16
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY JULY 1 2009
CROSSROADS SMC
417 E 188 h ST KCMO ATGRIENDRS
VERIZON WIRELESS CONCERT SERIES
SAT JUL 11
ZAPPA
PLAYS
ZAPPA
TUE JUL 14
GOV'T MULE
w/ Backyard Tire Fire
THU JUL 16
SEVEN MARY THREE
& MARCY PLAYGROUND
FRI JUL 17
UMPHREY's McGEE
& MATISYAHU
SAT JUL 18
OZARK MOUNTAIN
DAREDEVILS
+ BREWER & SHIPLEY
THU JUL 23
RATT
w/ EXTREME
FRI JUL 24
Pitch BLOCK PARTY featuring
REV HORTON HEAT
Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit
Split Lip Rayfield & more
SAT JUL 25
KEVIN COSTNER
& MODERN WEST
Performer Marilyn Haines applies makeup backstage before a performance of "The Spitfire Grill" Sunday evening at Murphy Hall.
FRI JUL 31
COWBOY MOUTH
SUN JUL 26
THE WAILERS
+ TOOTS & THE MAYTALS
Chance Dibben/KANSAN
TUE AUG 4
GEORGE THOROGOOD
& JONNY LANG
FRI AUG 7
ROBERT RANDOLPH & THE FAMILY BAND
REEL BIG FISH w/The English Beat
TUE AUG 11
YONDER MOUNTAIN
STRING BAND w/CORNMEAL
SAT AUG 18
AVETT BROTHERS
w/ Railroad Earth
Opening weekend for the Kansas Summer Theatre's play, "The Spitfire Grill", left the intimate stage with no open seats, regardless of the adult subject matter and offensive language.
BY STEPH SCHNEIDER
sschneider@kansan.com
Logan Walker, 2009 graduate, played the part of Caleb Thorpe, the antagonist in the story. He said the adult subject matter warning covered all the possibly offensive aspects in the play.
The musical is set in rural Wisconsin, where Percy Talbot, a newly released prisoner, is trying to find a new life after serving time for manslaughter.
'Spitfire Grill'a musical with adult twist
THEATER
"There is adult content with Percy's storyline," Walker said. "But in general, the show is pretty friendly."
The play is set in 1938 in a small town called Gilead where Percy finds a job at Hannah Ferguson's Spitfire Grill. When Hannah becomes injured, Percy is left to take over the cooking and operation of the grill.
David Stogsdill, actor and 2009 graduate, played Sheriff Joe Sutter in the play. He said the adult content warning seemed excessive.
"Without her, the play would have lost realism," Stogsdill said. "The role is really hard for someone our age."
"It's all attitude," Stogsdill said. "I
'THE SPITFIRE GRILL' UPCOMING SHOWS
Murphy Hall July 1-July 3 7:30 p.m
Averill's character, Hannah, has a strong personality, which brings life to the play.
General admission tickets on sale in the KU ticket offices: University Theatre, 864-3982, and Lied Center, 864-ARTS, and online at www.kutheatre.com.
Ticket prices:
$16 for public
$15 for senior citizens,
KU faculty and staff
$10 for all students
"We all thought she would come and be somewhat harder to work with because she is not a student," Walker said. "That's not the case, she is our show mother, and she is great."
have yet to hear of anyone who has complained."
"It hits a lot of emotion," Wilcox said.
In the end, the great thematic material outweighed the adult content and language, said David Wilcox, Manhattan senior who saw the play with a friend.
The crew practiced every day and Stogsdill said the practices, performances, and waiting around had created close bonds among the cast.
"The crew has the best camaraderie," Stogsdill said. "There has been a good development of relationships throughout the whole group."
Cast members said there was a mother figure in the cast as well. Jeanne Averill, who plays Hannah Ferguson, is a member of the Actors' Equity Association, a union of professional actors and stage managers in the U.S. Averill is not a student, but being in the union allowed her to audition for the role of the older woman, Hannah.
— Edited by Kristen Liszewski
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