Come From Away is Coming to the IRT

The Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT) is producing the regional premiere of the hit Broadway musical Come From Away, co-presented by Glick Philanthropies and the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation. This production is directed by James Vásquez, a director and choreographer based in San Diego who is making his IRT debut.

With this regional premiere, even audiences familiar with the Broadway musical or filmed version on Apple TV will get a new experience, with freshly interpreted direction, scenic design, and costuming. “I have been waiting for years to produce this poignant musical that resonates deeply with the spirit of the Midwest,” said Benjamin Hanna, IRT’s Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director. “Our Hoosier neighborly ways make Come From Away one of those rare pieces that feels like home, where the porch light is always left on.”

Come From Away tells the true story of seven thousand stranded airline passengers who were welcomed to the small town of Gander, Newfoundland in the wake of September 11, 2001. Tensions run high and cultures clash, but uncertainty turns into trust as the local community works to welcome the stranded “come from aways,” visitors from afar. This play is a joyous celebration of how even the worst tragedy can be countered with kindness, generosity, and simple human compassion.

In its Broadway and West End runs, Come From Away earned one Tony Award on seven nominations, plus won for outstanding or best musical at the Drama Desk Awards, Outer Critics Circle Awards, Laurence Olivier Award, and Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards. It has also had productions in well over a dozen countries and has been performed in Swedish, Frensh, Spanish, and German languages.

The twelve-person cast comprises phenomenal and accomplished actors from both across the country and right here in Indianapolis. Said director James Vásquez of the team, “I’m honored to be making my IRT debut with Come From Away, and to be bringing along some of my personal community to Indiana to help me tell this story. It’s been a joy to meet and collaborate with new folks; the cast and crew and creatives, as well as the people of Indiana, who have given me the privilege of expanding my community and my heart.”

The Theatre will host supplemental programming during the run of the show, including a Community Conversation, featuring community members discussing the lasting effects of September 11; Artist Conversations that provide a behind-the-scenes perspective on the production with the actors, directors, and designers who bring the show to life; an American Sign Language / Audio Described performance; and a Sensory-Friendly Performance.

Tickets are available now for Come From Away.