<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=01BfrI_19QI2Oc900" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=01BfrI_19QI2Oc900" width="1763" height="1176" ><figcaption>Cast members of Phoenix Theatre Company’s “Come From Away” portray both stranded airline passengers and residents of Gander, Newfoundland, bringing to life the events following the diversion of 38 planes on Sept. 11, 2001.&nbsp; (Brennen Russell/Submitted)</figcaption></figure>When 7,000 passengers were stranded after 9/11 in the small Newfoundland town of Gander, the local people stepped up and helped them. These efforts are brought to life onstage in “Come From Away,” a Tony-Award-winning musical from Irene Sankoff and David Hein. Phoenix Theatre Company will put on the show through Sunday, March 29. The show highlights the generosity, resilience and compassion of the people of Gander, who took care of these passengers, helping them to get through one of the most difficult moments in history. On Sept. 11, 2001, 38 planes were diverted to Gander, and the town opened their hearts and their community to these stranded passengers from different parts of the world. The production captures the fear, uncertainty, camaraderie and human connection that both the passengers and townsfolk experienced during this period in history. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1PRzCl_19QI2Oc900" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1PRzCl_19QI2Oc900" width="1763" height="1175" ><figcaption>Maria Amorocho portrays Beulah in Phoenix Theatre Company’s production of “Come From Away,” a musical highlighting the compassion shown by residents of Gander to thousands of stranded travelers after 9/11.&nbsp; (Brennen Russell/Submitted)</figcaption></figure>Michael Barnard, the company’s producing artistic director, directed the show. Nathaniel Shaw choreographed the show, and Alan J. Plado served as music director. The production features an ensemble cast, who take on multiple roles and are onstage in almost every scene. The characters are based on real people or a combination of multiple individuals. There are a number of reoccurring characters within the show. This includes Beverly, the first female American Airlines captain; Gander mayor Claude; rookie news reporter Janice; Gander police constable Oz; Hannah, a mother worried about her firefighter son; two passengers who fall for each other, Nick from England and Diane from Texas; Kevin T and Kevin J, a gay couple from Los Angeles; Ali, a Muslim chef from Egypt who faces Islamophobia; Bob, a hardened New Yorker who is changed by his experience and Bonnie, a local woman who cares for passengers’ animals. In the production, Maria Amorocho portrays Beulah, the head of Gander Academy and the go-to-person for efforts at the elementary school. She is an amalgamation of two real people from Gander, Beulah Cooper and Diane Davis. Amorocho has lived in the San Juan Islands in Washington state for about a year. Before this, she lived and acted in Phoenix since the 1980s. “It’s great to come back home after doing shows at Phoenix Theatre for about 30 years,” Amorocho said. Over the years, she has worked with different companies around the Valley. She started out with Actors Lab in Scottsdale. She has been in Phoenix Theatre shows such as “An American in Paris,” “ Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, “Steel Magnolias,” “On Your Feet!” and “¡Americano!” Amorocho came back to Phoenix to do “Come From Away” because of the story and characters. She said as a “woman of a certain age,” it can be difficult to find roles that are a good fit. The show features people of different ages and backgrounds. The cast ranges from their 20s to their 60s. “This show actually has several people over 50 who are in the show. We’re trying to keep up with the kiddos,” Amorocho said. The cast for “Come From Away” is made up mostly of local actors, with the exception of Amorocho, an actor from New York and an understudy from California. Many of the actors already know and have worked with each other. Amorocho said it helped going into the rehearsal process to already have this rapport, especially when playing residents of a small town. She and the other actors went in already knowing each other’s acting styles and habits. “If I know you give me good eye contact, that’s something we can use in our scene. There’s different things we know about after working with each other for years,” Amorocho said. She said “Come From Away” is an important show right now because of how it highlights people giving back and take care of each other. “That’s something that Michael Barnard, our director, said on the first day. This is a time when we need to show people helping each other, being kind and expecting nothing in return,” Amorocho said. The people of Gander took care of the passengers in