NINE11 play captures ‘day the world lost its innocence’

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/nine11.jpg” caption=”A new play by McMaster alumnus Michael Pett tells the stories of 12 people whose lives were changed as a result of the attacks of September 11, 2011. Research for the play included interviewing those who were directly impacted by the events of the day including, pictured above, a New York paramedic. Photo by Alana Petrella.”]It's an indelible memory, a cultural milestone on the scale of the deaths of John F.
Kennedy and Princess Diana. Most people remember exactly where they were and what
they were doing on the morning of September 11, 2001.

That fact was clearly demonstrated last year, when The Washington Post asked readers
to share memories of the first moments after the attacks. The resulting flood of
messages was overwhelming and, for Michael Pett, inspirational.

“It was incredible to see the number of people who could tell you precisely where they
were and what they were doing on that Tuesday morning,” said Pett, who earned a
degree in history and economics from McMaster in 2009. “For those of us who were
young at the time, it was the day the world lost its innocence, and it obviously had an
impact.”

Pett looks back on the tragic events of that day and observes what he says is an all-too-
familiar trend.

“We tend to glamorize tragedy. We get so caught up in the Hollywood version of events
and in casting blame that we overlook the stories of the actual people whose lives were
dramatically changed.”

It was with this in mind that Pett decided to put pen to paper and, with four
collaborators, began working on telling those stories in the form of a play. The result,
NINE11, tells the stories of 12 young adults whose lives were impacted by the attacks of
September 11.

“It chronicles that day in their lives, from the moment they wake up to the moment they
realize their lives will never be the same,” said Pett, also the show's director.

Pett's sister Laura, starting her first year at McMaster in humanities, is one of the play's
writers. She said that unlike many other depictions of the attacks, NINE11 isn't so much
concerned with the politics of the event's aftermath as it is with the idea that tragedy
can unite those who face it.

“We wrote it specifically about September 11, but it really looks at tragedy as a whole,”
she said. “We're all connected by an event like this, but we all face our own issues as
well.”

The play was written and will be performed entirely by people who were relatively young
when the attacks occurred.

“We were kids at the time and we were also in Canada, so we were somewhat more
removed from it all,” said Laura. “We hope that will give the show a bit of objectivity.”

The writers also hope the great amount of research they did, including interviewing New
Yorkers directly impacted by the attacks, will show through in the play's quality.

NINE11, which features a number of current and former McMaster students, is the first production by Michael Pett's independent theatre company,
Colourblind Productions, which he founded in order to have a venue for original theatre
works. Having his own company allowed him to use unique writing techniques which he
hopes will translate into a better performance.

“We actually cast the show before we wrote the script. We then went back-and-forth
with the cast to tailor lines to each member,” he said. “It allowed us to build characters
around the actors, giving the entire show a much more honest and natural feel.”

The play's only performance is scheduled for September 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Mohawk
College's McIntyre Theatre, 135 Fennell Ave. West. For more information and tickets, go
to nine11play.com.