By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current
A staged reading of the play “110 Stories,” by Sarah Tuft, will be performed on Sunday, Sept. 14, at Kingswood Church, 302 North State St., Geneseo.
The play, which will begin at 3 p.m., is a compilation of representative stories about 9/11 and New York’s Twin Towers, the rescuers, the rescued, the healers, the healing, those who ran toward danger, and those who perished.
All proceeds of ticket sale will be donated to the Henry County Office of Emergency Management (OEM).
Information received about the needs at OEM read – “OEM needs to replace the Radiation Detection Unit, now long past its prime and beyond grant-funding from Homeland Security. The unit not only detects radiation, but also air-quality generally at disaster sites, which encompass operations in Henry, Stark and Mercer Counties – an area of 1,683 miles, the largest such district in the State of Illinois.”
Advance tickets, at $12 each, are available at Kingswood Church before and after weekend services. A QR code is included with this story where ticket orders can be placed online, at $13 each.
Due to the graphic nature of the horrors of 9/11, the performance is not recommended for children under the age of 13. Out of respect for the actors, patrons and individuals honored by these stories, late seating will not be permitted.
The production is directed by Jackie Patterson of Geneseo, and includes a total of 29 actors and a small technical team. The poster art was created by local artist, Brooke Gatter.
AUTHOR’S INTRODUCTION – Sarah Tuft
“I was volunteering in the 9/11 recovery effort when people started sharing their stories with me, saying it helped them to “get it out.”
I was struck by the power of their stories – what they revealed about how we cope with trauma and how we seek recovery through compassion and service. I was also struck by the vibrancy and humanity of the ‘characters’ who were relaying their experiences to me. So, in the immediate aftermath of September 11th, I conducted a hundred interviews, combed through dozens of emails, and began writing ‘110 Stories.’ By giving voice to those who experienced September 11th first-hand, I hoped to restore dimension to an event that’s been sensationalized, sentimentalized, and politicized to serve other agencies. I also hoped to preserve what it really feels like to witness unimaginable horror, suffer unbearable grief, and to be united with our fellow human beings in the common goal for alleviating suffering. I’m grateful to the many people who shared their stories with me and to the many theatre artists – like you – who share ‘110 Stores’ with their community…”
