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The Cast of COME FROM AWAY — Canadian Company, 2019. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.

Book, music & lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein

Directed by Christopher Ashley

Come From Away

Get To Know The Show – A Teacher's Guide

selected resources

Suitable For Students

Grade 7 and up.
Interested in: The Arts, Canadian and World Studies, English, History, Social Sciences and Humanities, Language, Social Studies, History and Geography.

Show Style / Genre

Musical
Based on true events
Contemporary Broadway
Drama

Venue, Dates & Times

Royal Alexandra Theatre
Running time: 100 minutes (one act with no intermission)

Groups 10+ save on select seating! Student Group pricing $39 & $49. Restrictions and blackout dates apply.

Content Advisory For Students

Contains mild adult themes; limited use of strong language; depictions of alcohol use; references to violence, terrorism and Islamaphobia. Theatrical Haze and Fog.

come from away show poster

About the Show

Come From Away tells the true story of when 7,000 people from across America and around the world landed on the doorstep of Gander, Newfoundland… and the people of Gander “put the kettle on.”  When 38 planes were diverted to a small, Canadian community on September 11, 2001, the town’s population doubled in an instant. While the world witnessed the worst acts of humankind, the stranded passengers had their faith in humanity restored by the spirited people who comforted those who had come from away.

On the morning of “9/11” (September 11, 2001), Claude, (the mayor), Oz (the police chief), Beulah and Annette (teachers), Bonnie (a volunteer at the SPCA), Janice (a TV reporter), and Doug (an air traffic controller) gather at the local Tim Horton’s coffee shop in Gander, Newfoundland. They describe their life in the town and how they became aware of the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, DC ("Welcome to the Rock").

The attacks prompt US airspace to close, diverting 38 international airplanes to land at Gander Airport, instantly doubling the town’s population. The small, quiet town is unprepared to house and care for the stranded “plane people” ("38 Planes"). Even so, the townspeople hastily prepare to comfort, feed, and house the nearly 7,000 passengers and crew (“come from aways”) and 19 animals in the cargo holds ("Blankets and Bedding"). On the planes, the pilots, flight attendants and passengers are instructed to remain on board. Cut off from any news source in the cramped planes, they are confused about where they are, why they are grounded, and why they are forced to stay on the plane. ("28 Hours / Wherever We Are").

When allowed off the planes, they are dispersed among various makeshift shelters in and around town ("Darkness and Trees"). Here, they watch replays of the attacks on various TV news outlets and finally learn the real reason for the forced landings ("Lead Us Out of the Night"). The frightened passengers desperately try to contact their families and pray for their loved ones, while the Ganderites work through the night to help them in every possible way ("Phoning Home / Costume Party / I Am Here / Prayer").

In an attempt to relieve mounting fears ("On The Edge"), the townspeople invite the passengers to the local bar for a “Screech In” initiation ceremony to become honourary Newfoundlanders ("Heave Away / Screech In"). The "islanders" in and around Gander host the "come from aways" in their homes, regardless of their guests' race, nationality or sexual orientation. The passengers are initially surprised by their hosts' openness and hospitality, but they soon begin to trust and build a rapport with their hosts.

Even as US airspace reopens, the gravity of the attacks continues to set in. A pilot reflects that her once optimistic view of the world has suddenly changed ("Me and the Sky");  the mother of a firefighter learns that her son has died during the rescue efforts in New York City. One pair of passengers starts to develop a romance ("Stop the World"), while another pair sees their relationship crumble under the strain.

On the return flight home, the passengers and crew recount stories of the uncommon generosity  and compassion that their Newfoundland hosts showed them at a time of dire need ("Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere"); however, a Muslim passenger, faced with increasing prejudice from his fellow passengers, is forced to endure a strip search prior to boarding. As the exhausted Ganderites return to normal life, they note that their town seems empty now and the world feels changed ("Something's Missing").

Ten years pass. The "come from aways" reunite in Gander to celebrate the friendships and bonds they formed with the townspeople in spite of the terrorist attacks ("Finale"). Before the show ends, Mayor Claude declares: "Tonight we honor what was lost, but we also commemorate what we found."

Come From Away is a musical based on a true story.

Creators David Hein and Irene Sankoff are married Canadian writers who were living in NYC during 9/11. In 2009, they were approached by Michael Rubinoff, now Producing Artistic Director, Canadian Music Theatre Project at Sheridan College, with the suggestion they consider making a stage musical of the story of the airplane passengers who were stranded in Gander, NL, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Recognizing that the hospitality of the people of Gander to the stranded strangers would make a good story, they travelled to Newfoundland in September 2011 for the tenth anniversary of the attacks. There, they interviewed both the locals and the “plane people” (also known as “come from aways”) and gathered material that was later shaped into the script for Come From Away.

