{"id":12718,"date":"2019-10-24T08:26:57","date_gmt":"2019-10-24T12:26:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/?p=12718"},"modified":"2022-03-25T13:25:40","modified_gmt":"2022-03-25T17:25:40","slug":"spitfire-grill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/spitfire-grill\/","title":{"rendered":"“Spitfire Grill” Opens Season of Women-Focused Plays"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Three
Rebecca Chan \u201922 (right) will play Percy and serve as the dramaturg for the Festival Playhouse production of Spitfire Grill<\/em>. Sedona Coleman \u201923 (left) will play Shelby and Sophie Hill \u201920 (middle) will play Hannah.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Can a former prison inmate one day be redeemed, have healthy relationships and feel free from the person who once attacked her? The fall Festival Playhouse<\/a> production of the musical Spitfire Grill<\/em> examines these issues for parolee Percy Talbott, who tries to forge a new place for herself in the small town of Gilead, Wisconsin. There, she combats town gossip\u2014mostly about herself\u2014in a place that represents freedom, far from where she was attacked.<\/p>\n

Rebecca Chan \u201922<\/a> will play the lead role and serve as the production\u2019s dramaturg.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen (Percy) was in prison, she found a picture of Wisconsin in a travel book,\u201d Chan said. \u201cIt looked open and free, so she decided she wanted to go there when she was released.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the dramaturg, Chan is responsible for working with the director, Visiting Professor \u201cC\u201d Heaps, on background research and how current events and perspectives might inform or shape the production. That means in addition to performing a critical role, Chan is preparing a lobby display and writing an essay that will further discuss the play\u2019s themes including female empowerment, domestic abuse, redemption and the mistreatment of veterans, especially Vietnam War veterans.<\/p>\n

The theme of female empowerment is especially important to Chan, who feels honored to participate in the Playhouse\u2019s 56th season, which recognizes women in theater under the theme \u201cHERstory: Forgotten Female Figures.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chan notes that many storylines in theatre productions are male-dominated, even as a majority of those participating in college theatre settings are women. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to do a show where a majority of the performers are women and they\u2019re a big influence on the show,\u201d Chan said.<\/p>\n

Spitfire Grill<\/em> has three main characters, all of whom are women. Shelby, played by Sedona Coleman \u201923, is a woman in her 30s who struggles to find connections outside of her emotionally abusive husband. Hannah, played by Sophie Hill \u201920, is an elderly woman and the owner of the grill. Hannah has a son, Eli, who left to fight in Vietnam and has never returned. Like Percy, both are characters trying to find their place in Gilead.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe town falls apart because Eli had been a symbol of hope and the future,\u201d Chan said. \u201cEli\u2019s missing status is the catalyst for everything falling apart. The play\u2019s progression starts in the winter, and the costuming and dialogue reflect the progression of seasons. That\u2019s followed by rebirth and more life in people\u2019s lives before it ends in fall with the colored leaves.\u201d<\/p>\n

By the end, the three female characters who once were isolated and lonely become strong friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s almost like they build their own family,\u201d Chan said.<\/p>\n

The show is accompanied by a live, five-person orchestra, performing on a piano, a guitar, a mandolin, a violin, a cello player and a keyboard tuned to sound like an accordion. Their folk-like music, derived from Appalachia, reflects Percy\u2019s background as a West Virginia native.<\/p>\n

The performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, through Saturday, Nov. 9, with a 2 p.m. showing on Sunday, Nov. 10. Tickets for all four shows at the Nelda K. Balch Playhouse<\/a> are available by visiting festivalplayhouse.ludus.com<\/a> or by calling 269.337.7333. Adults are $15, seniors are $10 and students are $5 with an ID. Kalamazoo College students, faculty and staff are admitted free with their College IDs.<\/p>\n