different ways, including entertaining them. Many of the visitors had never heard of Gander before being grounded there. “They were there for five days. It was in the middle of nowhere. Some people didn’t even know where it was on the map…There was a map in the airport with a red dot circle circled that said, ‘You are here’ so people would understand where they were. They came up with activities to keep them busy because people were distraught. They were trying to get them away from the televisions because it was just making them more and more anxious and nervous. They came up with ways to offer them other things to do and connect with people. It’s a small town, and they connected with each other, and they shared that with their visitors,” Amorocho said. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0Fy84T_19QI2Oc900" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Fy84T_19QI2Oc900" width="1763" height="1176" ><figcaption>Cast of Phoenix Theatre Company’s production of “Come From Away.”&nbsp; (Brennen Russell/Submitted)</figcaption></figure>Since moving to the San Juan Islands, the actress has gotten to experience small town hospitality. “Everyone in our community has just been so welcoming. It’s a real gift to have that when we made a big move like that,” Amorocho said. In the show, Amorocho’s character Beulah forms a friendship with Hannah, which was based on a real relationship. “She was traveling from Ireland. Her son sent her on a vacation. Hannah came back, and her son was a firefighter in New York. She hadn’t heard from her son, and she couldn't get a hold of him. Beulah befriends Hannah and helps her as she's trying to get any information she can while she's in Gander. They’ve stayed friends. Beulah went to visit Hannah in New York, and I guess Hannah came back for the 10th anniversary,” Amorocho said. Amoorcho said many of the passengers stayed connected with residents of Gander years later. “It was a very meaningful event for everyone involved,” Amorocho said. During the show, the cast members often break the fourth wall and talk to the audience, giving them more context and background information. The show uses a live band, who are onstage with the actors. The musicians take part in the action onstage during one of the scenes. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1oHn2I_19QI2Oc900" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1oHn2I_19QI2Oc900" width="1763" height="1175" ><figcaption>Actors rearrange a minimalist set of 12 chairs and tables during a scene in “Come From Away,” a Tony Award-winning musical now playing at Phoenix Theatre Company through March 29.&nbsp; (Brennen Russell/Submitted)</figcaption></figure>Amorocho said the show’s folk-inspired music has a Celtic flavor to it. Different aspects of Newfoundland culture are sprinkled throughout the show. The actors speak with a distinctive accent common in Newfoundland, which has British and Irish influences. The show uses 12 chairs and a handful of tables, which the cast move throughout the show. Amorocho describes it as being similar to dance choreography. “The cast moves everything to change scenes from the town hall, to the airplane, to the buses they ride on, to a bar, to the Legion….The scenery doesn't change with any shifts of background, anything coming from the sky, the crew bringing things on and off or a lot of furniture changing around. It’s the 12 chairs and the three or four tables that the cast changes whenever we need a new locale,” Amorocho said. Prior to the show, the cast spent time practicing which chair to move and where to place it. “Whenever anything is moved on stage, you’ll have spike marks of different colors. There's usually a little piece of tape on the floor that says, ‘Scene 1’ or ‘Scene 2.” Ours say ‘Chair 3’ or ‘Chair 12.’ You have to know what chair you're taking, and then you have to remember what color you're going to. So, your brain is working overtime,” Amorocho said. If You Go...WHAT: Phoenix Theatre Company’s Production of “Come From Away”WHEN: Through Sunday, March 29 WHERE: Phoenix Theatre Company, 1825 N. Central Avenue COST: Tickets start at $60 </div></body>

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When 7,000 passengers were stranded after 9/11 in the small Newfoundland town of Gander, the local people stepped up and helped them. These efforts are brought to life onstage in “Come From Away,” a Tony-Award-winning musical from Irene Sankoff and David Hein. Phoenix Theatre Company will put on...

Phoenix Theatre Company highlights compassion

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When 7,000 passengers were stranded after 9/11 in the small Newfoundland town of Gander, the local people stepped up and helped them. These efforts are bro

Phoenix Theatre Company highlights compassion

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