The Spitfire Grill: The Story
Garrett Long, Steven Pasquale, Phyllis Somerville, and Liz Callaway. Playwrights Horizons, 2001. Photo by Joan Marcus.
Synopsis
ACT ONE
Rural Wisconsin. February. Percy Talbott gazes out her prison cell window. She’s about to be released. [A RING AROUND THE MOON] Arriving in the deserted town of Gilead, Percy reports to Sheriff Joe Sutter who procures her a room and a job at a ramshackle diner called the Spitfire Grill, run by a crusty old widow, Hannah Ferguson.
Caught in a swirl of small town suspicions [SOMETHING’S COOKING] led by postmistress and village busybody Effy, Percy begins to wonders whether she’s made a mistake in coming to Gilead. [COFFEE CUPS AND GOSSIP] When Hannah trips on the stairs and breaks her leg, she has Percy take over the Spitfire against the better wishes of her fiercely protective nephew Caleb. But when it comes to cooking, Percy is clueless. [INTO THE FRYING PAN]
Percy is joined at the Spitfire by Caleb’s wife Shelby. In the heat of the kitchen the two women are drawn together. Shelby tells Percy about Hannah and Gilead’s past – the day her childhood hero went off to war and her hometown changed forever. [WHEN HOPE GOES]
Wanting to escape painful memories, Hannah’s had the Grill on the real estate market for ten years with no takers. Percy dreams up a possible solution: a raffle. For a hundred dollars and an essay about why they might want the Grill, anyone can enter. As the rest of the town watches the long Wisconsin winter stubbornly give way to spring [ICE AND SNOW], the women at the Spitfire plan the contest details. [SHELBY’S AD] Percy and Shelby share a vision of life as they wish it were while writing the ad for the raffle. [THE COLORS OF PARADISE]
Caleb spots the ads in out-of-town papers. Without a decent job since the local quarry closed, he’s been left trying to sell real estate no one wants. His disappointment pours out as he laments a world where it’s no longer enough to be a hard working man. [DIGGING STONE]
During a parole session, Percy tells Joe something of her bleak past growing up in the West Virginia coal mines. Joe in turn spills out his dissatisfaction with life in Gilead. [THIS WIDE WOODS]
Soon the very first raffle entry arrives in the mail, complete with a hundred dollars and a rather depressing essay which only stirs up Hannah’s old wounds. [FORGOTTEN LULLABY] That night on the back porch, Percy encounters a silent visitor. She attempts to make conversation but the mysterious man flees. As summer approaches, essays begin to pour in from far and wide. [SHOOT THE MOON]
ACT TWO
Hannah, Percy and Shelby sit in the Grill after hours reading essays. [OPENING ACT II] Hannah expresses her appreciation for what Percy and Shelby have done. [COME ALIVE AGAIN] Before long everyone in town is helping Hannah to sift through the letters, and a palpable shift occurs throughout Gilead.
Now seeing Gilead through the eyes of so many letter writers, Joe tells Percy that he no longer wants to leave town. He plans to build a house on a plot of land his father has given him. [FOREST FOR THE TREES] Deeply troubled, Percy abruptly rejects Joe’s marriage proposal and, after he goes, confides to Shelby the harsh details of her life. Impregnated by her stepfather when she was 16, Percy suffered untold abuse resulting in the loss of her unborn child. While on the run, she killed her stepfather with his own straight razor. Shelby comforts Percy and gently sings her to sleep. [WILD BIRD]
When Percy awakens, she again sees the mysterious visitor and at last realizes he is in fact Eli, Hannah’s son. He leads Percy to a forest clearing. [SUNRISE] The leaves have turned to blazing autumn colors. [SHINE]
Percy brings Eli back to the Grill to re-unite him with Hannah after so many years. In a tense confrontation, Shelby and Caleb recognize Eli and react with such shock at his battered appearance and broken demeanor that Eli flees. Hannah finally admits that Eli had been a deserter in the Vietnam war. The shame of it killed her husband. And though Hannah has taken care of Eli’s basic needs, she has kept his presence in the woods a secret. Percy pleads with Hannah to express forgiveness to Eli. Night falls. Hannah calls out to her son. [WAY BACK HOME] Out of the shadows, Eli appears once more. Hannah reaches out her hand to welcome him home.
While taking first steps to rebuild their lives and relationships, everybody eagerly greets the last day of Hannah’s contest. They all read their favorite essays. Finally Hannah reads the words that have touched her the most, and reveals who will get the Spitfire Grill. [FINALE]
Fred Alley (L) and James Valcq at the George Street Playhouse in November, 2000 (photo by Justin Romeo).
How The Spitfire Grill Came to Be
Authors James Valcq (Music & Book) and Fred Alley (Lyrics & Book) had been friends since high school music camp in 1980, but it wasn’t until 1994 that they collaborated on The Passage for Alley’s American Folklore Theatre in Wisconsin. New York-based Valcq was seeking a follow-up project for the pair after his Zombies from The Beyond closed Off-Broadway in 1995. They wanted to create a piece of populist theatre with elements of myth and folktale. Upon seeing the film The Spitfire Grill, they had found their vehicle. Actual writing of the musical commenced in October of 1999.
A demo tape of a few songs from the score found its way to David Saint, Artistic Director of the George Street Playhouse in New Jersey. The theatre presented a workshop of the show in June, 2000 featuring Helen Gallagher as Hannah, and produced the world premiere production in November 2000 featuring Beth Fowler as Hannah. Throughout the process, Arthur Laurents mentored the creative team, encouraging them to find their own emotional truth in the material. The ending of the musical is entirely different from the ending of the film.
Ira Weitzman, Associate Producer of musicals at Playwrights Horizons, and Tim Sanford, the Artistic Director, saw the George Street production and announced that The Spitfire Grill would open the 2000-2001 season at Playwrights Horizons after a May workshop. Tragically, one week before the workshop, Alley suffered a fatal heart attack while jogging in the woods near his Wisconsin home. He died at the age of 38.
