Come From Away

Available Roles

• Annette Annette is a resident of Gander, a teacher and librarian at Gander Academy While nervous about the plane people, she is also excited about the men who have arrived at Gander She is often Beulahs right-hand woman, helping prepare the school, the food, and comforting those who have arrived
• Beulah Davis Beulah Davis is the head of Gander Academy, based on an amalgamation of the real-life Beulah Cooper and Diane Davis With the mayor Claude Elliott, Beulah takes the lead on preparing Gander (especially Gander Academy) for the thousands of plane people She has an enormous capacity for compassion for everyone, and notably makes Ali - a Middle Eastern man who is eyed with intense suspicion - comfortable and involved with the day-to-day life of Gander Beulah befriends Hannah ORourke, a New York City woman whose son is a NYC firefighter She waits by the phone with Hannah, escorts her to a local Catholic church, and comforts her when Hannah receives news of her sons death
• Claude Elliot Claude Elliott is the real-life mayor of Gander, and begins the show by welcoming all of us into his city When news of the terrorist attacks and the incoming planes reach him, Claude quickly jumps into preparations for thousands of plane people With Beulah Davis, he organizes the town and rallies its citizens to welcome travelers from around the world When tensions in the town reach a fever pitch, he opens up the local bar to everyone, and then conducts a Screech-In (an actual ceremony that makes Come-From-Aways honorary Newfoundlanders)
• Oz Fudge Oz Fudge is the real-life constable of Gander, an officer more inclined to give a traffic warning than an actual speeding ticket When the planes start landing at the Gander airport (38 Planes), he is overwhelmed by the sheer number of people that will be in his town To prepare, he helps Beulah and Annette (local teachers) bring supplies to Gander Academy - everything from toiletries to baby formula
• Janice Mosher Janice Mosher is a local TV news reporter (an amalgamation of two real-life Gander residents Brian Mosher and Janice Gouldie) September 11, 2001 is her first day on the job, and she is terrified at the responsibility of trying to effectively communicate what is happening to the residents of Gander At one point, she gives up trying to interview the locals preparing for the plane people, and instead turns her attention to these new visitors, looking out of bus and plane windows with absolute fear and exhaustion
• Bonnie Harris A local SPCA worker and based on the real-life Bonnie Harris, she defied the FAAs original orders to leave the cargo holds alone, and instead went searching through them to find any animals that were being transported - dogs, cats, and two rare Bonobo chimpanzees Bonnie spends most of her time during the Plane Peoples stay caring for the animals from the planes
• Kevin Tuerff Based on the real person, Kevin Tuerff is from Los Angeles, a founder and CEO for a company He is in a relationship with Kevin Jung (who is also his secretary) While his partner is hesitant to participate in local culture, Kevin T readily jumps in, wearing a flannel to be incognito (while his boyfriend calls him a gay lumberjack) and even participates in the Screech In ceremony to be an honorary Newfoundlander His connection to the locals comes through a dream hes had in which he hears the music of a hymn from his childhood (Prayer), and this experience has a lasting effect on him
• Kevin Jung Kevin Jung - inspired by the real person - is from LA, and in relationship with Kevin Tuerff (who is also his boss) Diverted to Gander on their flight home from Paris, the Kevins stay close together, but Kevin J does not want to participate in local culture He watches his boyfriend become an honorary Newfoundlander in the Screech In ceremony, but cannot join in the celebration himself On the flight home, Kevin J finds that something in him has changed, and ultimately breaks up with Kevin T and moves to New York City
• Hannah ORourke From NYC, Hannah ORourke is a mother who stays by the phone, waiting for news on her son, who is a NYC firefighter (I Am Here) She forges a close bond with Beulah Davis, whose son is also a firefighter The women visit a church together (Prayer), and maintain a friendship beyond Hannahs brief stay in Gander
• Ali Ali is a master chef for an international restaurant chain, but eyed with suspicion by his fellow Plane People as he is Muslim and Middle-Eastern However, the people of Gander go out of their way to make him feel welcome despite the skepticism of others He assists with preparing food for the thousands of Plane People, and is given the chance to pray in private by Annette (Prayer)
• Diane Gray Diane Gray is a divorcee from Texas, on the way home from Paris when her plane is diverted to Gander She waits anxiously for news on the safety of her son, who was also flying on September 11, and when she learns that he is OK, she relaxes and joins the locals with her new friend, Nick Marson She is loud and boisterous, ready to jump into the Screech In ceremony and have fun Her friendship with Nick blossoms into a romance (Stop the World) - both characters are real people
• Nick Marson Nick Marson - inspired by the real person - is an oil company executive from London, flying to Texas when his plane is diverted to Gander He meets Diane Gray on the plane after it lands, and the two form a friendship They tour about the town together, and Nick participates with Diane in the Screech In ceremony to become honorary Newfoundlanders He is devastated to leave her, as hes fallen in love (Stop the World), and so he makes plans to continue their relationship even after they leave Gander
• Bob Bob is an African-American New Yorker diverted to Gander while on his way home from Europe He is immediately struck by the Salvation Army uniforms, and worries about how he will be treated in the largely white community However, he is welcomed by the locals, and is able to eventually enjoy himself - especially when he is made an honorary Newfoundlander at the Screech In ceremony On his flight home on September 16, Bob declares that he wants donations to create a scholarship to give to the community of Gander - a scholarship fund that ultimately totals over one million dollars
• Captain Beverly Bass Based on the real Captain Beverly Bass, the first female captain for American Airlines and a trailblazer for women in commercial aviation, Beverly Bass is diverted to Gander while flying from Paris While in Gander, she is mostly removed from the townspeople and the Come From Aways, preferring to stay in her hotel room by the phone, often calling her husband and children (in Texas) She is most struck by how the world, and especially air travel, will change forever, as she says that The thing I love most was used as the bomb But like so many of the plane people in Gander, she finds hope in the kindness from others