Musical Celebrates Kindness After 9/11 in Oregon

When terrorist attacks forced thousands of passengers from the sky on September 11, 2001, a small Canadian town showed the world what compassion looks like under pressure.

Gander, Newfoundland became an unexpected sanctuary when 38 diverted planes landed at its airport carrying more than 7,000 passengers. The coastal town's population doubled overnight, but residents didn't hesitate.

They opened their homes, schools, and community centers to complete strangers. For days, they fed, housed, and comforted people who had nowhere else to go.

That extraordinary response now takes center stage at Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. "Come from Away" runs through October 24, telling what director Laurie Woolery calls a "9/12 story" focused on the days after the attacks.

The award-winning musical brings those real experiences to life through songs and dialogue drawn directly from interviews with passengers and residents. Pilot Beverly Bass, whose plane was diverted to Gander, once sobbed watching her own words spoken onstage.

Only a dozen performers portray the thousands of people involved, shifting between multiple roles to capture what creators called "16,000 stories in a 110-minute musical." Chairs become airplane seats, bus benches, and restaurant tables as the story unfolds without stopping.

Why This Inspires

Woolery chose to direct this show in Ashland because the community knows what showing up for neighbors looks like. During the COVID-19 pandemic and devastating Almeda Fire, residents supported each other with the same spirit Gander showed in 2001.

The festival itself opened its doors as a donation center during the wildfire. That history of resilience makes Ashland the perfect home for this story about choosing compassion over fear.

"It's an incredibly moving story about being a good neighbor," Woolery said. "About not allowing fear to get in the way of assisting your fellow humans."

The production shows how ordinary people become extraordinary when they lead with kindness. In a world that often feels divided, Gander's response reminds us that our first instinct can be to help, not to close ourselves off.

Even simple staging choices reinforce the message: Celtic musical traditions woven throughout the show reflect Newfoundland's cultural roots and create what choreographer Kelly Devine calls a feeling that "invites participation." The movement grows from everyday actions, showing how regular people doing small things created something remarkable.

Twenty-five years after those planes landed, the story remains urgent and necessary.