Read more
Two weeks later, The Spitfire Grill was presented with the Richard Rodgers Production Award. Stephen Sondheim chairs the committee that chose the The Spitfire Grill as the winner. The remainder of the group comprised Lynn Ahrens, Jack Beeson, John Guare, Sheldon Harnick, R. W. B. Lewis, Richard Maltby, Jr., and Robert Ward.
The Off-Broadway production featured Phyllis Somerville as Hannah, Garrett Long as Percy, and Liz Callaway as Shelby. It was directed by David Saint. The show received Best Musical nominations from the Outer Critics Circle and Drama League, as well as Drama Desk nominations for Garrett Long as Outstanding Actress in a Musical and Liz Callaway as Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical.
Since the Playwrights Horizons production, The Spitfire Grill has been produced over 700 times in regional theatres as well as in community and school productions. Foreign language versions have premiered in Germany in 2005, in South Korea in 2007, in Tokyo in 2009, and in The Netherlands in 2018. Notable American versions include a co-production by American Folklore Theatre (founded by Fred Alley) and Skylight Opera Theatre (2002) which featured Phyllis Somerville as Hannah, the West Coast premiere at Laguna Playhouse (2002) which won the OC Award for Best Musical, and the Idaho Shakespeare Festival production in 2006 which was conducted by James Valcq. The show continues to conquer new continents with additional international productions. In August 2008 The Spitfire Grill had its UK premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in an acclaimed production by the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and the Australian premiere took place in 2010. The show's London premiere at the Union Theatre in 2015 garnered critical raves.
Awards and Nominations
▪ The New York/Off-Broadway Production received an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Best Off Broadway Musical.
▪ The New York/Off-Broadway Production received a Drama League Award nomination for Best Off Broadway Musical.
▪ The New York/Off-Broadway Production was nominated for two Drama Desk Awards: Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Garrett Long) and Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Liz Callaway).
▪ The Washington DC production received 2 Helen Hayes Award nominations.
▪ The Los Angeles production received a Dramalogue Award nomination for Best Musical.
▪ The Laguna production won the OC Award for Best Musical. Actor Misty Cotton (as Percy) received a nomination for Best Performance in a Musical.
▪ The Chicago production received 3 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations.
▪ The San Francisco production won the Bay Area Critics Circle Award for Best Musical.
▪ The Dallas production received 4 Leon Rabin Award nominations including Outstanding Production of a Musical, and won 2.
▪The Florida production received 3 Carbonell Award nominations.
The Authors
Fred Alley
Lyrics & Book
Fred Alley was the co-founder and Artist in Residence at American Folklore Theatre (now Northern Sky Theatre) in Door County, Wisconsin, a populist theatre with a seasonal audience of 50,000. At Northern Sky, Mr. Alley collaborated on over twenty original shows with director Jeffrey Herbst, composer James Kaplan, co-founder Doc Heide, designers Neen Rock and Dave Alley, and frequent guest artists Paul Sills and James Maronek.
It was at Northern Sky that Mr. Alley first collaborated with James Valcq on The Passage, a new musical. His second collaboration with James Valcq, The Spitfire Grill, received its world premiere at New Jersey’s George Street Playhouse before its Off-Broadway opening at Playwrights Horizons.
Mr. Alley was also the librettist and lyricist of the musicals Guys on Ice, Lumberjacks in Love, and The Bachelors, all of which set box office records at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, and continue to win new fans at regional theatres all across the country. Fred Alley died unexpectedly in May 2001. In 2002, he was posthumously honored with the Mark R. Sumner Award for Distinguished Achievement, presented by the National Conference on Outdoor Drama.
James Valcq
Music & Book
James Valcq is the composer of the off-Broadway musical The Spitfire Grill (Playwrights Horizons, 2001) which has been seen in nearly 900 productions spanning the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia, as well as a highly lauded London premiere in 2015. Also off-Broadway, Valcq was the composer/author of Zombies from The Beyond, which opened to critical acclaim in 1995.
Regional credits include The Passage (a collaboration with Fred Alley), Victory Farm, and Boxcar for Northern Sky Theatre, and adaptations of the classic children’s books The Pancake King (commissioned by Milwaukee’s Next Act Theatre) and Anatole (commissioned by First Stage). During his decade as co-Artistic Director of Third Avenue PlayWorks in Wisconsin, Valcq created performing editions of several early 20th century musical theatre pieces, including his reconstruction of George Gershwin’s first Broadway musical La La Lucille for its centennial in 2019.
As a conductor, orchestrator, actor, and stage director, his career has spanned Broadway, National Tours, and regional theatre. He holds an MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and is a proud member of Actors Equity.
