Picketwire Honors the 25th Anniversary of September 11th
Picketwire Players pay homage to the 25th Anniversary of 9/11 by highlighting the strength and service shown with their Spring musical: “Come From Away”.
There are so many stories about the events surrounding September 11, 2001. All are poignant and deserve to be recounted. “Come From Away” tells the story that few people remember or for which few were even made aware. It is a moment in history that brought two lands together in the face of tragedy. This is the story of how Gander, Newfoundland welcomed 7,000 passengers from airplanes diverted from landing in the United States on that fateful day – a generous and overwhelming act of kindness from this small town and its colorful residents.
Picketwire Director, Cameron Salzbrenner, specifically chose this production to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attack against America on September 11th. The Picketwire Center for Performing and Visual Arts in La Junta, Colorado is presenting “Come From Away” as their 2026 spring production: May 14, 15, 16 @ 7:30 p.m. and May 17 @ 2:30 p.m.
We talked with Director Salzbrenner and asked why he chose such an iconic musical for his directorial debut.
“Having been an Assistant Director for more than 20 productions, I’ve always said it would have to be the ‘right’ show. We have seen the Broadway Tour of “Come From Away” a few times, and, as I sat there soaking it all in, I always thought this was the perfect show for our stage, our talent and our community. I knew I couldn’t accomplish the rotating stage, much to my wife’s chagrin, but I also knew that we could put on a show that we could be proud of and that this one would be relatable for our community. This wasn’t a show I was willing to let slip by and not get on our stage. As it happened, we didn’t have a Spring production for our season, so though the timing was just crazy for our personal lives, I decided to make the commitment out of love for Picketwire, love of theatre, and love of this show.”
The unselfish acts of the Gander community were extraordinary during this particular time. Mr. Salzbrenner talked about the humanity they exemplified during this difficult day.
“All you have to do is put yourself in the shoes of any of those islanders. They didn’t choose what happened to them, they just did whatever they could for 7,000 people who were scared and, essentially, helpless. Believing in the good of all people, I have to believe that any one of us would do the same, particularly those of us who were born and raised in our small communities. We see a problem and are moved to action, be it our faith, our sense of duty, our sense of country, whatever it is, we take action and do whatever we can.”
“Come From Away” took many years to bring to Broadway. The librettist and composer spent time with the Gander community ten years after 9/11. In those encounters, they were able to capture the spirit of the community as well as individual stories from Gander residents and Americans diverted on that day. We wondered if Picketwire’s director had any thoughts about the Arkansas Valley’s audience to this musical as he commemorated the 25th Anniversary of 9/11.
“My greatest hope is that we can accurately depict the human condition that existed in those five days. I read that this show is significant to Americans because it doesn’t focus on the tragedy of the towers; it focuses on the triumph of humanity. It reminds us that even in our darkest hour, there is light in the kindness of strangers. I am particularly invested in making sure that we not only remember what happened on that fateful day, but we share what happened and who we were in the days/weeks/months that followed with those who weren’t around to see it firsthand. We have cast members who weren’t even born yet in 2001, a whole generation of people who can’t think about their feelings and what they were doing that day. Churchill was quoted as saying: ‘A nation that forgets its past has no future,’ and I have to believe that our brightest future is grounded in who we were as a country in those days after a day of tragedy.”
Director Salzbrenner’s production team includes Assistant Director, Tracey Salzbrenner; Musical Director, Dean Rees; Choreographer, Rena Ruiz; and sound technician, Maranatha Hoyt.
There are 12 brilliant cast members in this production playing numerous roles, Jonathan Colson, Desiree Goheen, Scott Goheen, Kelly Jo Smith, Heather Pidcock-Reed, Kate Pruyn, Jake Pruyn, Kaydence Salazar, Karl Ludwig, Alex Ritter, Aidan Rapp, and RaeLynn Domsten.
“Come From Away” opens at the Picketwire Center for Performing and Visual Arts on Thursday, May 14 at 7:30 p.m. The run continues on Friday and Saturday (May 15 and 16) at 7:30 p.m. There is also a Sunday matinee at 2:30 p.m. The Picketwire Center is celebrating 58 years of live theatre in the Arkansas Valley. The Center is located at 802 San Juan Avenue in La Junta, Colorado.
Tickets are on sale online: https://www.picketwireplayers.org/tickets.
