Indian Hills Community College Performing Arts, Ottumwa High School Theatre, and the Ottumwa Community Players are joining forces to present the hit musical Come From Away at the Ottumwa High School Auditorium this weekend, according to a press release from the organizations.
Performances are scheduled for Friday, September 11th at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, September 12th at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, September 13th at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for students and are available in advance at ottumwacommunityplayers.ludus.com or at the door for each performance.
Come From Away tells the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small Canadian town of Gander, Newfoundland that welcomed them in the wake of September 11, 2001. When U.S. airspace was suddenly closed on the morning of September 11th, 38 aircraft — including 34 commercial airliners and 4 military planes — were forced to divert to Gander’s historic former trans-Atlantic refueling airport. In an instant, a community of fewer than 10,000 residents was tasked with welcoming, housing, and comforting nearly 7,000 stranded passengers and crew for nearly a week. The musical captures this true story of human kindness, unity, and resilience during one of history’s darkest moments.
The production is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International to honor the 25th anniversary of 9/11. Come From Away was originally produced on Broadway by Junkyard Dog Productions and developed at the Canadian Music Theatre Project, Goodspeed Musicals, and the 5th Avenue Theatre. The critically acclaimed musical earned Director Christopher Ashley a Tony Award for Best Direction, as well as three Laurence Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical.
Co-director Dr. Jennifer Terry Boyenga, Theatre Director and Director of Performing and Visual Arts at IHCC, said the production is a meaningful way to mark the anniversary. “Staging this moving, humorous musical on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 honors those who lived through that tumultuous time and those we lost,” Boyenga said. “This true community collaboration celebrates local talent, bringing together incoming college freshmen, IHCC and OHS alumni, and seasoned professionals on stage, band, and crew.”
Co-director Jeff Leonard, Theatre Director at OHS and President of the Ottumwa Community Players, noted the educational value of the production for younger cast members. “Because many of our young cast and crew weren’t yet born in 2001, this production has been a profound learning experience,” Leonard said. “It has been incredibly rewarding to welcome performers from other regional theatre organizations, including Fairfield, Oskaloosa, Knoxville, and Bloomfield.”
The ensemble cast includes Amber Adkins of Fairfield, Aaron Austin of Ottumwa, Dylan Baldwin of Ottumwa, Megan Bell of Ottumwa, Rashaun Boyer of Albia, Madison Chamberlin of Oskaloosa, Duane Cowger of Ottumwa, Jessica Duffy of Pleasant Hill, Tena Edlin of Fairfield, Oliver Hernandez Norris of Ottumwa, Harrison Van Mersbergen of Bloomfield, and Kathleen Williams of Blakesburg.
The live on-stage band, known as The Screechers, features Tom Shadonix of Ottumwa on fiddle, Paul Rogers of Ottumwa on guitar, Thomas Rodgers of Ottumwa on mandolin, Gage Mikels of Bloomfield on piano, Stephen Jones of Ottumwa on drums, James Doud of Ottumwa on percussion, Julie Garrels of Bloomfield on bass, and Abree Russell of Ottumwa as conductor. Several members of The Screechers will go on to perform in other regional productions of Come From Away, including a run in early 2027 by Van Buren Community Players. Other Iowa performances of Come From Away scheduled for the 25th anniversary include shows in Coralville, Des Moines, Dubuque, Waterloo, Vinton, Webster City, Ames, Fort Dodge, and Newton.
The directing team includes co-directors Boyenga and Leonard, musical director Abree Russell who also serves as a music teacher at James and Wilson Elementary Schools in Ottumwa, choreographer Zana Grey Uehling of Premier Dance Center in Ottumwa, and assistant director and stage manager Abby Leonard of Ottumwa, a Special Education Teacher in Ottumwa Schools. The technical crew includes Ben Logan of Ottumwa as light board operator, Brittanee Leege and Kahlia Morales both of Ottumwa as backstage crew, and Ty Ware of Ottumwa on set construction. Publicity has been provided by Dallis Baker and Dr. Ray Slavens of IHCC.
The production was made possible through the support of community sponsors including The Legacy Foundation, Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., Winger Corporation, and South Ottumwa Savings Bank.