Production History
2000
George Street Playhouse (New Brunswick NJ) [WORLD PREMIERE]
2001
Playwrights Horizons (NYC) [OFF-BROADWAY PRODUCTION]
2002
Florida Stage (Palm Beach) [3 Carbonell Award nominations]
Skylight Opera Theatre (Milwaukee)
American Folklore Theatre (Wisconsin)
Laguna Playhouse (Los Angeles) [BEST MUSICAL – The OC Award]
Apple Tree Theatre (Chicago) [2 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations]
Horizon Theatre (Atlanta)
Buffalo Gal Productions (Minneapolis)
Caribbean CCT Theatre (US Virgin Islands)
The Station Theatre (Illinois)
2003
Moonlight Stage (San Diego)
Taproot Theatre (Seattle)
Arkansas Repertory Theatre (Little Rock)
Human Race Theatre (Dayton)
Willows Theatre (San Francisco) [BEST MUSICAL – Bay Area Critics Circle Award]
Aurora Theatre (Georgia)
Eastern Slope Playhouse (Maine)
Post Playhouse (Nebraska)
Jon Hassler Theatre (Minnestota)
Southern Appalachian Rep (North Carolina)
The Backstage Theatre Co. (Colorado)
Off-Broadhurst Theatre (Hopewell, NJ)
Valley Ridge Theatre (West Virginia)
Lakewood Theatre (Portland, Oregon) [OUTSTANDING BAND –Drammy Award]
The Arrow Rock Lyceum (Missouri)
All Things Bright & Beautiful (Virginia)
Verona Stage of ShenanArts (Virginia)
University of Central Oklahoma
Marymount Manhattan College (NYC)
Converse College (South Carolina)
Edgewood College (Madison)
The Peddie School (New Jersey)
2004
WaterTower Theatre (Dallas) [2 Rabin Awards, 4 nominations]
Lyric Stage Company (Boston)
Playhouse on the Square (Memphis)
Actor’s Co-op (Hollywood) [BEST MUSICAL – Dramalogue Award nomination]
Utah Shakespearean Festival
St. Michael's Playhouse (Vermont)
Old Creamery Theatre (Iowa)
Swift Creek Mill Theatre (Richmond)
Creede Repertory Theatre (Colorado)
New Stage Theatre (Mississippi)
The Adobe Theatre (Albuquerque)
Northland Actors Ensemble (Kansas City)
The Vine Theatre (Orlando)
Chatham Playhouse (New Jersey)
Wayside Theatre (Virginia)
Theatre in the Park (Illinois)
Actors' Theatre Company (Grand Rapids) [BEST MUSICAL – Grand Award]
The Armonk Players (North Carolina)
DJ Mahoney Productions (Ann Arbor)
Chestnut Fine Arts Center (Kansas City)
County Seat Theatre (Minnesota)
Menomonie Theatre Guild (Wisconsin)
Our Town Theatre (Maryland)
The Grove Theatre (Utah)
Stratton Players (Massachusetts)
The Tech Players (West Virginia)
New Stage Theatre (Mississippi)
The Attic Theatre (Wisconsin)
Lazy Susan Dinner Theatre (Virginia)
Peninsula Arts Guild (Washington)
University of Central Oklahoma
Carroll College (Wisconsin)
Niagara University (New York)
Birmingham Southern College (Alabama)
Methodist College (North Carolina)
Jesuit High School (Portland)
The Horicon Players (Wisconsin)
Ridgewater College (Minnesota)
Concordia University (Milwaukee)
Hocker Center for the Performing Arts (Topeka)
2005
The Barter Theatre (Virginia)
Stages Repertory Theatre (Houston)
Theater Alliance (Washington DC) [2 Helen Hayes Award nominations]
F.act Neues Kellertheater (Wetzlar, Germany) [Foreign language premiere]
La Cité Francophone (Edmonton, Canada)
The Gallery Players (Brooklyn)
MusicalFare Theatre (Buffalo)
Cumberland County Playhouse (Tennessee)
Crossroads Repertory Theatre (Terre Haute)
Nebraska Theatre Caravan (Omaha)
New Court Theatre (Wisconsin)
Porthouse Theatre (Cleveland)
Cape Rep Theatre (Massachusetts)
Twin Lakes Playhouse (Arkansas)
Center Stage Theatre (Montana)
Theatre Albany (Georgia)
The Theatre Project (Massachusetts)
Fell’s Point Corner Theatre (Baltimore)
Buck Creek Playhouse (Indianapolis) [13 Encore nominations incl. Best Musical]
Raleigh Little Theatre (North Carolina)
Spirit of Broadway Theatre (Connecticut)
Heritage Repertory Theatre (Virginia)
Hope Summer Repertory Theatre (Michigan)
Donelson Center for the Arts (Nashville)
Seaside Music Theatre Project (Florida)
Central Park Players (Michigan)
St. George Musical Theatre (Utah)
Round Barn Theatre (Indiana)
Westfield Community Players (New Jersey)
Civic Light Opera & Theatre Assn. (California)
Suddenly Productions (Utah)
University of Wisconsin (Whitewater)
Wasatch Theatre Company (Salt Lake City)
Monson Arts Council (Massachusetts)
The Little Theatre (Virginia Beach)
Riverwalk Theatre (Lansing MI)
The Pius IX Players (Milwaukee)
St. Ignatius Prep School (Illinois)
Stephens College (Missouri)
Garibaldi Secondary School (British Columbia)
Unified High School Theatre Project (Florida)
Bradford Theatre Arts Program (Wisconsin)
Greensboro College (North Carolina)
South Forsyth High School (Georgia)
Kanawha Players (West Virginia)
Joslyn Center Theatre (Palm Springs)
Brevard Little Theatre (North Carolina)
The Springfield Players (Vermont)
CenterStage Theatre (Spokane)
The Island Players (Georgia)
Kechi Playhouse (Wichita)
2006
Idaho Shakespeare Festival (Boise)
Provision Theatre Company (Chicago) [Joseph Jefferson Award nomination]
The Red Barn Theatre (Key West)
Appleseed Productions (Syracuse) [5 Syracuse Area Live Theatre Award nominations]
Up Beat Productions (Los Angeles)
Concord Players (Massachusetts)
The Grand Theatre (Salt Lake City)
Billings Studio Theatre (Montana)
Salem Community Theatre (Massachusetts)
The Ridgefield Theatre Barn (Connecticut)
Grand Marais Playhouse (Minnesota)
Thibodaux Playhouse (Louisiana)
