Well, since no one has ventured a response, I will.  These are really good questions.  Spoon River a really interesting show.  I have seen it twice: once about 30 years ago in a college setting and then again just last spring -- again in a college setting.  The monologues that the characters perform are actually supposed to be the persons' epitaphs.  Both times I have seen this show the setting is in a cemetary, although it is not clearly represented as such.  The show is based on the poetry of Edgar Lee Masters in his book of poems: Spoon River Anthology.  There is a good variety of characters and each actor should have a chance to play quite a variety of parts -- some comic, some tragic.  There is music, too -- some of it very touching, some very beautiful and some very lively and humorous....  I remember being very moved by the show the first time I saw it and even more so when I saw it again recently.  Good luck.