Dramaturge's Note:
On September 11, 2001, at 8:45 am in New York City, a Boeing 767 crashed into the World Trade Center. Not soon after the first tower collapsed, the second tower was hit with another Boeing 767. At 9:45, American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, DC. And in Pennsylvania, Flight 93 crashed into a field and not its original target, all due to the valiant and sacrificial actions of the passengers who overpowered the terrorists on board. This became the final fatality of this fateful day. In all, 2,996 people died (including the 19 militants), and that loss also includes 403 first responders. Al Qaeda, a terrorist group, had planted 19 militants on these 4 passenger planes. This act of terrorism killed people from 78 countries, but the country that received the most devastating effect was the United States, Ground Zero. The loss was felt all over the country, especially by individuals who lost family member or friends and first responders who lost their valiant coworkers.
The Guys by Anne Nelson was first performed on December 4, 2001, less than 4 months after 9/11. This story captures the true feeling of the country at the time, and people’s attempt to grapple with this traumatic and life altering event. Nick, a firefighter, tries to grasp the memories he still holds of his men in hopes of giving them the eulogy they deserve; Joan, a journalist, tries to overcome the feeling of being useless but also the secondhand trauma she, and the rest of our country, endured. Our country still carries the scars with them even to this day. According to one source, 10,000 individuals have been diagnosed with cancer related to the 9/11 attacks, the country lost $750 million repairing the damages, and now, thousands of people grieve for those they lost that day1. Thanks to the valiant efforts of hundreds of first responders that day, some from all over the country, many were rescued from the rubble and many friends and families were spared grief over losing their loved ones like so many others were not. This production is a tribute to those who were lost that day, but also a tribute and a thank you to the first responders who continue to sacrifice and serve our country every day.
Skye Vadeboncoeur
Dramaturge
1History.com Editors. (2010, February 17). September 11 attacks. History.com. https://www.history.com/topics/21st-century/9-11-attacks#section_3.