Hale Center Theatre (Utah)
Limelight Theatre (Florida)
Lakes Arts Center (Iowa)
Calvary Players (Washington)
Sierra Madre Playhouse (California)
Prairie Winds Theatre (Minnesota)
Elmira Little Theatre (New York)
Davidson Community Players (North Carolina) [5 Metrolina Award nominations]
The Theatre Barn (New York)
Players de Noc (Michigan)
Clague Playhouse (Ohio)
Villisca Theatre (Iowa)
Sun Parlour Players (Essex, Canada)
Steamboat Mountain Theatre (Colorado)
Mooresville Community Theatre (North Carolina)
Carrollton Cultural Arts Center (Georgia)
Olathe Community Theatre (Kansas)
Antrim Playhouse (New York)
Brigham Young University (Idaho)
University of Virginia
Viterbo University (Wisconsin)
Cypress College (California)
Georgia College & State University
Rockford College (Illinois)
Kansas City Community College
Horseheads High School (New York)
Pacific Lutheran University (Washington)
MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kansas)
Mount San Jacinto College (California)
Crescent Valley High School (Oregon)
Lakewood High School (Washington)
Abilene High School (Texas)
West Virginia Wesleyan College Union University (Tennesee)
Santa Barbara City College (California)
University of the Ozarks (Arkansas)
Jacksonville Theatre Guild (Illinois)
2007
Shownote Live Entertainment (Seoul, South Korea) [Premiere Asian production]
The Grand Theatre (London, Ontario)
Seacoast Repertory Theatre (New Hampshire) [3 Spotlight Nom’s incl. Best Musical]
Company of Fools Theatre (Idaho)
Broken Arrow Playhouse (Oklahoma)
Key City Players (Washington) [3 A&E Awards including Best Show]
Encore Theatre Company (North Carolina)
ACT Theatre (Asheville, NC)
Orillia Opera House (Ontario, Canada)
Old Lyric Repertory Company (Utah)
Pennsylvania Theatre of Performing Arts
Torrance Theatre Company (California)
Acacia Theatre Company (Milwaukee)
Warehouse Living Arts Center (Texas)
Camelot Theatre Company (Oregon)
Otterbein Summer Theatre (Columbus)
Lamoille County Players (Vermont)
Ice House Theatre (Florida)
Theatre Knoxville Downtown (Tennessee)
Sun Prairie Civic Theatre (Wisconsin)
Carey Dinner Theatre (Mississippi)
Red Barn Summer Theatre (Indiana)
The Walpole Footlighters (Massachusetts)
Springfield Theatre Center (Illinois)
Wayland Baptist University (Texas)
The Hartford Conservatory (Connecticut)
Webster University (Missouri)
Plymouth State University (New Hampshire)
Limestone College (South Carolina)
Camarillo Community Theatre (California)
Beaver Dam Area Community Theatre (Wisconsin)
Dixon Community Players (New Mexico)
Friends University (Wichita)
East Central Community College (Mississippi)
Clemson Little Theatre (South Carolina)
2008
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (Edinburgh) [UK Premiere]
The Skylight (Milwaukee)
Legacy Theatre (Georgia)
Southern Colorado Repertory Theatre (Colorado)
Downstairs Cabaret (Rochester)
Bristol Riverside Theatre (Pennsylvania)
Toledo Repertory Theatre (Ohio)
Marconi Theatre (NYC)
Mill Mountain Theatre (West Virginia)
Pahrump Arts Council (Nevada)
Genesis Theatre Project (Ohio)
Longview Stageworks (Washington)
Dartmouth Players (Nova Scotia)
McGlohon Theatre (Charlotte NC)
Jay County Civic Theatre (Indiana)
The Second Street Players (Delaware)
RiverBelle Dinner Theatre (Washington)
Greenbrier Valley Theatre (West Virginia)
Creative Arts Shoestring Theatre (North Carolina)
Ohlook Performing Arts Center (Texas)
Not So Common Players (New York)
Newton Summer Stage (Boston)
Tennessee Valley Theatre
Theatre Now (California)
First Stage Theatre (Washington)
The Hilltop Players (Tennessee)
Cabrillo Playhouse (California)
Asbury College (Kentucky)
Northwestern College (Minnesota)
Cedar Crest College (Pennsylvania)
Monroe Community College (Rochester)
College of the Siskiyous (California)
The Theatre at Marietta College (Ohio)
College of the Mainland Theatre (Texas)
Twin Lakes Playhouse (Arkansas)
Capital City Players (Missouri)
Umpqua Actors Community Theatre (Oregon)
Amelia Community Theatre (Florida)
JHS Theatre Arts (Georgia)
Piccadilly Players (Nebraska)
On Broadway Thespians, Inc. (Oregon)
Kimberly High School (Wisconsin)
Effington High School (Illinois)
Trinity Academy (North Carolina)
Timothy High School (Illinois)
Shenendehowah High School (New York)
Boswell High School (Fort Worth)
Iola Community Theatre (Kansas)
Palo Alto Players (California)
2009
TohoStage (Tokyo, Japan) [Premiere Japanese production]
PCPA TheatreFest (California)
The Fulton Opera House (Pennsylvania)
StageWest Theatre (Texas)
Texas Repertory Theatre (Houston)
Blackfriars Theatre (Rochester)
Little Theatre of Fall River (Massachusetts)
River Belle Dinner Theatre (Washington)
Red Branch Theatre Company (Maryland)
Memories Dinner Theatre (Wisconsin)
Tennessee Valley Theatre (Tennessee)
Richmond Community Theatre (Michigan)
The Erie Playhouse (Pennsylvania)
Altarena Playhouse (California)
Valley Performing Arts (Alaska)
Holland Civic Theatre (Michigan)
CenterStage North Theatre (Georgia)
Spirit of Broadway Theatre (Connecticut)
Grandstreet Theatre (Montana)
Main Street Players (Florida)
Lakeside Players (Illinois)
Chico Theater Company (California)
Kearney Community Theatre (Nebraska)
Aiken Community Playhouse (South Carolina)
