Make “never forget” mean something on this 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Join Potomac Playmakers in its production of “Come From Away,” running Sept. 11-20, with Friday performances at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday performances at 3 p.m. Tickets ($20 general admission, $15 seniors) may be purchased in advance at potomacplaymakers.org.
‘Come From Away’ production history
“Come From Away” revisits the unfolding of Sept. 11, 2001 and the immediate days that followed in an unforeseen place: the humble island town of Gander, Newfoundland, which nearly doubled in population to host over 7,000 grounded airline passengers. The phrase “come from away” (CFA, for short) is a “Newfie” phrase for anyone born outside the island.
The concept was ideated by Michael Rubinoff, a Toronto-based attorney by day and musical producer by night. Rubinoff approached husband-and-wife team Irene Sankoff and David Hein with the story. Agreeing to the pitch, Sankoff and Hein traveled to Gander to interview the townsfolk who provided first-hand accounts that became the source material for the music, book and lyrics of “Come From Away.”
Potomac Playmakers’ show
This year, Potomac Playmakers celebrates its 100th season, making it one of the nation’s longest-running community theater groups. Located at 17303 W. Washington St. in Hagerstown, Potomac Playmakers Performing Arts Center offers an intimate setting in a church-turned-theater with spacious, ultra-comfortable seating.
Potomac Playmakers’ “Come From Away” features a larger cast than the original production, which had 12 actors doubling as townspeople and passengers. The inclusion of extra cast members produces resounding ensemble vocals while also adding spirit to the show: many cast members have personal, direct connections to the 9/11 tragedy.
As townspeople, cast members capture the rapid-fire Newfoundland dialect, the overly-friendly give-the-shirt-off-your-back culture and undying love for ice hockey and Tim Hortons. The opening number, “Welcome to the Rock” (which reprises at the end), packs a punch and instills pride in the selfless island people who rose to the occasion.
The ensemble casting also represents the airline passengers from countless nationalities and religious backgrounds. Costuming complements the fact that these are all ordinary, everyday people. Performances feel natural and unexaggerated, reinforcing the authenticity of the characters unexpectedly thrust into chaos.
Several performers stood out. Suanne L. Eckel-Thompson, a veteran leading lady of Washington County, portrays Beverley Bass, American Airlines’ first female captain. Eckel-Thompson presents her heart in the performance, wrapping audience members in the warmth of her vibrato. Zoe Alexandratos expertly portrays Hannah O’Rourke, the desperate mother of an FDNY firefighter, delivering a hauntingly beautiful performance of “I Am Here” through tangible pain and tears.
And then there are the townsfolk, who rise to the occasion and keep calm through crisis, your typical “helpers” and caregivers in a community: Kelly Dowling as Beulah Davis, lending the gentle strength of a schoolteacher; Jess Edwards as Bonnie Harris, a spunky SPCA worker tirelessly tending to the voiceless furry passengers trapped in the cargo holds; and Bob Bryant as Mayor Claude Elliott, the overworked, beloved man of the people.
The show’s single act, with no intermission, incorporates over 20 musical numbers at a brisk pace, yet provides enough duration to allow audience members to adopt some semblance of the passage of time and share in the prolonged experience of the characters. The set is simple – wood plank walls with a Canadian flag, neon Tim Hortons sign, hockey flag and cutout for displaying projections – which allows the actors to keep the story moving in a game of musical chairs between the plane and community buildings.
Takeaways
Many of us remember exactly where we were on 9/11 when the first plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. We shared in the disbelief-turned-horror as we collectively huddled around TVs to watch the graphic images unfold before our eyes. But at this juncture, more than one third of the US population was not born or was too young to remember that day.
After enduring such grief together, 9/11 fostered a renewed pride in being an American, regardless of political identity. For the younger generation missing that context, it is hard to understand the largely undivided support for enhanced surveillance, law enforcement power and war that followed. It is difficult to know whether foresight would have made any of us change our minds in 2001.
“Come From Away” shows the good, the bad and the ugly of human nature. The townspeople demonstrate radical empathy, offering endless supplies, shelter and support to passengers without expectation, and in spite of knowing that their small town was sacrificed by Canadian officials “because if anything goes wrong, we have a lot less people to lose” (the mayor speaks this line).
It is the kind of ethical quandary that moral philosophers grapple with in classrooms but seldom see in practice. Despite its uplifting message, the writers don’t gloss over the unpleasantries in the wake of fear and trauma: small cracks can become irreparable fissures in relationships, survivors may face permanent grief and guilt, xenophobia can cause us to become senselessly cruel toward our fellow man.
This piece revisits our own grief, but also illuminates an otherwise incomprehensible event to those who weren’t there. In a world that feels so much more self-serving, it is hard to imagine how we may react in the wake of something similar. Would we be pushed to help or pushed to the edge?
“Come From Away” is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International.
Editor’s note: Claire Martin of Waynesboro prepared this review for LocalNews1.
Cast & Creative:
Zoe Alexandratos (Hannah), Bob Bryant (Claude), Kelly Dowling (Beulah), Suanne L. Eckel-Thompson (Captain Beverley Bass/Annette), Jess Edwards (Bonnie), Keric Ellis (Swing/Rabbi), Alex Gude (Swing/Airline Attendant), Dan Henderson (Kevin J/Ali), Mallory Leembruggen (Janice), Michael McAndrew (Nick/Doug), Naimi McAndrew (Diane), Brian McClinton (Bob/Captain Michael), Jeff Wine (Oz/Joey), Matthew Withers (Kevin), Cathy James (Director), Susan Kleit (Assistant Director), Janet Palmer (Musical Director)
