Mackenzee Simms is Editor-in-Chief for The Samford Crimson. The views expressed in this opinion article do not necessarily reflect the views of the Samford Crimson or Samford University
“On the northeast tip of North America, on an island called Newfoundland, there’s an airport. It used to be one of the biggest airports in the world, and next to it is a town called Gander.”
This opening line reverberated around the BJCC’s concert hall as the North American touring company of “Come From Away” presented the story of thousands of passengers stranded in a small Canadian town after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Before the invention of jet planes, overseas flights had to make a final stop at Gander International Airport in order to have enough fuel to cross the Atlantic. But as planes improved, fuel tanks became larger and no longer needed to stop in Gander, leaving this small town in Newfoundland with a massive airport that barely saw any traffic. That is, of course, until Sept. 11, 2001.
After the 9/11 terrorists attack, the North American airspace went silent as thousands of airplanes were told to land immediately. Thirty-eight planes, carrying 6,579 people, landed in Gander, forcing the town to quickly make arrangements for their new guests.
At the time, Gander only had a population of around 10,000. There weren’t enough hotels to accommodate all the passengers, much less the emergency supplies and infrastructure to support that many people. How did Gander cope? With the help of the entire community. Families accepted strangers into their homes, community centers opened their doors, citizens volunteered to cook meals and local businesses donated supplies.
The passengers consisted of people from around the world. A Muslim chef that worked for an international hotel chain. A woman from Queens whose son was a New York firefighter that who wasn’t responding to her phone calls. A group of African passengers that who didn’t speak any English. An airplane pilot that who was the first ever female captain of an American Airlines commercial plane. And let’s not forget Unga, a pregnant, rare bonobo chimpanzee.
“Come From Away” tells the stories of the people of Gander and the passengers that who were stranded there in a heartfelt, remarkable production that showcases the best and worst of humanity with a surprising level of humor and wit.
The North American touring company presented “Come From Away” at the BJCC, starting on March 14. The opening number started low energy, but the cast quickly picked up steam in response to the audience. The surprising humor of the play had the audience roaring with laughter, which only energized the performers, giving them the motivation they needed to deliver powerful, sobering moments that illustrated the grief caused by 9/11.
The two standout performers were Kristen Peace and James Earl Jones II (And, yes. He is distantly related to the James Earl Jones of Darth Vader fame).
Jones plays the character of Bob, a young man from Brooklyn that who mistrusts the community of Gander, as long as several other characters. Jones delivered his lines with impeccable comedic timing which had the crowd doubling-over in laughter. He made every second of spotlight count and dominated the stage.
As for Peace, she played the role of animal-enthusiast and ASPCA member, Bonnie Harris. Peace perfectly captured the spirit and inflection of a Newfoundlander with the most accurate accent of the whole company. Her performance brought the spirit of GandarGander to life.
“Come From Away” is the third to last Broadway production to grace the stage of the BJCC concert hall this season. For more information about upcoming shows, visit BJCC.com.
Editor-in-Chief
