backup for the vocals. There were times, by the way, that I imagined I was hearing a backup vocal -- it was that good.

The Tech:

Set designer James Vollers has teamed up with Dombrowski to create a realistic interior of the diner. Lighting (Jonas Asher), sound (Jos Purvis), costumes (Lisa Hess), props (Miles Purvis), and make-up (Pam Guidry-Vollers) all function well.

This rendition of The Spitfire Grill stars Morgan Parpan as Shelby and Meg Laskey as Percy (photo by Gabi Tessier)

Nice Touches:

The "wall dressing" (and other miscellany) in the diner.

The use of a shovel and other tools for percussion during a few of the songs.

The crescendo created by the delivery of three lines that included the word "holy."

Hannah's reading glasses.

A blanket that appears during the song "Fly Away."

Memorable Lines:

"I only got locked up in solitary three times. Imagine that!"

"They'll be more than happy to tell you what they think of me."

"I'm a wild bird ... wild birds don't have no nest."

"You need to wear a bell around your neck."

The Stone Soup Theatre Company's presentation of The Spitfire Grill stars Bruce Rosenbloom as Caleb (photo by Gabi Tessier)

From the Department of Picky-Picky:

A phone appears in a few scenes. It appeared to be a rotary-dial phone, but the character (and sound effects) indicate touch-tone dialing.

Percy's suitcase seems to contain nothing more than her hat and coat.

There is a lot of sweeping going on in one scene, but no dustpan?

Shadows of a pole interfere with the lighting in a few of the outdoor scenes. Perhaps, blocking them a bit further stage-right could correct this?

I would not be surprised to learn that some of these things had been corrected for subsequent performances.

The Bottom Line:

The Spitfire Grill is an interesting and entertaining script. As director, Dombrowski has made interesting choices that enhance its quality. The actors make it easy to empathize with their characters. And the musicians and technicians seal the deal. I recommend it.

The performance runs an hour and forty-five minutes, including a 15-minute intermission.

Tristan Smith stars as The Visitor in the Stone Soup Theatre Company production of The Spitfire Grill (photo by Gabi Tessier)

James Valcq and Fred Alley THE SPITFIRE GRILL (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, June 7-9), based on the 1996 film by Lee David Zlotoff and directed by Melissa S. Craib Dombrowski, with musical direction by Dr. Joanna Sisk-Purvis, and starring Meg Laskey as Percy, Morgan Parpan as Shelby, Mickey Reed as Hannah, Brady Bowman as Joe, Bruce Rosenbloom as Caleb, Hannah Lingafelt as Effie, and Tristan Smith as The Visitor (Stone Soup Theatre Company at the Center Theater Company in Carrboro). PRESENTER: http://stonesouptheatreco.com/, https://www.facebook.com/StoneSoupTheatreCo, and https://www.instagram.com/stonesouptheatreco/. VENUE: https://www.centertheatercompany.com/, https://www.facebook.com/CenterTheaterCompany, and https://www.instagram.com/CenterTheaterCompany/. DIRECTIONS: https://www.mapquest.com/us/nc/durham/27707-3467/4221-garrett-rd-35.9602,-78.97545. THE SPITFIRE GRILL (2001 Off-Broadway musical drama): https://www.spitfiregrillmusical.com/, https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/2161/the-spitfire-grill, http://www.iobdb.com/Production/21, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spitfire_Grill_(musical). THE SCRIPT (excerpts): https://books.google.com/books. JAMES VALCQ (Milwaukee, WI-born composer and librettist): https://www.concordtheatricals.com/a/2076/james-valcq, http://www.iobdb.com/CreditableEntity/340, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Valcq. FRED ALLEY (lyricist an librettist, 1962-2001): https://www.concordtheatricals.com/a/1624/fred-alley, http://www.iobdb.com/CreditableEntity/341, , and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Alley. NOTE: Stone Soup Theatre Co cautions, "The Spitfire Grill deals with themes of domestic violence. Parental guidance is recommended." TICKETS: $30 ($25 students), plus taxes and fees. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: 919-408-7228 or stonesouptheatreco@gmail.com. PLEASE DONATE TO: Stone Soup Theatre Company and Center Theater Company. Susie Potter's Triangle Arts Review Review.

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