Learn more about Spitfire Grill<\/em> at reason.kzoo.edu\/festivalplayhouse<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Can a former prison inmate one day be redeemed, have healthy relationships and feel free from the person who once attacked her? The fall Festival Playhouse production of the musical Spitfire Grill examines these issues for parolee Percy Talbott, who tries to forge a new place for herself in the small town of Gilead, Wisconsin. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":147,"featured_media":12722,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[234,5],"tags":[191,58],"post_formats":[],"class_list":["post-12718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","category-news-releases","tag-festival-playhouse","tag-theatre"],"yoast_head":"\r\n'Spitfire Grill' Opens Season of Women-Focused Plays - News and Events<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Performances of 'Spitfire Grill' are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, through Saturday, Nov. 9, with a 2 p.m. showing on Sunday, Nov. 10.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/spitfire-grill\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"'Spitfire Grill' Opens Season of Women-Focused Plays - News and Events\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Performances of 'Spitfire Grill' are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, through Saturday, Nov. 9, with a 2 p.m. showing on Sunday, Nov. 10.\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/spitfire-grill\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News and Events\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/KalamazooCollege\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-10-24T12:26:57+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-03-25T17:25:40+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2019\/10\/Spitfire-Grill.jpg\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1193\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"665\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Andy Brown\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@kcollege\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@kcollege\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Andy Brown\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/spitfire-grill\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/spitfire-grill\/\",\"name\":\"'Spitfire Grill' Opens Season of Women-Focused Plays - 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Sedona Coleman \u201923 (left) will play Shelby and Sophie Hill \u201920 (middle) will play Hannah.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Can a former prison inmate one day be redeemed, have healthy relationships and feel free from the person who once attacked her? The fall <a href=\"https:\/\/reason.kzoo.edu\/festivalplayhouse\/\">Festival Playhouse<\/a> production of the musical <em>Spitfire Grill<\/em> examines these issues for parolee Percy Talbott, who tries to forge a new place for herself in the small town of Gilead, Wisconsin. There, she combats town gossip\u2014mostly about herself\u2014in a place that represents freedom, far from where she was attacked.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/national-theatre-event\/\">Rebecca Chan \u201922<\/a> will play the lead role and serve as the production\u2019s dramaturg.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen (Percy) was in prison, she found a picture of Wisconsin in a travel book,\u201d Chan said. \u201cIt looked open and free, so she decided she wanted to go there when she was released.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As the dramaturg, Chan is responsible for working with the director, Visiting Professor \u201cC\u201d Heaps, on background research and how current events and perspectives might inform or shape the production. That means in addition to performing a critical role, Chan is preparing a lobby display and writing an essay that will further discuss the play\u2019s themes including female empowerment, domestic abuse, redemption and the mistreatment of veterans, especially Vietnam War veterans.<\/p>\n<p>The theme of female empowerment is especially important to Chan, who feels honored to participate in the Playhouse\u2019s 56th season, which recognizes women in theater under the theme \u201cHERstory: Forgotten Female Figures.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chan notes that many storylines in theatre productions are male-dominated, even as a majority of those participating in college theatre settings are women. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to do a show where a majority of the performers are women and they\u2019re a big influence on the show,\u201d Chan said.<\/p>\n<p><em>Spitfire Grill<\/em> has three main characters, all of whom are women. Shelby, played by Sedona Coleman \u201923, is a woman in her 30s who struggles to find connections outside of her emotionally abusive husband. Hannah, played by Sophie Hill \u201920, is an elderly woman and the owner of the grill. Hannah has a son, Eli, who left to fight in Vietnam and has never returned. Like Percy, both are characters trying to find their place in Gilead.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe town falls apart because Eli had been a symbol of hope and the future,\u201d Chan said. \u201cEli\u2019s missing status is the catalyst for everything falling apart. The play\u2019s progression starts in the winter, and the costuming and dialogue reflect the progression of seasons. That\u2019s followed by rebirth and more life in people\u2019s lives before it ends in fall with the colored leaves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>By the end, the three female characters who once were isolated and lonely become strong friends.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s almost like they build their own family,\u201d Chan said.<\/p>\n<p>The show is accompanied by a live, five-person orchestra, performing on a piano, a guitar, a mandolin, a violin, a cello player and a keyboard tuned to sound like an accordion. Their folk-like music, derived from Appalachia, reflects Percy\u2019s background as a West Virginia native.<\/p>\n<p>The performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, through Saturday, Nov. 9, with a 2 p.m. showing on Sunday, Nov. 10. Tickets for all four shows at the <a href=\"https:\/\/map.concept3d.com\/?id=198#!m\/17945?ce\/1846?ct\/\">Nelda K. Balch Playhouse<\/a> are available by visiting <a href=\"https:\/\/festivalplayhouse.ludus.com\/\">festivalplayhouse.ludus.com<\/a> or by calling 269.337.7333. Adults are $15, seniors are $10 and students are $5 with an ID. Kalamazoo College students, faculty and staff are admitted free with their College IDs.<\/p>\n<p>Learn more about <em>Spitfire Grill<\/em> at <a href=\"http:\/\/reason.kzoo.edu\/festivalplayhouse\">reason.kzoo.edu\/festivalplayhouse<\/a>.<\/p>\n","comment_info":"No Comments","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/147"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12718"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12718\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16297,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12718\/revisions\/16297"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12718"},{"taxonomy":"post_format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_formats?post=12718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}