“Never forget.”
Those two words have echoed since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and one area resident never will.
Pat Williams, an Aiken resident who is directing the Aiken Community Theatre’s opening production of “Come From Away,” experienced Ground Zero firsthand.
“My memories of that experience are seared into my brain. Some have haunted me to this day.” said Williams, who as a member of the New York State Police and a union representative for Commissioned Officers, responded to the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, supporting NYPD and NYFD personnel.
“Come From Away” highlights the days following the attacks in the town of Gander, Newfoundland. After the third plane hit the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 11, the Federal Aviation Administration shut down its airspace and thousands of flights had to land at nearby airports.
Thirty-eight plans carrying 6,579 passengers and crew were forced to land in the small city of Gander with a population of just under 10,000 residents. They opened their homes, schools, churches and hearts to the stranded travelers from around the world, and this is the story behind “Come From Away.”
“Although this is a 9/12 story, it would not exist if not for 9/11,” Williams said. “The script does an outstanding job of showing how the best in people can be inspired by the worst in others—a universal theme everyone needs to be reminded of.”
Williams was hesitant to direct the play.
“I didn’t choose this show so much as it chose me,” said Williams who wasn’t familiar with the show and didn’t want to take on a play he wasn’t “already in love with.”
No one else was available to direct the show, so he looked at the script, watched videos and with the upcoming anniversary, “it felt all too appropriate for ACT to produce it now,” he said.
With the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks occurring during the show’s two-week run, Williams said “Come From Away” is a reminder of the phrase “Never forget.”.
“This show is important for the same reason the motto ‘Never Forget’ was coined—to commemorate and celebrate what was lost and what was found in the aftermath of 9/11,” he said.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m., Sept. 4-5, 11-12 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 6. For tickets, go here.
The lobby will open one hour before showtime, and the auditorium will open 30 minutes before showtime. There will be a display of photographs from Gander, Newfoundland, with a message from Brian Williams, Gander’s historian.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. She’s won multiple Georgia Press Association awards, is the recipient of the 2018 Greater Augusta Arts Council’s media award and was named best local writer by readers of Augusta Magazine in 2024 and 2025. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
