THE SPITFIRE GRILL

Music and Book by James Valcq
Lyrics and Book by Fred Alley
Based on the Film by Lee David Zlotoff

Directed by Nicholas Vargas '10
Music Direction by Jonathan Goldberg

Inspired by a page from an old travel book, vibrant parolee, Percy, follows her dreams to a small town in Wisconsin where she finds a place for herself working at Hannah's Spitfire Grill. The Grill is for sale, but there are no takers, so newcomer Percy convinces Hannah to raffle it off. 

OCTOBER 13–16, 2022
Robert J. Orchard Stage (Paramount Center) 
All performances open to the public
Tickets available August 2022

Playwrights Horizons, Inc., New York City, produced the New York Premiere of The Spitfire Grill Off-Broadway in 2001.
The Spitfire Grill received its World Premiere production by the George Street Playhouse, November 5, 2000, David Saint, Artistic Director, Michael Stotts, Managing Director.

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The Spitfire Grill is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

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A note on COVID safety: Please know that as an audience member for any of our performances, you will be required to wear a mask and present your vaccination card or a recent negative Covid test before entering the performance space. Additional safety requirements may be added at any time at the discretion of Emerson College, the City of Boston, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Any prospective ticket buyer with concerns about health safety protocols is encouraged to call our Box Office at 617-824-8400.

The Spitfire Grill
Creative Team

Scenic Design
Alex
Mollo

Sound Design
Julie 
Beaulieu

Costume Design
Munroe
Shearer

Props Lead
Ryan
Bates

Lighting Design
Piper 
Phillips

Stage Manager
Olivia
Tighe

Dramaturg
Ciara 
Berardi

A note from the
Director, Nick Vargas '10

Coming Soon

ABOUT NICK VARGAS

Nick Vargas '10 (he/him/his) is a theatre director, educator, & producer in the Boston area. For the last 6-years Nick has served as the Associate Artistic & Education Director at Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University (WFT at BU), an organization dedicated to creating professional theatre and educational experiences for artists and audiences of all ages and identities. Select WFT at BU directing credits include The Wizard of Oz, Walking The Tightrope, Little Women, Ragtime, and Stuart Little. Nick previously served as the Casting Director & Artistic Associate at Imagination Stage, the mid-Atlantic’s largest professional theatre for young audiences, and was a founding member & Artistic Director of Field Trip Theatre in Washington, D.C., producing and directing world-premiere plays by local playwrights. Nick received his B.A. in Theatre Education from Emerson College and is currently pursuing his MBA with a concentration in Social Impact at BU’s Questrom School of Business.

A note from
the Dramaturg

Coming Soon

Meet the 
Band

Keys/Musical Director JONATHAN GOLDBERG

Violin CLARA KEBABIAN

Cello ANNA SEDA

Accordion KATHERINE MATASY

Guitar/Mandolin TOM YOUNG

Meet the 
Artistic and Production Staff

Assistant Director EMERSON HART
Assistant Scenic Designer AVA SCANLON

Rigger CASPER APODACA

Assistant Props Lead OAK WALKER
Assistant Costume Designer ATHENA PARKMAN
Wardrobe Supervisor DOM LETTERII
Assistant Lighting Designer ALEX TAWID DI MAGGIO

Assistant Lighting Designer DAVIS KRANCHALK
Co-Production Electrician MADDIE HANLEY

Co-Production Electrician OLIVER HAWKE
Lead Electrician HENRY KACIK
Production Sound Engineer SARAH MILLER
Assistant Production Sound Engineer DYLAN NORRIS

A1 JUANMA SUAREZ

Assistant Stage Manager ELENA RING
2nd Assistant Stage Manager KAYLA COPPING

Production Assistant RYAN TSE
Production Supervisor CARLEIGH ALLEN
Associate Production Supervisor MICHAEL MENOR

Assistant Production Supervisor ALAYNA DOMBOSKI
Company Manager BLAKE BERGGREN
Assistant Company Manager HALLE HART

Assistant Company Manager MINA-CLAIRE PAZ-LE DRAOULEC

Run Crew

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Cast Bios

LUCAS BABCOCK—Joe Sutter

BFA '23 Musical Theatre. Emerson Stage credits: Corduroy (Corduroy), The Late Wedding (Narrator/Ensemble), and Into the Woods (Understudy, Narrator). Regional credits: Clear Space Theatre Company's Grease (Danny), 9 to 5 (Dwayne/Ensemble), and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Rueben/Ensemble); Dr. Phillips Center's A Funny Thing…Forum (Marcus Lycus). Lucas would love to thank everyone on the cast and creative team for fostering such a great learning environment. Thanks to Mom, Dad and Noah.

