BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Burr Weatherly had no idea where his parents were for three days after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
“It was very nerve racking,” Weatherly said.
He knew they boarded their plane in Ireland the morning of 9/11 and were expected to arrive in Birmingham later that night, but while they were in the air, terrorists hijacked four planes.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) first ordered a nationwide ground stop after the attack at the World Trade Center, and shut down U.S. airspace after the Pentagon was hit.
Weatherly’s parents were on one of dozens of international flights diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, a remote Canadian town.
“I actually pulled out a map just to see where it [was]… who’s ever heard of Gander?” Weatherly said. “I was just so happy that they were safe. And they were on the ground.”
They were also being well taken care of. In a matter of hours, the town of Gander nearly doubled in population with 7,000 international passengers stranded for days.
The Weatherly’s and others became known as the “plane people,” but locals treated them like family.
“Anything they needed, it was taken care of. They literally got off the plane with the shirts on their backs,” said Weatherly.
The extraordinary kindness put Gander on the map, and that story is being shared on Red Mountain Theatre’s stage in “Come From Away.”
“This story is a story about compassion and literally just asking somebody, what do you need? And that’s what happened in Gander, right?” said Roy Lightner, who directs the show.
Lightner said the production honors the tragedy of September 11, but focuses on the unity, compassion, and love of September 12.
“I’ve been saying, you know, history remembers the smoke. The humans remember the sandwiches. History remembers the tragedy. Humanity remembers the hugs,” Lightner said.
He added, this story is “just worth experiencing because it reminds you of what we can be.”
Cast members Michael Melcher and Ryan Sohrab each play multiple roles in the show.
“Kindness counts. It’s about kindness. It’s about bringing in the stranger and treating them like you’d like to be treated,” Melcher said.
“It’s also nice because it’s one of the only shows that you leave reminded of something personal you might have gone through,” Sohrab said.
For Weatherly, watching his parents’ experience unfold on stage carries added meaning.
“My parents have passed away, and I’m pretty sure other passengers have passed away too,” Weatherly said. “So, it’s a story that needs to be told just like 9/11 needs to never be forgotten.”
The show runs through September 20. For more information, you can click or tap here to visit the Red Mountain Theatre’s website.
Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here.
Copyright 2026 WBRC. All rights reserved.