Rhode Center for the Arts (Wisconsin)
Contra Costa Christian Theatre (California)
Coastal Carolina University Theatre (South Carolina)
Hampstead Stage Company (New Hampshire)
Riverbend Theatre Collective (Iowa)
Pace University (NYC)
Ashland University (Ohio)
SUNY Brockport (New York)
Bluffton University (Ohio)
Millikin University (Illinois)
Mount Union College (Ohio)
University of New Hampshire
Messiah College (Pennsylvania)
University of Memphis (Tennessee)
Mt. San Jacinto College (California)
UW-Washington County (Wisconsin)
Morehead State University (Kentucky)
KU University Summer Theatre (Kansas)
Volunteer State Community College (Tennessee)
Oak Park and Lake Forest High School (Illinois)
Kirby Preparatory School (California)
Edmonds Homeschool Resource Center (Washington)
Asheville Christian Academy (North Carolina)
Portland Christian High School (Oregon)
Marquette University Theatre (Milwaukee)
The Players Theatre (Sarasota)
2010
Good Theatre (Portland, Maine)
Margaret River Theatre (Australia) [Premiere Australian production]
Spokane Civic Theatre (Washington)
Danville Light Opera (Illinois)
Jewel Box Theatre (Washington)
Madison Theatre Guild (Wisconsin)
South Simcoe Theatre (Ontario, Canada)
Santa Cruz Shoestring Players (Arizona)
Las Vegas Academy Theatre (Nevada)
Kansas University (Kansas)
Roger Williams University (Rhode Island)
Spencer Community Theatre (Iowa)
Barre Players Theatre (Massachusetts)
L'Arc En Ciel Theatre Group (Indiana)
William Jewell College Theatre (Missouri)
Virgin Valley Theatre Group (Nevada)
Canterbury Summer Theatre (Indiana)
Neuse Little Theatre (North Carolina)
Mount Aloysius College (Pennsylvania)
Missouri Valley College (Missouri)
Poway Performing Arts Company (California)
Central Wisconsin Christian School (Wisconsin)
Mound Westonka High School (Minnesota)
Geneva College Theatre (Pennsylvania)
Beavercreek Community Theatre (Ohio)
Collaborative Stage (North Carolina)
Auburn Mountainview Theatre (Washington)
Tantallon Playhouse (Maryland)
Westminster College (Utah)
The River Theatre (New Hampshire)
2011
American Folklore Theatre (Wisconsin)
No Strings Theatre Company (New Mexico)
Illinois Theatre Center (Chicago)
Orilla Opera House (Ontario, Canada)
Timber Lake Playhouse (Illinois)
4th Wall Theatre (New Jersey)
Marion Civic Theatre (Indiana)
Alta Theatre (Washington)
Richmond Hill Players (Illinois)
Highlands Playhouse (North Carolina)
Alvin Community College (Texas)
Penguin Productions (Wisconsin)
Old Town Playhouse (Michigan)
Cavalier Players (Louisiana)
Alton Little Theatre (Illinois)
Lancer Productions (Iowa)
Third Street Players (Washington)
Chippewa Valley Theatre Guild (Wisconsin)
Western Kentucky University
Gordon College (Georgia)
Spartan Players (South Carolina)
Fossil Ridge Theatre (Texas)
Thomas More Players (Delaware)
Idyllwild Arts Academy (California)
West Hall High School (Georgia)
Central Wisconsin Christian Schools
Illinois Wesleyan University (Illinois)
King’s Ridge Christian School (Georgia)
Tyrone Community Players (Alabama)
2012
Flat Rock Playhouse (North Carolina)
BoHo Theatre (Chicago) [5 Jeff Award Nominations incl. Best Musical]
QM Productions (Pittsburgh)
Farmers Alley Theatre (Michigan)
Highlands Playhouse (Atlanta)
The Midnight Theatre Collective (Vancouver, British Columbia)
Columbia Entertainment Company (Missouri)
Phoenix Theatre (Arizona)
Great Escape Stage Company (Michigan)
Water Works Theatre (Alberta, Canada)
Empress Theatre (Utah)
Greenwood Playhouse (Oregon)
Olympic Theatre Arts (Washington)
Hill Country Arts Foundation (Texas)
Cape Fear Regional Theatre (North Carolina)
Taking Flight Theatre Company (Virginia)
Logos Players (Oregon)
Paul Bunyan Playhouse (Minnesota)
Cascades Theatrical Company (Oregon)
Stage 212 (Illinois)
True Jem Productions (Michigan)
Pleasant Grove Players (Utah)
Shandaken Theatrical Society (New York)
Minden Opera House (Nebraska)
Abilene Community Theatre (Texas)
Cottage Theatre (Oregon)
Guild Hall Players (Kansas)
Missouri Baptist University (Missouri)
Dickinson College (Pennsylvania)
LaSalle College of the Arts (Singapore) [Premiere Singapore production]
Seokeong University (South Korea)
Barton College (North Carolina)
Apalachee High School (Georgia)
Heritage Hall (Oklahoma)
Whatcom Community College (Washington)
Huntsville Community Theatre (Ontario, Canada)
Germantown Community Theatre (Tennessee)
Wauwatosa West High School (Wisconsin)
St. Edward’s University (Texas)
Colonial Players (Maryland)
2013
Barnstormers Theatre (New Hampshire)
Sierra Repertory Theatre (California)
Renaissance Center (Tennessee)
Northport Music Theatre (Maine)
Collaborative Stage (Louisiana)
Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts (New York)
Shenandoah University (Virginia)
Dakota Stage, Ltd. (Alaska)
Church Hill Theatre (Maryland)
St. Mary’s University of Minnesota
Performance Riverside (California)
CAST Theatre (North Carolina)
Belfry Theatre (Indiana)
Le Mars Community Theatre (Iowa)
Little Theatre on the Bay (Oregon)
Theatrikos Theatre Company (Arizona)
Lawton Community Theatre (Oklahoma)
Hamilton County Theatre Guild (Indiana)
Onstage Uxbridge (Ontario, Canada)
Washington Little Theatre (Georgia)
Stage Wright Productions (Illinois)