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EMILY BEGLEY (she/her)—Understudy, Percy Talbott

BFA '24 Musical Theatre. Emerson Stage debut! Emerson College credits: Musical Theatre Against the Grain’s Rock of Ages (Sherrie Christian) and Musical Match Game (Sutton Foster). Regional credits: MassOpera’s The Mirror Cabaret (Featured Soloist); and Moonbox Productions’ Sister School (Mel). She thanks her wonderful family and friends for always lifting her up and knows she wouldn't be here today without them. Instagram: @emily.begley

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JAMES BROOKS JR. (he/him)—Understudy, Visitor

BFA '25 Musical Theatre. Emerson Stage debut! Emerson College credit: Cabaret of Color.

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NAJA NICOLE BROWN (she/her)—Percy Talbott

BFA '23 Musical Theatre. Emerson Stage credits: Into The Woods (Stepsister Florinda), Baltimore (Alyssa), and This Golden Day (Understudy). Emerson College credits: Kidding Around's 13! the Musical (Cassie), Musical Theatre Society's Cabaret of Color (Director & Performer). Big thanks to Mom & Shani, and sending my love to all my family back in Florida. IG: @najanbrown

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MAX CONNOR (he/him)—Understudy, Caleb/Joe

BFA '24 Musical Theater. Emerson Stage credits: Next To Normal (Gabe), This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing (Narrator), Into The Woods (Assistant Music Director). Other credits: Weston Drama Workshop's Something Rotten (Nick Bottom) and Merrily We Roll Along (Franklin Shepard). Special thanks to his family and friends for their amazing support.

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JULIANA FEROLIE (she/her)—Understudy, Effy

BFA '24 Musical Theater. Emerson Stage debut! Emerson college credits: Musical Theatre Society’s Urinetown (Josephine Strong), Musical Theatre Against the Grain’s Rock of Ages (Ensemble/Swing), and Rareworks Theatre Company’s Buck Woods is a Good Man (Sarah). A big thanks to Mom, Dad, & Andrew.

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HAWA KAMARA (she/her)—Hannah Ferguson

BFA '23 Musical Theatre. Emerson Stage credits: Men on Boats (Bradley), Spring Awakening (Martha), The Late Wedding (Ensemble), Next to Normal (Understudy, Diana), Into the Woods (Cinderella's Mother and Grandmother/Understudy, The Witch). Thanks to my family and friends who have supported me in my artistic journey. Kisses to mom and dad.

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JASON KORN (he/him)—Visitor

BFA '25 Musical Theatre. Emerson Stage debut! Emerson College credit: Full Fathom’s Incompleteness Theorem (Joel). Thanks to my loving family for giving me the support to keep going.

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MORGAN MCMILLIN (she/her)—Shelby

BFA '23 Musical Theatre. Emerson Stage credit: Into The Woods (Stepsister Lucinda). Emerson College credits: Musical Theatre Society’s La Cage Aux Folles (Choreographer) and Ordinary Days (Deb & Claire Swing); and Musical Theatre Against the Grain’s Rock Of Ages (Choreographer). I love my family and my dog! Thank you to Drew and Elizabeth! My best friend/roomie is the stage manager of this show!
 

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KATE RILEY (she/her)—Understudy, Hannah

BFA '24 Theatre Education & Performance. Emerson Stage credit: RAGE (Jaz/FRANKLY-I-DON’T-GIVE-A). Emerson College credits: Musical Theatre Against the Grain’s Dream Cabaret (Stage Manager/Lighting Designer/Soloist); Musical Theatre Society’s Tavern Song (Associate Producer) and First Lady Suite (Evelyn Lincoln) and EFA Cabaret 2021 (Script Writer) and EFA Cabaret 2020 (Soloist). Member of Kidding Around Board, host on Standing Room Only (WERS). Love to my family, my friends, my teachers, and this amazing team.    

