A Largo community theatre is bringing the story of Gander’s extraordinary response to the September 11 attacks to the stage, with Eight O’Clock Theatre’s production of Come From Away opening on Friday.
The musical, performed at the Central Park Performing Arts Center from September 4 to 13, recounts how a small Newfoundland town welcomed thousands of airline passengers stranded after US airspace was closed in the wake of the attacks.
Come From Away tells story of Gander’s community spirit
Thirty-eight transatlantic aircraft were diverted to Gander International Airport on September 11, 2001. The planes carried 6,579 passengers and crew – a number that dramatically increased the population of the remote Canadian community for five days.
Residents responded by opening schools, churches, community centres and other public buildings, while organising food, shelter and support for people from around the world.
Sadra Bostick, who plays airline pilot Beverley Bass as well as local resident Annette, said the number of visitors was almost comparable to the town’s population.
“Rather than just belly ache about these people showing up, these wonderful Newfoundlanders, these Gander people, they embraced all of these strangers from all over the world,” she said.
Rand Smith, who plays Gander’s mayor Claude, said the town’s willingness to help was rooted in local culture, although the scale of the crisis demanded an unprecedented effort.
“These people, it’s a part of their culture,” he said. “They just had to scale everything up because there was just so many.”
The production is directed by James Grenelle, with musical direction from Emi Stefanov. Bostick, Smith and Steven Fox are among the cast members portraying the real-life figures and experiences behind the musical.
A musical about the days after 9/11
Although the story begins with one of the darkest moments in modern history, the performers say its focus is on what happened afterwards: strangers overcoming fear, language barriers and cultural differences to care for one another.
“People ask me, they say, ‘Is it a show about 9/11?’ And I go, ‘No, it is a show about the days after,’” Fox said.
“How people came together, how people really showed up for one another despite their differences, despite language barriers, they found a way to help each other and really just be that community that needed to happen at that important time.”
With the 25th anniversary of the attacks approaching, Smith said the production offered audiences a reminder of the capacity for kindness during a crisis.
“The lesson to be learned from any terrible tragedy, is that the best of humanity can overcome the worst,” he said.
Eight O’Clock Theatre will hold a final dress rehearsal for local first responders on Thursday, September 3, as a tribute to those who served on September 11 and continue to protect their communities.
The performance run begins the following day at the Tonne Playhouse within the Central Park Performing Arts Center in Largo. The theatre is at 105 Central Park Drive, with performances continuing through Sunday, September 13.