An early version of the musical was workshopped in 2012 as part of the Canadian Musical Theatre Project at Sheridan College in Oakville, ON. A revised and expanded version was produced by Sheridan College and performed by the students of the college’s Musical Theatre program in winter 2013. By then, the show had also undergone further development at Goodspeed Musicals’ Festival of New Artists in East Haddam, CT, in summer 2013. That same fall it was showcased at the prestigious National Alliance for Musical Theatre's Annual Festival of New Musicals in NYC where it attracted the attention of director Christopher Ashley, and the Broadway producing company Junkyard Dog Productions who optioned the show.

Come From Away had its first fully staged professional debut in 2015, a collaboration between La Jolla Playhouse and the Seattle Repertory Theatre, directed by Christopher Ashley. It broke box office records at both theatres, leading to the announcement of a transfer to Broadway. Pre-Broadway engagements followed at the Ford Theatre in Washington, DC and the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, along with a special benefit concert version of the show performed for the citizens of Gander on October 29, 2016.

Come From Away opened on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on March 12, 2017, where it earned the Tony Award for “Best Musical Direction” and ran for 1,669 until closing on October 2, 2022. Numerous sit-down replica productions followed around the world including Canada, UK, and Australia. It is now on tour throughout North America and the UK & Ireland, and most recently launched a new Japanese production at the Nissay Theatre in Tokyo on March 7, 2024.

The new Canadian production of Come From Away will play a limited run at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre, August 14 to September 1, 2024, before returning to the historic Royal Alexandra Theatre. Performances in Toronto will begin September 22, 2024.

The Royal Alexandra Theatre is a national historic landmark – the oldest continuously operating legitimate theatre in North America and the continent’s first truly “royal” theatre, granted official letters patent by Edward VII entitling it to the royal designation, along with his permission to name it after his consort, Alexandra. Built in 1907 by Cawthra Mulock (Toronto’s “boy millionaire”), and designed by John M Lyle, it is a masterpiece of beaux-arts architecture that also holds distinction as the city’s first steel-framed structure (allowing cantilevered balconies), one of the first “air-conditioned” buildings in North America, and the first theatre to be deemed legitimately “fireproof”. Its proscenium-stage has seen almost 3400 productions since its opening and has been graced by such legendary performers as John Gielgud, Mary Pickford, the Marx Brothers, Edith Piaf, Paul Robeson… to name just a few.

Edwin “Honest Ed” Mirvish purchased the Royal Alexandra from the Mulock estate in 1963 and closed the theatre for extensive modernisation, repair and renovation, restoring the old house to the splendour of its early days. Ed Mirvish personally oversaw the operation of the theatre for the next 23 years, until 1986 when he handed management and administration over to his son, David, and David’s company, Mirvish Productions. In 2016, the theatre underwent another restoration, a $2.5 million project that revived the building’s splendour while also welcoming it into the 21st century. 

The Royal Alexandra Theatre is located at 260 King Street West, in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment Dirstrict. It is situated just east of the Princess of Wales Theatre, across from Roy Thompson Hall, and two blocks north of the Rogers Centre, the CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium and the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

More information about directions, parking, accessibility, building facilities and amenities, and seating maps is available on the VISIT section of our website.

  • Language/English
  • Social Studies/History
  • Drama
  • Music
  • Dance
  • Canadian and World Studies
  • Gender Studies
  • Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice
  • Equity and Social Justice: From Theory to Practice
  • World Cultures
  • Understanding Fashion
  • Dynamics of Human Relationships
  • Challenge and Change in Society

Transferable Skills and Global Competencies

  • Critical Thinking and Problem
  • Solving Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship
  • Learning to Learn/Self-Aware & Self-Directed
  • Communication Global Citizenship and Sustainability
  • Digital Literacy
  • Kindness & compassion
  • Courage & integrity
  • Home & hospitality
  • Identity and belonging
  • Prejudice and bias
  • Terrorism and violence
  • Personal connection & finding common ground
  • Friendship & community
  • Faith and religion
  • Gratitude
  • Inclusion

Guiding Questions  

  • What do you know about the events of 9/11 and what led to them?
  • What do you know about Newfoundland and its people?
  • If someone needed your help unexpectedly, what would you do?
  • What do you consider “home” to mean?
  • Is “community” something that exists or something that is created?
  • Would you let a stranger live in your house? Why or why not?
  • What does being Canadian mean to you? What qualities do you associate with being Canadian?