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ALEXANDER SERINO (he/him)—Caleb

BFA  '24 Acting. Emerson Stage credits: Next To Normal (Henry), Three Romances… (Understudy, Joe), and Newfest Short Works’ Temperature (Mike). Emerson College credit: Musical Theatre Society’s Big Fish (Don Price).

Other credits: Weston Drama Workshop’s The SpongeBob Musical (SpongeBob) and Indecent (Avram). Thank you Mom, Dad, and Tim! Be epic. alexanderserino.com

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CARRIE TULLY—Understudy, Shelby

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ISABELLE WISDOM (she/her)—Effy

BFA '23 Musical Theatre. Emerson Stage credit: Into the Woods (Swing). Emerson College credits: Musical Theatre Society’s Big Fish (Ensemble/Swing), and American Idiot (Woman 4). Thank you to my wonderful family and friends for all their support.

Creative Team Bios

JONATHAN GOLDBERG—Music Director

Jonathan Goldberg serves as senior term faculty in Emerson's BFA Musical Theatre program. Recent music director credits for Emerson Stage include Into The Woods, Next To Normal, Flora The Red Menace, Working, Urinetown, Titanic, Guys And Dolls, and Carousel. Recent Boston regional productions include Pacific Overtures, Road Show, Sondheim On Sondheim, and Sweeney Todd (Lyric Stage Company Of Boston), and Little Women, Ragtime and Billy Elliot (Wheelock Family Theatre). Jon has won four IRNE awards for Lyric Stage productions of A Little Night Music, Man of La Mancha, Grey Gardens and Kiss Me Kate. Other credits: Pacific Overtures (North Shore Music Theatre), Forever Plaid (Stuart Street Playhouse), and three years with the Boston company of Nunsense, as well as playing keyboard for the Boston Gay Men's Chorus in their Summer 2022 Disney Pride In Concert at Symphony Hall. 

ALEX MOLLO (they/them)—Scenic Designer

BFA '22 Theatre Design/Technology. Emerson Stage credits: Everybody (Paint Charge), Interior of the Artist Without Her Sister (Assistant Scenic Designer), Marie Antoinette (Scenic Designer), As You Like It (Paint Charge). Emerson College credits: Musical Theatre Against the Grain’s The Fog Around Us (Scenic Designer, Paint Charge); The 40th Annual EVVY Awards (Paint Charge); and Mercutio Trouple’s WIRED (Scenic Designer, Paint Charge, Technical Director). www.alexmollodesign.com/

RYAN BATES—Co-Props Lead

Emerson Stage credits: This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing, Corduroy, and Everybody. Ryan is the Props Director for Emerson Stage and has worked as a props lead and scenic designer throughout New England, including productions at New Repertory Theatre, Bridge Repertory Theatre, The Umbrella, Gloucester Stage Company, InMotion Theatre, Middlebury College, Longwood Players, Off the Grid, Fresh Ink, and many more. Ryan teaches Stagecraft at Emerson and has served on the faculty at Boston University. MFA: Boston University. www.ryanbatesdesign.com

HARVEY JOHNSON (he/him)—Co-Props Lead

BFA '24, Theatre Design/Technology. Emerson Stage credits: Going to California (Assistant Scenic Designer), As You Like It (Assistant Scenic Designer), and Marie Antoinette (Assistant Props Lead).

MUNROE SHEARER—Costume Designer

BFA '22 Theatre Design/Technology. Emerson Stage credits: The Late Wedding (Costume Designer), Going to California (Costume Designer), Next to Normal (Assistant Costume Designer). Emerson College credits: Musical Theatre Society’s Urinetown (Costume Designer), and La Cage Aux Folles (Costume Designer); and The 40th Annual EVVY Awards (Co-Wardrobe Designer). munroeshearer.myportfolio.com

PIPER PHILLIPS (she/her)—Lighting Designer

BFA '23 Design/Technology. Emerson Stage credits: As You Like It (Lighting Designer), Into the Woods (Projections Designer), Marie Antoinette (Production Electrician), This Girl... (Assoc. Scenic Designer), Everybody (vMix). Emerson College credits: Musical Theatre Society’s La Cage Aux Folles (Lighting Designer); The 40th Annual EVVY Awards (Production Electrician); and Mercutio Troupe’s The Trial of Errors (Lighting Designer). Thanks to DK, AT, MH, & OH. piper-phillips.format.com    

