'The Spitfire Grill'
Ohio Wesleyan Performing Arts to Present the Americana Musical April 10-19
DELAWARE, Ohio – A woman running from her past. A town with no future. An ember of hope in the deepest darkness. Travel north to small-town Wisconsin when Ohio Wesleyan University's Department of Performing Arts presents five free performances of "The Spitfire Grill."
In the musical, Percy, a recent parolee, lands in Gilead, Wisconsin, a small town economically ravaged in a post-Vietnam industrial landscape and emotionally devastated by the loss of its best and brightest. Through vulnerability, dogged determination, and a plan so zany it just might work, Percy revives the town and finds her own new life to live in the process.
"The Spitfire Grill" has music and book by James Valcq and lyrics and book by Fred Alley, and is based on the 1996 film by Lee David Zlotoff. A slice of Americana with a bluegrass and folk-inspired score, "The Spitfire Grill" celebrates community, redemption, and facing life's challenges hand-in-hand.
"This musical feels like the warm hug of a Hallmark movie combined with a clear-eyed exploration of the realities of communal and personal experiences that make us have to work harder for our version of a happily ever after," says Lusie Cuskey, Ph.D., the musical's director and an OWU assistant professor of theatre.
Jennifer Whitehead, D.M.A., associate professor of music, is the production's music director, and Kaya Ferrell is the intimacy and violence choreographer. The show also features scenic design by Carrie Hurst, technical director for the OWU theatre program; costume design by Jaylene Jennings; and lighting design by Nikki Price.
The OWU Department of Performing Arts will present five performances of "The Spitfire Grill" at 7:30 p.m. April 10, 11, 12, 18, and 19 on the Main Stage of Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Tickets are free but should be reserved in advance by visiting owu.edu/spitfire.
Students participating in OWU's production of "The Spitfire Grill," their hometowns, and their roles are:
- Zach Allen of Plain City, Ohio – Caleb
- Emma Bellew of Springfield, Ohio – costume crew
- Sam Buc of Alexandria, Virginia – ensemble and Percy (understudy)
- Emily Clausing of Portsmouth, Ohio – Hannah
- Abby Colbow of Mentor, Ohio – assistant stage manager
- Katie Davis of Bryan, Ohio – Shelby
- Kenzie Davis of Sandyville, Ohio – publicity crew
- Brielle Decarolis of Albrightsville, Pennsylvania – props crew head
- Marissa Dial of Pickerington, Ohio – carpentry crew
- Braidy Duncan of Patriot, Ohio – carpentry and light crews
- Adrian Enrique of Farmington, Connecticut – light crew
- Emerson Freas of Oberlin, Ohio – Percy
- Ami Hartshorne of Columbus, Ohio – light crew head and light board operator
- El Healey of Westlake, Ohio – The Visitor
- Camryn Henderson of Wadsworth, Ohio – costume crew
- Ella Holtsberry of Granville, Ohio – props, run, and carpentry crews
- Meghan Hume of Bellefontaine, Ohio – props and run crews
- Ryleigh Jones of Newark, Ohio – props and run crews
- Evan Large of Toledo, Ohio – sound crew, A2 backstage sound
- Nic Laurence of Medina, Ohio – sound crew head, A1 sound board operator
- August Lemert of Granville, Ohio – costume crew head
- Jack Miller of Ellwood City, Pennsylvania – ensemble, and Caleb and Joe (understudy)
- Fiona Minton of Darien, Connecticut – publicity head
- Michael Nimrick of Solon, Ohio – stage manager
- Kai Nordlund of Galloway, Ohio – publicity crew
- Rio Obenauf of Columbus, Ohio – props and costume run crew
- Pedro Oliveira Figueiredo of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil – assistant stage manager
- Parker Olukalns of Lexington, Kentucky – Joe
- Elena Parks of Reynoldsburg, Ohio – light crew
- Liz Railsback of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – ensemble and Shelby (understudy)
- Willow Rosser of Lakewood, Ohio – Effy
- Callie Staley of Columbus, Ohio – light crew
- Elizabeth Sumoza of Chicago, Illinois – ensemble, and Effy and Hannah (understudy)
For more information about the performing arts at Ohio Wesleyan, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature experience, the OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives" and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "Best Colleges" lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at owu.edu.