University of San Diego (California)
Northwest University (Washington)
Community College of Rhode Island
Greenville College (Illinois)
Bryan College (Tennessee)
The Chaminade Players (California)
Mountain View High School (Utah)
Statesmen Theatre (Virginia)
Cordova High School (Tennessee)
Cincinnati Christian Schools (Ohio)
Caddo Magnet High School (Louisiana)
Rialto Community Players (California)
2014
Insight Theatre Company (St. Louis)
Next Stage Repertory Company (Oregon)
Artists’ Ensemble Theatre (Illinois)
Steel Beam Theatre (Illinois)
Springfield Contemporary Theatre (Missouri)
Northern Stage (Vermont)
Olim Inc. Association (South Korea)
1st Draft Productions (Florida)
Empire Theatre Company (North Dakota)
Carlsbad Playreaders (California)
Teaneck New Theatre (New Jersey)
Ford Theatre (Ohio)
PM&L Theatre (Illinois)
Naples Players (Florida)
Chatham Hall (Virginia)
Macon Little Theatre (Georgia)
Sheboygan Theatre Company (Wisconsin)
Broad Brook Opera House (Connecticut) [4 Onstage Critics Award nominations incl. Best Musical]
Essex Community Players (Vermont)
Fort Mill Playhouse (South Carolina)
Clinton Family Theatre (Connecticut)
Cumberland ETC (Wisconsin)
Tupelo Community Theatre (Mississippi)
Pequot Lakes Community Theatre (Minnesota)
Rotary Club of Hialeah-Miami Springs (Florida)
Calvin Presbyterian Church (Pennsylvania)
SeoKyeong University (Seoul, South Korea)
Musical Academy (Tokyo, Japan)
Yale University (Connecticut)
Creighton University (Nebraska)
Ripon College (Wisconsin)
Bethel University Summer Theatre (Minnesota)
Wichita State School of Performing Arts (Kansas)
Valdosta State University (Georgia)
California Baptist University (California)
Youngstown State University (Ohio)
Riverside Poly Theatre (California)
Cardinal Stritch University (Wisconsin)
Saint Joseph High School (California)
St. Michael’s CSS (Ontario, Canada)
Ferndale Repertory Theatre (California)
McPherson College (Kansas)
2015
Union Theatre (London) [Premiere London production]
Theatre In The Grove (Portland, Oregon)
Artists’ Ensemble Theatre (Illinois)
Paramount MainStage (Boston)
Lyric Arts (Minnesota)
Carousel Productions (Missouri)
Barn Theatre (New Jersey)
Vintage Theatre (Colorado)
Bijou Theatre (Tennessee)
MYART Studio (California)
William Inge Theatre (Kansas)
The Word Players (Tennessee)
Alma Performing Arts Center (Arkansas)
Cheek Theatre (Illinois)
Rose Center Theater (California)
Bandon Playhouse (Oregon)
Okeechobee Community Theatre (Florida)
The Peacock Playhouse (North Carolina)
Shortgrass Playhouse (Oklahoma)
Katy Performing Arts Center (Texas)
SeoKyeong University (Seoul, South Korea)
Emerson College (Boston)
University of Mississippi (Mississippi)
Olivet Nazarene University (Illinois)
University of Central Oklahoma
UW-River Falls (Wisconsin)
Stonehill College (Massachusetts)
Western Texas College
Azusa Pacific University (California)
The University of Mississippi
Warner Pacific College (Oregon)
Beck Center for the Arts (Ohio)
Auburn Mountainview High School (Washington)
Delaware County Community College (Pennsylvania)
Independence Community College (Kansas)
Anacortes Community Theatre (Washington)
Abilene High School (Texas)
Asheville School (North Carolina)
Little Elm High School (Texas)
Bartlett High School (Tennessee)
Worthington Kilbourne High School (Ohio)
North Hall High School (Georgia)
York High School (Maine)
2016
Stanley Theatre (Liverpool, UK)
Musical Theatre Guild (Concert Version-Los Angeles)
Storch Theatre (New York)
Fern Street Theatre (Florida)
Arts Court Theatre (Ontario, Canada)
ACT ONE (New Hampshire)
Ponca Playhouse (Oklahoma)
Corn Stock Theatre (Illinois)
The New Hazlett Theatre (Pittsburgh)
Back Alley Musicals (Kentucky)
Hi-Desert Cultural Center (California)
Majestic Theatre (New Hampshire)
Cresson Lake Playhouse (Pennsylvania)
Red Barn Theatre (Wisconsin)
Theatre Palisades (California)
Okoboji Summer Theatre (Iowa)
Northern Fort Playhouse (South Dakota)
Apple Hill Playhouse (Pennsylvania)
Community Theatre at Woodbury (Connecticut)
Jody Berry Cabaret Theatre (Kentucky)
Firehouse Community Theatre (Florida)
Drexel Co-op Theatre Company (Concert Version-Philadelphia)
Beloit Civic Theatre (Wisconsin)
Clarinda Community Theatre (Iowa)
VISTA Productions (Minnesota)
Derry Arts Council (New Hampshire)
Moss Theatre (California)
Pasadena Little Theatre (Texas)
Palace Playhouse (Idaho)
Hysterical Productions (Wisconsin)
Kay Butler Performing Arts Project (Louisiana)
The Pierson Playhouse (California)
Chungwoon University (South Korea)
Syracuse University (New York)
Seattle Pacific University (Washington)
Flagler College (Florida)
Fullerton College (California)
Shorter University (Georgia)
North Greenville University (South Carolina)
Wheaton College Arena Theatre (Illinois)
Pine Lake Preparatory (North Carolina)
West Port High School (Florida)
Edmonds Heights High School (Washington)
Alpharetta High School (Georgia)
Centennial High School (Alberta, Canada)
Concord High School (California)
Eastern Wyoming College (Wyoming)
2017
North Coast Repertory Theatre (California)
Studio Theatre Productions (Ontario, Canada)
Rosebud Theatre (Alberta, Canada)
Four Seasons Theatre (Wisconsin)
Mother Road Theatre Co. (Albuquerque NM)
Main Street Arts (Vermont)