JULIE BEAULIEU '22 (she/her)—Sound Designer

Select Emerson Stage credits: The Devil on Your Shoulder (Co-Sound Designer) Flora, the Red Menace (Sound Designer), Everybody (Sound Designer), Spring Awakening (Co-Sound Designer), This Girl… (A1), and Into the Woods (A1). Other credits: Kidding Around’s She Kills Monsters; Boston Conservatory’s Head Over Heels; Nobles Theatre Collective’s Something Rotten; and ArtsEmerson’s The Just and the Blind. Education: BFA '22 Theatre Design/ Technology, Emerson College.

OLIVIA TIGHE (she/her)—Stage Manager

BFA '23 Stage & Production Management. Emerson Stage credits: Three Romances for The Unwell and Otherwise (Stage Manager), This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing (1st Assistant Stage Manager), Spring Awakening (2nd Assistant Stage Manager), This Golden Day (2nd Assistant Stage Manager), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Production Assistant), Next To Normal (Associate Production Supervisor) and Into The Woods (Assistant Company Manager). Other credits: The Eagle Theatre's Ragtime (Assistant Stage Manager), The Huntington Theatre Company's Our Daughters, Like Pillars (Production Assistant), and Contemporary American Theatre Festival's Whitelisted (Production Assistant) and The Fifth Domain (Production Assistant). Team work makes the dream work!

CIARA BERARDI (she/her)—Dramaturg

BFA '25 Theatre. Emerson Stage credit: Into the Woods (Dramaturg). Emerson College credit: Musical Theatre Against the Grain’s Rock of Ages (Assistant Marketing Director). Regional credits: Manasquan High School’s Silver Linings (Stage Manager/Ensemble). Thank you to my family in Boston and at home for their continuous support.

Artistic Director—Annie G. Levy
General Manager—David Colfer

Assistant General Manager—Joshua M. Feder
Production Manager—Timothey Sullivan

Technical Director—Kristin Knutson

Props Director—Ryan Bates

Costume Shop Supervisor—Richelle Devereaux-Murray

Resident Sound Designer—Elizabeth Cahill

Head Carpenter—Connor Thompson

Scenic Painter—Joe Keener

Sound Technician—Steven Deptula

Assistant Costume Shop Supervisor—Becky Thorogood

Draper/Cutter—Laurie Bramhall

Assistant Properties Manager—Lauren Corcuera

Stage and Production Management—Debra A. Acquavella

Interim Stage and Production Management—Cate Agis
Scenic Design—Luciana Stecconi

Scenic Painting—Joe Keener

Costume Design—Tristan Raines

Lighting Design—Scott Pinkney

Sound Design—​Elizabeth Cahill

Fight/Intimacy—Ted Hewlett

Dramaturgy—​Marissa Friedman

Emerson Stage Office Assistants— Alex Tawid Di Maggio, Jake Tolentino, Esther Chilson, Karli Fisher, Carly Mentis, Samantha Duggan
Production Management Assistants—Carleigh Allen and Olivia Tighe

Videographers—Xiao Chen and Juanes Serrano

Scenic Technicians—Casper Apodaca, Jonah Barricklo, Sean Dougherty, Marco Giacona, Emerson Hart, Davis Kranchalk, Dylan Norris, Mercy Suarez, Elise Tuckwood

Scenic Artists/Painters—Sofia Goldfarb, Fernando Rueda, Elizabeth Fuire, David Staats, Katherine Kendrick, Sarah Stevens, Alex Mollo

Paint Shop Assistant—Sophie Hartstein

Prop Shop Assistant—Delene Beauchamp, Amaya Gonzalez-Mollmann, Oliver Hawke, Mariel Richardson, Ava Scanlon, Mercy Suarez

Stitchers—Amaris Rios, Ava-Sofia Settoon, David Estabrooks, Dom Letterii, Greta Morgan, Lorence Jones-Perpich, Munroe Shearer, Tayla Dixon, Trixie Ward

Costume Shop Office Assistant—Zhiyan Jin

Laundry Assistants—Angelina Parillo

Stock Attendants—Lucile Lyon, Megan Decker, and Aleah Bloom