“Come From Away,” a story of kindness at Sharon Playhouse

From The Lakeville Journal

By: Natalia Zukerman

Twenty-five years after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, the Sharon Playhouse is staging a musical about what happened in the aftermath — and about an extraordinary act of kindness in a small Newfoundland town.

“Come From Away,” the Tony Award-winning musical by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, runs Sept. 11 through 27 and concludes the Playhouse’s 2026 MainStage season. Directed by Hunter Foster, with choreography by Krystyna Resavy and music direction by Eric Thomas Johnson, the production tells the true story of the thousands of airline passengers who suddenly found themselves stranded in Gander, Newfoundland, after U.S. airspace was closed following the terrorist attacks.

Thirty-eight planes carrying approximately 7,000 passengers were diverted to Gander and surrounding communities. Almost overnight, the local population nearly doubled. Residents opened their homes, schools and churches to strangers from around the world, providing food, clothing and shelter — and, eventually, friendship.