Elements in the Show to Look and Listen for

  • The set is made up primarily of 12 chairs. How are they used during the show?
  • Trees are another important feature in the set design, including two that are broken. What do you think they might represent?
  • All of the actors play multiple roles in the show. How do they change characters?
  • Does this strike you as a simple or difficult show to stage? Why?
  • What do the costumes consist of? How are the changes made, on stage or off?
  • How is lighting used in the show? Do you notice the changes? Are there many or few?
  • The musicians are incorporated into the show on stage. Why do you think the writers chose to do that instead of using the Orchestra Pit? Does that make a difference to your experience of the music?
  • Kelly Devine created the original “Musical Staging” for the show. Why do you think it is called Musical Staging and not Choreography? How is movement used in the show?
  • There are 12 actors that can be seen performing on stage, and many other people at work behind the scenes backstage. What elements of the show do you notice that are not performed by the actors? Who is responsible for those jobs?
  • What other roles do you notice at work inside the theatre? How many jobs can you identify as part of the front of house services?

The Role of the Audience

What is the role of Audience? How does your participation contribute to the experience of the show, for the actors and your fellow audience members?

Please take time to review Mirvish Guide To Attending The Theatre with your student group prior to your theatre visit. It includes some helpful tips and basic “Dos & Don’ts” to assist you in preparing everyone for what to expect, and what is expected of them.

Reflection Questions

  • Has your idea of “home” and “community” changed as a result of seeing this show?
  • What are your impressions of Gander, Newfoundland and its people? How do these compare to your impressions of where you live?
  • Why is a musical a good way to tell this story?
  • Come From Away is told from various perspectives. Is anyone’s presence or point of view missing? Whose point of view do you feel would add to the story?
  • Think about the way that the show depicts prejudice. Have you ever encountered or experienced prejudice? How did you handle it? Would you handle it differently now than you did then?
  • The characters in Come From Away are based on real people. Which character most resonated with you? Why?
  • The people of Gander were initially afraid of the 7,000 “plane people” that arrived unexpectedly but did their best to help them anyway. Why do you think they did what they did, despite their fear and uncertainty?
  • Many of the international passengers do not speak English, but one character finds a way to communicate with a non-English speaking passenger through their shared religion. If you had to help someone who spoke a different language, what would you do?
  • Read the speech given by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien in response to the events of 9/11: Jean Chrétien, trade tower attacks, September 2001 – Great Canadian Speeches. How does his response compare to those of US President George Bush and Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden?
  • How does Come From Away affect your idea of what it means to be Canadian?
  • Do the events of 9/11 bring to mind any recent event(s) that you have read about or heard on the news? What are they and why?
  • Real trees were used in early versions of set design (first incorporated during the pre-Broadway Toronto run). The trees were harvested from the Adirondacks; each one measured 24 feet long and weighed several tons! Scenic designer Beowulf Boritt wanted the set to be as real and raw as the emotions in the show, however he eventually agreed to change over to artificial trees which are now in use in all of the productions, including the set here in Toronto.
  • The set design includes two broken trees in the upper stage left corner that represent the Twin Towers and the destruction of the attacks.
  • The set consists primarily of 12 mismatched chairs that are rearranged by the actors to represent various locations.
  • There are 12 main actors onstage who play roughly 70 individual roles, representing characters from all over the world – America, the Middle East, Europe, and more in addition to Newfoundland – with accents to match.
  • All of the characters in Come From Away are based on real people or composites of them.
  • All sound effects in the show are made by the actors.
  • There are approximately 750 lighting cues. (In a show that runs 100 minutes, that is roughly 7 lighting cue changes per minute!)

Additional resources are available to help you build a bridge between your experience of the show and your own classroom. Visit the Resources page to explore what is available for Come From Away.

Looking to build more into your field trip? A variety of enrichment experiences are available to choose from, including Q&As, guided historic theatre tours, workshops and performance group opportunities. Visit the Enrichment Experiences page to learn more. Subject to availability; additional costs and restrictions apply.

Special thanks to our Mirvish Education Consultant, Arpita Ghosal (PhD OCT, Founder and Editor of Sesayarts Magazine). link to 

Our team of Audience Service Representatives is ready to book your student group order!

By Phone:
1.800.461.3333

In Person:
322 King Street West, Suite 325
Toronto, Ontario Canada M5V 1J2

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