Robert F. Benjamin
Los Alamos Light Opera
 

• Percy: A young woman (20's-30's) who arrives in the town of Gilead, WI after doing jail time; she ends up working at The Spitfire Grill.
• Hannah: An older woman (70-ish) who owns The Spitfire Grill; she's cantankerous and bitter and doesn't want any help at the grill, which she's also had up for sale for quite some time. Her husband has died and their only son is "MIA".
• Shelby: A younger woman (30-ish) who lives in Gilead and is married to Caleb, Hannah's nephew. She's used to waiting hand and foot on Caleb and not having a life of her own until she inadvertently begins to work at the grill.
• Effie: The town's postmistress and busybody (50-ish). She delivers mail to the grill and is the primary instigator of the town's gossip, especially where Percy is concerned.
• Joe: The town's sheriff (30-ish) who meets Percy when she arrives in Gilead. He gets Percy a job at the grill and later falls in love with her. He's restless and for want of a better life desires to leave town.
• Caleb: Hannah's nephew (30-ish) who is married (and quite womanizing) to Shelby. He's down on his luck due to the loss of his job at the quarry, and has been forced to sell real estate.
• Eli (aka the visitor): (40's/50's) Hannah's long lost son who now lives as a stranger in the woods; he comes to visit secretly in the night to take the bread and blankets that Hannah puts out for him.