[NEohioPAL]Berko review: SPITFIRE GRILL (Clague Playhouse)

[Roy Berko]

Clague’s ‘THE SPITFIRE GRILL’ is well-done

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times

In 1997 Lee David Zlotoff’s film version of ‘THE
SPITFIRE GRILL’ received the  Audience Award at the
Sundance Film Festival.  When writers James Valcq and
Fred Alley transformed the screenplay into a musical
for the stage, the off Broadway production won the
Richard Rogers Production Award.   That script is now
on stage at Clague Playhouse.

As the play starts, Percy is singing of “A Ring Around
the Moon” from her jail cell, yearning for a view
without bars on the window.  When she is released she
decides to start a new life in Gilead, Wisconsin, a
location she selected because of a nature picture she
found in an old travel book.  The authors’ choice of
the city’s name is not accidental.  In the Old
Testament a reference is made to a salve noted for
healing--the balm of Gilead (Jeremiah 46:11).  This
allusion supports the play’s themes of healing and
hope.

The town sheriff, Joe Sutter, takes Percy to the
Spitfire Grill.  Here, Percy meets Hannah, a seemingly
hardened woman, who reluctantly takes her in and gives
her a job.

Effy, the town postmistress and busybody, is
immediately suspicious of Percy, as is Caleb, Hannah’s
nephew.  They make it known that a jailbird isn’t
welcome in their midst.  It is the shy Shelby, Caleb’s
wife, who is the only one willing to suspend judgment.
  Hannah accidentally falls and injures her leg, Percy
gets her medical help, Effy spreads the story that
Percy pushed Hannah down a flight of stairs, Hannah
puts Percy in charge of the grill. Percy’s cooking
proves to be nearly lethal, Shelby helps out, Percy
also takes over Hannah’s unexplained ritual of leaving
a loaf of bread next to a stump behind the grill.  
Hannah has been trying to sell the grill for years
with no luck.  Percy and Shelby, come up with a scheme
for an essay contest with an entry fee of $100 with
the winner awarded the restaurant.  And so, the pieces
are all set in place for an obvious, but audience
pleasing climax.

One of the keymarks of a well-crafted book musical is
that each of the songs focuses on the development of
the story line.  “THE SPITFIRE GRILL’ fulfills that
definition as throughout, there is a perfect flow of
lyrics and script that carry the story along.

Why did such a wonderful little musical not get its
deserved attention?  Theatre audiences never really
got the opportunity to experience the production
because the show opened only three days before the
9/11 tragedy.  The calamity closed down much of New
York theatre. The show lasted only four weeks.

Clague’s production, which is peopled by amateur
actors, is excellent.  Director Don Irven has paced
the show well, staged it with intelligence, makes sure
that the lyrics are sung for meaning, and most of the
characters are clearly drawn.

Heather Balogh makes Percy live.  She has a nice
country twanged voice.  Sarah Portz, as the put-upon
Shelby, is character-perfect.  She has the finest
singing voice in the cast.  George Kukich, who has an
acceptable singing voice, develops a believably shy
Joe.  Mary Jane Nottage is delightful as Hannah and
does a nice job of presenting her songs in spite of a
limited singing range.  Caleb Thorpe is inconsistent
as Hannah’s nephew.  His character comes and goes and
often doesn’t build into his argumentative self, just
explodes.  Only Paige Reich, as Effy, the town gossip,
fails to be close to believable.  She is much too
emotionally controlled, not meddling and chattering
enough.

Ron Newell’s fragmented set, Lance Switzer’s lighting
and Casey Jones’ sound effects enhance the production.

Musical Director John Franks’ orchestra, which
consists of an accordion, violin, guitar, mandolin,
cello and keyboard,  is excellent.

Capsule Judgement:  Clague’s ‘THE SPITFIRE GRILL,’
which is a delightful and imaginative journey of
self-discovery, is a very good amateur production.  It
is well worth a trip to Westlake!

‘THE SPITFIRE GRILL’ runs through December at Clague
Playhouse,  1371 Clague Road in Westlake.  For tickets
call 440-331-0403.


Roy Berko's theatre blog, which includes reviews of all recent plays, can be found at http://royberkinfo.blogspot.com  
      Information regarding his consulting and publications and older theatre reviews can be found at www.royberko.info.  
      Roy's theatre and dance reviews appear regularly on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.


 
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