Notes from playwright Sarah Tuft
110 Stories grew out of my experiences volunteering after 9/11. People started telling me their stories, saying it helped them just to "get it out." I saw immediately that these stories had a nuanced truth that was missing from the evening news, which tended to politicize the events.
Of course, September 11th is inherently political. But it was also our generation's first up-close, at-home encounter under these extreme circumstances provided a rare window into who we are-our basic human impulses as well as those specifiic to our times. From a sociological perspective, the World Trade Center recovery site was a living lab. I wanted to preserve it.
So in the immediate aftermath of September 11th, I collected hundreds of e-mails, conducted dozens of interviews and began writing 110 Stories based on those accounts. I hoped that by giving voice to those who were actually there, the play could restore human dimension to September 11th. I also hoped that the play's story of service would show we derive more joy from purpose than from material wealth and more meaning from the alleviation of suffering increasingly polarized after 9/11, this play could remind us of how much we value each other.
Bus on its most personal level, 110 Stories was a way to manage my own feelings. Where I grieved, it allowed me to emorialize those lost as a gift to their families. Where I felt powerless because the skill sets of an artist can't protect and save human experience. And where I mourned that we already were lacking enough resources for our needy, I vowed to use 110 Stories to raise money for charity.
I'm thankful that what I wanted to say could be expressed through other people's words giving it an authority beyond my own opinions, fortunate to have a craft that allows me to tell a good story and blessed to have so many talented colleagues willing to share in the endeavor.
The Claremont HS production has retained the original language from the interviewees to preserve the integrity of their words and feelings about this event.