Cyrano’s Theatre Company (Alaska)
Dixon Community Players (New Mexico)
Montgomery Performing Arts (Arkansas)
Sonoma Arts Live (California)
Wilson Performing Arts Center (Iowa)
Hawthorne Players (Missouri)
Weiser Little Theatre (Idaho)
Central Stage Theatre (Washington)
Angelo State University (Texas)
Biola University (California)
Carnation City Players (Ohio)
Eagle Theatre (New Jersey)
Open Space Café Theatre (North Carolina)
Oyster Mill Playhouse (Pennsylvania)
Possum Point Players (Delaware)
Ballyhoo Theatre (Washington)
Eastern Oregon Regional Theatre (Oregon)
Theatre Statesville (North Carolina)
Community Theatre of Howell (Michigan)
Senzoku Gakuen College of Music (Kawasaki, Japan)
SeoKyeong University (Seoul, South Korea)
University of Hartford (Connecticut)
Arcadia University (Pennsylvania)
Oklahoma State University
Kansas Wesleyan University
Loyola University (New Orleans)
Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton)
University of Hawaii at Manoa (Hawaii)
Vassar College Drama Department (New York)
University of Denver (Colorado)
Grayson College (Texas)
Young Harris College (Georgia)
Macalester College (Minnesota)
Tawas Bay Players (Michigan)
OhLook Performing Arts Center (Texas)
St. John’s College High School (Washington DC)
Barron Collier High School (Florida)
Gordon Central High School (Georgia)
Tremper High School (Wisconsin)
Mountain View High School (Utah)
ConVal Drama (New Hampshire)
U-32 High School (Vermont)
Kirby Prep School (California)
Storyteller Productions (Georgia)
2018
Rochester Repertory Theatre (Minnesota)
TohoStage (Tokyo, Japan)
Fontys Incubator (Tilburg, The Netherlands) [Netherlands premiere]
The Eagle Theatre (New Jersey)
Refuge Theatre Project (Chicago)
Emerald Coast Theatre Company (Florida)
Penobscot Theatre Company (Maine)
Starlight Mountain Theatre (Idaho)
Theatre III (Massachusetts)
Newport Theatre Arts Center (California)
Dunes Summer Theatre (Indiana)
Springfield Civic Theatre (Ohio)
Myers Dinner Theatre (Indiana)
Huronia Players (Ontario, Canada)
French Woods (New York)
Stow Players (Ohio)
The New Depot Players (Georgia)
Oak Grove Theatre (Virginia)
MacMurray Theatre (Illinois)
Foothill Performing Arts Council (California)
Chestnut Fine Arts Center (Kansas)
Valparaiso University (Indiana)
Northern Oklahoma College
Truman State University (Missouri)
Armstrong Atlantic State University (Savannah, GA)
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (Indiana)
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Eastern Mennonite University (Virginia)
University of Memphis (Tennessee)
Fairfield University (Connecticut)
ACMA Theatre Co. (Oregon)
Saddleback College (California)
Whitworth University (Washington)
St. Thomas More Academy (North Carolina)
Gainsville High School (Georgia)
Dominican High School (Wisconsin)
Redding Christian School (California)
Keith Country Day School (Illinois)
Canyon Ridge High School (Idaho)
Oak Creek High School (Wisconsin)
White Station High School (Tennessee)
Columbia Heights High School (Minnesota)
2019
American Blues Theatre (Chicago) [4 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations]
Garry Marshall Theatre (Burbank CA) [7 Scenie citations incl. Best Production]
Meadow Brook Theatre (Michigan)
Mad Cow Theatre (Florida)
Palm Beach Dramaworks (Florida) [7 Carbonell Award nominations incl. Best Musical]
Crown Theatre Productions (Ohio)
Showtunes Theatre Company (Seattle)
Stageloft Repertory Theatre (Massachusetts)
Great Northern Theatre Company (Minnesota)
The Spotlight Theatre (Illinois)
Draper Historic Theatre (Utah)
Licking County Players (Ohio)
Footlighters Inc. (Kentucky)
Old Courthouse Theatre (North Carolina)
Fine Arts Guild of the Rockies (Colorado)
River Theatre Company (New Hampshire)
St. George Musical Theatre (Utah)
Festival Playhouse (Michigan)
DreamWrights Center for Community Arts (Pennsylvania)
National Yunlin University (Douliu, Taiwan) [Taiwan Premiere]
Fontbonne University (Missouri)
Cedarville University (Ohio)
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Seton Hall University (New Jersey)
Western Washington University
King University Theatre (Tennessee)
Skidmore College Cabaret Troupe (New York)
Kalamazoo College (Michigan)
Fontbonne University (Missouri)
Southern Virginia University
Asbury University (Kentucky)
University of North Dakota
American Heritage School (Florida)
Marcus High School (Texas)
Heritage Hall School (Oklahoma)
Hall County Schools (Georgia)
Corvallis High School (Oregon)
McDowell High School (Pennsylvania)
2020
Trumbull New Theatre (Ohio)
Las Vegas Little Theatre (Nevada)
Missoula Community Theatre (Montana)
Rockville Little Theatre (Maryland)
Hackmatack Playhouse (Maine)
Clio Cast & Crew Inc. (Michigan)
Fresno Pacific University (California)
Methodist University (North Carolina)
Western Illinois University
William Peace University (North Carolina)
Wilkes University Theatre (Pennsylvania)
Cornell College (Iowa)
Marcus Whitman High School (New York)
NOTE - The following productions announced for 2020 were postponed or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic:
Lucial Productions (Salt Lake City)
University of Rochester (New York)
Saint Martin’s University (Washington)
