Can Come From Away help us bridge the growing schism between Canadians and Americans?

With tensions between Canada and the U.S. making headlines daily, Come From Away feels more relevant than ever. 

The Tony Award-winning Canadian musical is about the true story of how, in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, 38 planes were diverted to Gander, N.L. As a result, the small town suddenly found itself welcoming thousands of stranded passengers from all over the world. 

It's also probably the best recent example of the tenderness in the relationship between the U.S. and Canada from the last 25 years. But how does a story of community and connection across borders in the face of uncertainty land in a moment like now?

Today on Commotion, Canadian artistic director Jillian Keiley and American actor Darrell Morris, Jr. join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss their upcoming staging of Come From Away, and how they think about the show's message of unity in today's political climate.

We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favourite podcast player.

Elamin: How does it feel to be preparing for this new production of Come From Away during this moment that we're in right now?

Jillian: It's very purposeful right now. I've loved this musical for so long, and of course I'm a Newfoundlander, so it has a particular spot for me. My mom had people over for dinner back in 2001. But it's really, really important to me in this moment because it's not just about friendship. It's about the history and the love that's actually between our nations.... It's one of the few pieces of real cultural diplomacy we have….

Most people will tell you that they have family, friends and people that they're in relationship with in the States who they really love. And all of this stuff that's happening on the top level between politics, it affects everybody. But we can't forget that love that's between us. We can't forget that friendship. And this show is very, very special in so many ways. It's just a masterful piece of writing and an incredible work of art. And it's a true story, which is beautiful. But the big thing that I'm focused on this year is we have to protect that, no matter what. I keep seeing articles about, you know, "It's over between us and the States." It can't be. We are bonded together. Whatever we untangle up top, we have to maintain the person-to-person relationships. 

Elamin: Jillian, in your Gander-based production of Come From Away, you wanted to make sure that you have a few American actors. Tell me about why that was a part of your decision.

Jillian: Yeah, it was really important to me. One of the things that I found so wonderful and moving in the original production that Chris Ashley directed (and rightfully won the Tony for): he had brought down a Newfoundlander to be in that cast. And I just thought it was so poignant and important to have that voice from Newfoundland not just to get the accent right, but also to be a part of representing these people. You know, we're not leprechauns on a rock. We're actually quite complex. And so it was really beautiful that he did that. And I thought, I need to do that too because if we're going to tell the story from the Gander point of view … we have to bring in Americans to work on the show because this is their story. 

So much of this is about their tragedy, and what we experienced was really secondary. The big story was what happened in the States and how it changed the entire makeup of the place. And it's still reverberating today. So it was so important to me to have that. Especially if it's about Canadian-American friendship, to me, having Americans — we have an American in the band, on stage, we have Americans in the design team — it's just so important that we build this together, because the story is about people who build something out of tragedy together.

Elamin: Darrell, you're based in New York, but you're coming back to Canada to be a part of the show. How do you feel about coming back for this role?

Darrell: I feel so many things coming back. I think prince of it all is Jill's idea of how important it is to do this piece in this moment. It almost feels like an act of rebellion to be able to sit with this piece and say, "No, I don't accept that. I don't accept what's going on." My focus is on the interpersonal connection. My focus is on the people that I know and love, and care about, and trust and respect….

I don't know how I'll feel tomorrow about doing the show again. But there's something so beautiful about saying, "This is really important. This is an important story to tell." And I can't tell you what it'll mean to me tomorrow, what it'll mean to me the next day. But it is important, especially as an American, to say "I'm here and I'm ready to listen. I'm ready to speak. I'm ready to share my experience and my perspective with what's going on in our lives."

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Panel produced by Rowan Fleary.