Jayne Luke plays Hannah Ferguson in "The Spitfire Grill," which opens at the Hale Center Theater in Orem on Friday.
Mark A. Philbrick, BYU
OREM — To a town with no future comes a girl with a past as Percy Talbot searches for a new life.
Almost by surprise, she breathes life into the dying town, its residents and herself.
The result is a heartwarming musical by James Valq and Fred Alley.
The story begins when Talbot is released from prison in Maine.
She arrives in the middle of a winter's night under the watchful eyes of the skeptical citizens of Gilead. They begin to speculate on her background. Word of her criminal past spreads quickly.
Sheriff Gary Walsh asks Hannah Ferguson, the indomitable owner of the Spitfire Grill, to let Talbot stay in a room above her restaurant in return for her services as a waitress. With this stranger's questionable history, it seems risky. But Ferguson isn't getting any younger, and she could use the help so Ferguson agrees.
Soon after, Ferguson injures her leg and can't run the restaurant. Ferguson's nephew suggests Talbot be sent on her way and insists his wife can run the grill.
Ferguson balks. She puts Talbot in charge. Alas, cooking is not one of Talbot's strong suits so when Shelby Goddard shows up, she's grateful.
Soon, the formidable team of Talbot and Shelby Goddard have the Spitfire Grill in good shape, and Ferguson heals enough to resume some of her duties.
The three women forge a friendship, and deep secrets are revealed, among them the circumstances of Talbot's dark past.
Talbot also discovers why Ferguson has been looking to sell the Spitfire Grill.
Although sad at the prospect of losing the comfort and security she has found at the Spitfire, Talbot suggests that Ferguson launch a nationwide contest, in which $100 and the most convincing essay on the attributes of Gilead will win the writer the Spitfire Grill. Ferguson decides it's worth a shot.
As the contest kicks into full-gear, polarized opinions emerge. When the money disappears and Talbot is nowhere to be found, suspicions and accusations result, culminating in a series of dramatic events that bring the citizens of Gilead back together with a new sense of purpose.
If you go . . .
What: "The Spitfire Grill"
Where: Hale Center Theater, 225 W. 400 North, Orem
When: 7:30 p.m., May 19-July 10 with 3:30 p.m. matinees June 17, 24 and July 8
Cost: $12.50-$14.5
Phone: 226-8600
Web: www.haletheater.com
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