PITTSFIELD — Say what you want. Say what you will. There’s something cooking on stage at Pittsfield’s Scenic Theatre this November, as the Pittsfield Players present James Valcq and Fred Alley’s musical adaptation of “The Spitfire Grill.”
Based on the acclaimed 1996 film of the same name, “Spitfire” follows Percy Talbott (played by Emma Blake), a young woman recently released from prison who travels to the town of Gilead, Wisconsin. Percy has harbored dreams of visiting the picturesque community since coming across a photograph of its colorful fall foliage in a magazine. When she arrives, however, winter is about to settle over Gilead, and the only thing chillier than the weather is the reception she gets from Hannah Ferguson (Mo Demers), owner of the titular diner where Percy finds work as a waitress.
When an accident puts Hannah out of commission, Percy and a local woman named Shelby (Mary Foedermair) step in to keep the lights on at the Spitfire, and the pair hatch a plan to help Hannah unload the restaurant by offering it as the prize in a raffle, to be awarded to whoever writes an essay making the most persuasive case for being named the new owner. Along the way, they help the townspeople, including Sheriff Joe Sutter as well as Postmaster and town gossip Effy Crayneck, rediscover what makes Gilead such a special place. Shelby also gains the inner strength to stand up to her domineering husband.
Director Jeannie Saint fell in love with “The Spitfire Grill” the first time she read the script because the story offered a rare opportunity for female characters to take center stage.
“Women are so often the backbone of a community, but their efforts are often overlooked,” she explained. “As soon as I read it, I saw how Hannah and Effy truly held up the town, but they made it look so easy that no one even noticed.”
Saint also saw parallels between Gilead, a community that fell on hard times when the local quarry closed down, and Pittsfield, which experienced a similar economic downturn but, like Gilead, held on in the face of that hardship.
“How many small towns have a Main Street or a community center? How many have a theater?” Saint said. “Pittsfield has adapted to everything the economy has thrown at it, and I wanted to show the community something they could relate to … something that made them feel seen.”
The show, she added, teaches us that “the autumn colors may leave us, but the spring will come again … the colors of paradise will always return, and much like Percy, we hope to be there when they do.”
Appearing alongside Blake, Demers, and Foedermair are Ben LePage as Joe, Marie St. Cyr as Effy, and Chris Turner as Shelby’s husband Caleb, with Jayson Andrews, Emily Guzzo, and Trinity Morse rounding out the ensemble. Saint was assisted with direction by Emm Close, with Elizabeth Gallo serving as music director.
“The Spitfire Grill” runs Nov. 6, 7, 13 and 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. at the Scenic Theatre, 6 Depot St. Tickets are available pittsfieldplayers.org.