Theater Review: ‘Come From Away’ a directorial feat with a deep bench of talent
By Heather Parish
There is a detail in “Come From Away” about how planes start to break down when they are kept still for too long. Heavy planes sink into asphalt. Landing gear goes flat. Engines freeze up. In the case of this story about 38 rerouted planes and their 7,000 passengers grounded in Newfoundland for five days while the world stands still in the wake of 9/11, the metaphor extends to the play itself. Good Company Players’ “Come From Away,” running through Nov. 15 at Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theatre, is a directorial feat by Emily Pessano, keeping the cast of 24 in constant motion because if they stop the whole machine will cease to work.
No standing still in Gander
“Come From Away” is a small story about a big event in the way that minute-by-minute details of tragedies like the Titanic or the Hindenburg are examined for their human-level impact. The Canadians of Gander undertake the herculean task of housing, feeding and caring for the “plane people” dropped into their tiny town. That’s the basic plot. The twist, though, is how these frightened visitors, mostly from the U.S., respond to the aggressively kind Newfoundlanders who bring blankets, welcome them into their bars and invite them to share their lives for five days. I mean, there’s nice and then there’s Canadian nice. It’s a show about making do in a crisis that (thankfully) doesn’t wallow in the tragic or horrific.
The machinery of this production is fueled by the very human performances of the ensemble cast. They move through Pessano and Steve Souza’s choreography like clockwork and set the rhythm of the show with the rousing first number, “Welcome to the Rock.” From there, they move through David Pierce’s bare, rough-hewn set and Joie Adams’ clear and clean lighting, maintaining momentum. You get the sense that if they stopped moving for too long, they’d run into each other, falling like dominoes off the stage.
Talent taking flight
Each cast member takes on a minimum of two separate roles, embodying both the good citizens of Gander and the passengers and crew members on the flights. Under Pessano’s direction, each actor creates distinct, idiosyncratic characters, often switching from one beat to the next with help from Ginger Kay Lewis-Reed’s clever costume details. The cast is a deep bench of Good Company talent, like Meg Clark, Khari Somerville, Haleigh Cook, Shawn Williams and Camille Gaston. Together, they evoke a real community with its myriad shapes, ages, skin tones and quirks. Their stories spin by urgently and through details quickly sketched.
A few stories, however, get a little special treatment and some standout moments. Kaitlyn Wheeler and Michael Fidalgo nurture an unlikely romance between a Texan and an Englishman. Jonathan Wheeler and Adrian Ammsso unfold the sad dismantling of a long-term relationship. Mark Standriff and Jonathan Wheeler have great frenemy energy as the town mayor and the head of the school bus drivers union.
Where we see the impact of 9/11 seep in is also where some of the best storytelling sits. Jessica Sarkisian, as Capt. Bass, delivers “Me and the Sky” with the bittersweet notes of one who knows her favorite thing in the world has changed, possibly for the worse. We follow Ammsso’s secondary character, Ali, through a series of accusations, threats and indignities that would break many others. And Janet Glaudé’s performance as Hannah, a mother facing the dark void of not knowing the fate of her New York firefighter son, is heart-rending. Her delivery of “I Am Here” left me sitting forward in my seat, hoping for the best but fearing the worst. Glaudé’s performance is deeply felt and deeply truthful, with a nice assist from Carly Oliver as the Ganderite who befriends her.
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Cabin pressure
If these performances were the only elements to recommend the show, it would be worthwhile. But “Come From Away” offers more beneath the excellently sung Celtic-tinged folk-rock. While Gander may be a charming little village, humans under pressure create problems. One of the company highlights is “On the Edge,” the first-act finale, where tempers are coming to a boil and even Canadian niceness needs a little Dutch courage. “Come From Away” manages to show the better angels of our nature without the saccharine toxic positivity one might expect from such an “up-with-people” show. Grounded in reality, the production respects the dignity of the people whose experiences inspired the story, thanks to Pessano’s well-crafted staging and sensitive approach.
Safe landings
Anyone who experienced 9/11 as an adult would be forgiven for looking askance at a musical that makes a national tragedy the backdrop of a feel-good musical. The death and terror of that day remain largely unspoken, though their presence is palpable. However, the show settles any misgivings early. It is 100% earnest, without an ironic thread in its homespun tapestry. With its message of inclusion, working together and welcoming those who “come from away,” this production is a welcome balm for the cynical defensiveness of our daily lives.
