The small town audience was an eclectic mix of locals supporting the arts, hipsters sporting Fedoras and several older ladies sporting various shades of blue hair. While a large percentage of audience members checked the 80 and older box, it was evident that all ages would be entertained by this historical fiction drama about Grace Rosanky Putnam Jones who was a World War II W.A.S.P. (Women Air Force Service Pilots), runway fashion model and couture fashion boutique owner as well as a force to be reckoned with.

As the production began, I noticed a well coiffed older woman seated in front of me, fashioning a black feather in her neatly tied grey bun. With a regal posture, her attention focused on the stage. Throughout the play, her granddaughter asked if certain events actually happened. (It turns out the sophisticated patron and Jones had shared a friendship.)

The opening scene began with Jones, dressed in silk pajamas, lying in her bed in a nursing center. Her folksy nurse added warmth to the scene, as she explained to Jones that Geoffrey Beene was not actually awaiting a phone call from her and a reporter from “Town & Country” magazine would not be arriving any minute. We learned Jones was an Alzheimer’s victim, as she begins a conversation with a young woman dressed as a World War II pilot. The woman was Jones’ younger self, her connection to an adventurous, free-spirited past that included flying the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber. This clever theatrical technique allowed the audience a glimpse into Jones’ background as well as insight into her daily struggle with Alzheimer’s.

The production transitioned flawlessly between the past and present, explaining how Jones was one of the 1,830 females chosen amongst the 50,000 applicants accepted into the WASP program. The tightly bonded group of women were finally awarded military status in 1977 and recently won the Congressional Gold Medal. Sharon Smith, who played young Grace, showed the power and courage WASPs exhibited during wartime. Jimmie Vernon, the lead actor, made Jones’ frustration with old age palatable, after leading such a varied life.

The play continues with Jones meeting her husband, a Texas pilot named Lieutenant Colonel Jack Jones who represented the Texas pilot mystique. His swagger along with Jones’ regal nature made the unlikely couple believable. His infidelities are casually referenced, as well as his underlying jealousy of her business success. Jones became a fashion icon in New York City, becoming a1950s television commercial model. Part of the production included mature Jones and younger Jones watching a Ford Motor Company commercial showcasing the Ford Fairlane and Galaxy. The cars glimmered alongside Jones’ gold Christian Dior gown, while she stood with actor Hugh Downs. The dreamy background music conveyed a much different take on a Sunday drive.

Colonel Jones decided to retire and wanted to return to Texas. Jones’ response was to open an upscale boutique in a remodeled limestone bank building in downtown Salado, Texas. The shrewd, affluent businesswoman borrowed money from local bankers just to gain their wives’ interest in Jones’ exclusive collection. Her plan worked, as seven of her first customers were just these women. Jones attended fashion shows from Milan to Paris, and patrons would land on a helicopter pad on the pasture behind the shop. Instead of hosting fashion shows in Dallas, Jones built a runway behind her boutique amongst the cattle, where dignitaries, celebrities and fashion icons mingled. Jones counted Stanley Marcus amongst her peers, and often visited the White House to tend to Lady Bird Johnson and her two daughters’ fashion requests.

The boutique is long gone, but the building remains as Jones’ nephew converted it into a popular home furnishings store named Rosanky’s.

Smith showed Jones’ struggle to do it all, especially after her marriage ended. Her independent personality led to impressive professional success, but ultimately left her alone. “Oh Grace!” was both educational and inspirational, showing that strong Texas women have always existed.

The production gives Jones life a dignified ending, with the hope that she is reunited with that adventurous spirit in the sky at the end of her life. The Texas icon died on February 16, 2008 at the age of 87.

The six-member cast of veteran actors includes four Temple, Texas, residents: Sharon Smith as Young Grace/Salado Grace; Jimmie Vernon as Elderly Grace; Emily Garza as Nurse Agnes; and Steve Smith as Grace’s husband Jack. Saladoan residents Will Lowery is Charlie, and Grainger Esch, co-founder of the Silver Spur and its executive director, portrays John Rosanky, Grace’s nephew. Keep this entertaining play in mind, as the playwrights Laurel Aarsvold and Diana Richardson plan on sending it further across Texas.

Salado Silver Spur Theatre
108 Royal Street, Salado, TX 76571
254.947.3456