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Did you miss your chance to see Farmers Alley Theatre’s production of Come From Away? Or maybe you went and want to learn more about the events from those days spent in Gander, Newfoundland? Well look no further: On October 18 and 19, 2025, we had a special guest join us in Kalamazoo, MI and we even got to interview him after his visit. If you would like to learn more, read on!
About Our Special Guest: Connor Farry
Connor Farry, at just 5 years old, was traveling with his grandparents on September 11, 2001, when his plane was diverted to Gander, Newfoundland. He, along with 7,000 other people, witnessed first-hand what a small community of 9,000 people can do when others are in need. Long story short, these humble Newfoundlanders were able to provide food, housing, clothes, phones, and so much more to the “Come From Aways” during their 5 days in Canada.
“There were a lot of vivid memories I had of Gander back in 2001,” Farry recalls, “While I remember most of the experience, some of the details that stand out include the fear and uncertainty on the plane and at the airport after we had been diverted, and the surprise at how organized and prepared the people of Gander were for our arrival – providing us with ample food, clothing, and entertainment all without being asked.”
In Come From Away, there are various characters that represent this kindness, such as Beulah (Janine Chesak-Black), Bonnie (Shannon Hill), Claude (Curt Denham), Annette (Lottie Mae Prenevost), Oz (Steve Brubaker) and many more. The fact that these characters and scenes are pulled from true stories is incredible, and sometimes, even a little bit unbelievable. The story of Come From Away is of the utmost importance right now because it is a light in the darkness of it all. Seeing an example of how one small community can come together to support a helpless group of people is necessary in a time where the world feels scary and unpredictable.
After experiencing the real events of Come From Away as a child, Farry felt motivated to emulate the good deeds of those Newfoundlanders. “This experience was certainly a traumatic one, but I’ve tried to learn from it and emulate the good deeds I saw during that week in Gander,” Farry says.
The main way that Farry is practicing this is through his work on the board of Pay it Forward 9/11, which was founded by Kevin Tuerff (one of the “plane people” in Come From Away portrayed by Brandon Ruiter). This organization focuses on traveling the country “committing to random acts of kindness to honor those victims of 9/11 and to honor the story of how the people of Gander stepped up and showed incredible kindness during a tragic time.” Some of their main events include “handing out free cups of coffee, water, and free gasoline to random strangers.” They are also engaged with local school districts, touting their message to students nationwide.
The story of how Farry got onto the board at Pay it Forward 9/11 is an interesting one: “When I started at my current job back in 2019, our CEO announced that we would be doing a pro-bono event for one of her friends, Kevin Tuerff. She explained his story and how we could all really learn something from him,” Farry recounts, “ I was shocked to hear that Kevin shared my story of being stranded in Gander following the events of 9/11, and when he visited our office a couple of weeks later, we shared stories and discussed our time in Newfoundland. A couple of years later, he called me up and asked me to join the board of directors, and immediately accepted!”
If you would like more information about Pay it Forward 9/11 and how you can contribute to their cause alongside Farry and Tuerff, you can visit their website, payitforward911.org.
Connor Farry’s Time in Kalamazoo
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Due to his work with Pay it Forward 9/11, all of us at Farmers Alley Theatre felt that Farry was a good fit to pay a visit to our town. A highlight of the trip for Farry was getting to see the show twice– “I really enjoyed the Farmers Alley production of Come From Away! The acting, singing, and production were superb,” Farry claims, “My favorite part about this production was the set and how intimate the setting was. You really felt like you were on stage with the actors. That brought such an incredibly personal touch to what is already an emotional musical.”
But, the main reason for having Farry in town was to engage with the people that love Farmers Alley Theatre and who were seeking to learn more about the events of Come From Away. So, while in town, Farry held a community event at the Air Zoo and did talkbacks after the two Come From Away performances that he had seen.
Farry noted that these talkbacks really challenged his perspective, saying, “Folks really asked incredible questions during my talkback, and having done this many times before, this engagement made me reflect more than ever.”
So, what were some of those notable questions? Some of his favorites were:
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Farmers Alley Theatre would like to acknowledge our gratitude for Connor Farry’s visit and the work of Pay it Forward 9/11. Thank you for challenging all of us to be better humans. We would also like to extend a huge thank you to our patrons for their help in making this such an impactful 27-performance, sold out run. Come From Away speaks for itself: we as human beings can come together in times of hardship and support one another. We know that Kalamazoo has those such humans in it and we couldn’t ask for a better community to produce meaningful art in.