The actors in The Spitfire Grill have had a grand time playing together this summer, so we asked a few insider questions (and edited out the spoilers). Read how their responses stack up, and see who's possibly gotten a little too close for comfort...
- Alixandra Cowman - Percy
- Elinor Holt - Hannah
- Cassia Schmidt - Shelby
- Nathan Schmidt - Eli
- Marie Russell - Effy
- Travis Friesen - Sheriff Joe
- Paul Muir - Caleb
Who’s the Spitfire in The Spitfire Grill?
ALIX: Elinor Holt, OF COURSE!
NATE: I’d have to say Hannah is the Spitfire, she named it after all.
CASSIA: Hannah – for sure!
TRAVIS: Hannah
ELINOR: Shelby! And in the band, Julie!
MARIE: The fierce spirit of compassion that is
brave enough to start and continue the journey of forgiveness and
acceptance.
PAUL: Percy! No question, it’s Percy! She’s
the catalyst for the whole story!
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| Alixandra Cowman whips up her speciality. Photo by Morris Ertman. |
What’s the secret in the sauce?
ALIX: It ain’t called SPITfire for no good
reason.
ELINOR: Wild Turkey
TRAVIS: Ketchup/mayo/lemon juice
CASSIA: Rosebud water
MARIE: Understanding how little we have to
lose when we leap and make the choice to love...
NATE: You know, I think it’s pickles and
chipotle peppers.
PAUL: You add a dash of love and a pinch of
forgiveness, and YUM!
What’s the worst thing on the menu?
ALIX: Anything that Percy has made. Don’t let
her in the kitchen.
ELINOR: The coffee. But it’s the only grill in
town, so put up and shut up!
TRAVIS: Jellied Hotdog Salad
CASSIA: The corn beef hash. Even when Hannah
makes it.
MARIE: Percy’s sunny-side-up eggs. They have
instantly grown a velvety mould on their surface, thanks to the genius of props
people! Ewwww.
PAUL: Caleb!
NATE: The spelling
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| Cassia Schmidt and Alixandra Cowman cook up magic and... mystery meat. Photo by Morris Ertman |
What song got cut from the play?
ALIX: The one that ends with a kissing scene.
CASSIA: All of Eli’s solos.
TRAVIS: “I can’t quit you” – Caleb sings to Joe.
MARIE: Effy’s Revenge – a little dream
sequence piece about catching everyone in a fraud ring and being awarded The
Spitfire Grill as an annex to the post office (secretly a CIA outpost).
NATE: Shelby had a bluesy song about how she
wishes she was single again.
PAUL: A song got cut from the play? Crap! Why
didn’t anyone tell me? I’m still doing them all!
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| Paul Muir, singing solo. Photo by Morris Ertman. |
What crime would you commit if you could get away with it?
CASSIA: It’s not a hard core crime – but there are a lot of places I would trespass.
ELINOR: Hm. Tough one. Can one ever get away
from something? With something?... Maybe… so, I would like to get away with
Travis’s old truck… or Cassia’s vocal chords so that I could be an amazing
belting soprano with cool wheels! Grand Theft/Throat Auto!
TRAVIS: Jay-walking
ALIX: I would love to rob a casino, Ocean’s Eleven style. I want to be cool like Brad Pitt and George Clooney!
MARIE: What’s the legal term for
opening other people’s mail?
NATE: Stowaway – jumping on a boxcar and go
where it goes for as long as it goes.
PAUL: Oh Heavens, I think I’ve committed
enough crimes in my life already. I’m ready to retire from my life of crime!
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| Marie Russell, Paul Muir, and Travis Friesen keep the town under control. Photo by Morris Ertman. |
Who has a secret they aren’t sharing? What is it?
ALIX: Definitely Joe and Effy. Have you SEEN their relationship on stage? Seems fishy to me.
CASSIA: Shelby. Ha! Sneaky! Still not telling. But there's a reason her dress is so baggy.
NATE: The cellist, Julie. She'd rather be dancing.
PAUL: Ummm, who doesn’t have a secret they
aren’t sharing?
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| Everyone has a mystery. Elinor Holt and Alixandra Cowman. Photo by Morris Ertman |
Favorite moment in the show that the audience doesn’t see?
ALIX: The choreography of ‘Diggin’ Stone’
that happens behind the flat. Elinor and I are the best back-up dancers to Paul
Muir’s rocking song.
ELINOR: The backstage choreography for ‘Diggin’
Stone'. It is a sight to behold, even if I do say so
myself.
CASSIA: Choreography for 'Diggin’ Stone'.
TRAVIS: Behind the flat choreo for 'Diggin’
Stone'.
NATE: I get to make eyes, across the stage, with my beautiful wife, during the woo-ing between Sheriff Joe and Percy.
MARIE: One of my favorite moments happens at
the top of Act 1 before my first entrance. We’re like a team… coming out of the shoot – first Travis, then, a bar later, Paul, then
at my time, me. I love love love being a small player in a great story
alongside others. I’m not sure why that moment always heartens me.
PAUL: Oh gosh. At some point we [gotta] make a video
of all the action that happens with the musicians. The 4-person guitar playing
dance, Kait going back and forth between piano and accordion, it’s really
active!
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| Some movement madness at the Grill! Photo by Morris Ertman. |
What’s the password to get into the after-hours Spitfire?
ALIX: “I brought applejack.”
ELINOR: Scrabble
NATE: B@c0N&3gg5
CASSIA: You can just open the door. It’s never
locked.
TRAVIS: New England Clam Chowder
MARIE: The secret password passes by word
of mouth and also continuously changes. Effy knows that the tactic is
called “permanent transitionalism” and was a favorite method used by Sadam
Hussein.
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| Nathan Schmidt and Alixandra Cowman share a secret... or two... photo by Morris Ertman |
What’s the town of Gilead’s tourism motto?
ALIX: Gilead: Do our balms make you whole?
See for yourself!
ELINOR: Gilead: A little piece of heaven right
here on earth.
NATE: Gilead: What’s yours is Mine!
PAUL: Gilead: Home of the Colours of Paradise! (But they probably spell it the American way.)
CASSIA: Gilead: Your forgotten holiday
MARIE: Gilead: Miserable but Safe!
TRAVIS: Gilead: If you don’t have time to stop, smile as you drive by.
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| Friendship and Forgiveness in The Spitfire Grill. Cassia Schmidt, Elinor Holt, & Alixandra Cowman. Photo by Morris Ertman |
There's just two more weeks to catch the antics and genuine affection amidst the cast and characters of The Spitfire Grill. Playing until September 2, visit www.rosebudtheatre.com for tickets and more information.
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