Abraham Baldwin Agriculture College (Georgia)
Highland Community College (Kansas)
Miami Dade College (Florida)
Calvary Players (Washington)
Clarksville High School (Arkansas)
Maumee Valley Country Day School (Toledo)
2021
A.D. Players (Houston)
The Access Theatre Project (Cleveland)
Taproot Theatre Company (Seattle)
Art 4 (South Bend, Indiana)
Oregon Cabaret Theatre (Ashland)
Hackmatack Playhouse (Maine)
Artisan Center Theatre (Texas)
Fort Peck Summer Theatre (Montana)
Arizona Broadway Theatre (Arizona)
Vérité 1M Space (Seoul, Korea)
Helen Todd Voice Studio (Ohio)
Starlight Mountain Theatre (Idaho)
M&P Company, Ltd. (Seoul, Korea)
Showcase On Main (Maryland)
Charleston Southern University (South Carolina)
DePauw University (Indiana)
Southern Arkansas University (Arkansas)
Kennesaw State University (Georgia)
University of Mobile (Alabama)
Austin Peay State University (Tennessee)
SeoKyeong Univ. Arts Hall (Seoul, South Korea)
Carbon County School (Wyoming)
Bellevue Christian School (Washington)
Highland Park High School (Topeka, Kansas)
Antigo High School (Wisconsin)
Caddo Magnet High School (Louisiana)
Bethlehem Catholic High School (Pennsylvania)
Geneseo Central School (New York)
Floyd County Schools (Georgia)
Thacher School (California)
Warsaw Middle/High School (New York)
Jackson County High School (Georgia)
Village Theatre KIDSTAGE (Washington)
2022
Wellington Theatre Company (Te Aro) [New Zealand Premiere]
Laguna Playhouse (California)
Taproot Theatre Company (Seattle)
Savannah Repertory Theatre (Georgia)
Vanguard Theatre (New Jersey)
Phamaly Theatre Company (Colorado)
The Chance Theatre (California)
Encore PAC (North Carolina)
Harmony Productions (New Brunswick, Canada)
Billings Studio Theatre (Montana)
Ansonia Theatre (North Carolina)
Chico Theatre Company (California)
Sunset Playhouse (Wisconsin)
Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center (California)
Theatre of Western Springs (Illinois)
525 Players (South Carolina)
Redding Performing Arts Center (California)
Alban Arts Center (West Virginia)
Jedlicka Performing Arts Center (Chicago)
Black Ice Theatre Co. (California)
Hope Street Theatre (Liverpool, UK)
Rutgers University-Camden (New Jersey)
Idaho State University
Elmhurst University (Illinois)
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (Georgia)
Southeast Missouri State University
Belhaven University (Mississippi)
Birmingham-Southern College (Alabama)
Fullerton College (California)
Grace College (Indiana)
Bellevue College (Washington)
Randolph College Theatre (Virginia)
Bossier Parish Community College (Louisiana)
Worthington Christian School (Ohio)
Joliet Central High School (Illinois)
Parowan High School (Utah)
The Overlake School (Washington)
2023
South Bay Musical Theatre (California)
Post Playhouse (Nebraska)
The Fleetwood Project (Texas)
Western Reserve Playhouse (Ohio)
The SH.I.N.E. Project (Florida)
Elemental Repertory Theatre (Massachusetts)
Jacob Ball Wish Fund (Indiana)
Williamsburg Players (Virginia)
Swamp Donkey Musical Theatre (Alberta, Canada)
Edmonds Driftwood Players (Washington)
Flint Community Players (Michigan)
Holly Theatre (Georgia)
Westfield Playhouse (Indiana)
Post Playhouse (Nebraska)
Stagecrafters (Michigan)
Cross Community Players (Minneapolis)
Black Swamp Players (Ohio)
Main Street Productions (Indiana)
Middleton Players Theatre (Wisconsin)
Theatre by the Trax (Georgia)
Provident Theatre (Idaho)
Hurricane Theatrical (Utah)
Great River Players (Iowa)
Boston University (Massachusetts)
Cedarville University (Ohio)
Concordia University Texas (Austin)
University of Michigan-Flint
Ohio University-Athens
Abilene Christian University (Texas)
Webster University (Missouri)
University of Minnesota-Duluth
SUNY Geneseo (New York)
Hardin-Simmons University (Texas)
Hinds Community College (Mississippi)
Coker University (South Carolina)
Southwestern University (Texas)
Brevard College (North Carolina)
Nazareth College (New York)
Gabrielino High School (California)
Archbishop Alter High School (Ohio)
Northeast High School (Florida)
Moody High School (Alabama)
2024
Austin Playhouse (Texas)
Ten Thousand Things (Minneapolis)
Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival (Durant)
Firehouse Center for the Arts (Massachusetts)
Venice Theatre (Florida)
Genesius Theatre (Pennsylvania)
USAG Rheinland-Pfalz (Germany)
Broadway Rose Theatre Company (Oregon)
Stone Soup Theatre Company (South Carolina)
Out of the Woodwork Players (New York)
Brookfield Theatre for the Arts (Connecticut)
Love Street Playhouse (Washington)
Winchester Little Theatre (Virginia)
Ocala Civic Theatre (Florida)
Kearney Community Theatre (Nebraska)
Rome Community Theatre (New York)
Black Rose Theatre Company (Mississippi)
Simon Says Theatre (Florida)
Southwest Nebraska Community Theatre
Regent University (Virginia)
University of Findlay (Ohio)
Taylor University (Indiana)
Messiah University (Pennsylvania)
William Carey University (Mississippi)
Bethany College (Kansas)
West Valley College (California)
Southwestern College (Kansas)
Ripon College (Wisconsin)
Northwest Arkansas Community College
Davinci Academy for Science & the Arts (Utah)
The Benjamin School (Florida)
Catholic Central High School (Wisconsin)
Salisbury High School (Pennsylvania)