Ghostlight Players to Present THE GUYS on 25th Anniversary of September 11

Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, Ghostlight Players will bring Anne Nelson's deeply moving two-character drama The Guys to the stage of Haugen Hall Theater at Staten Island Academy. The production, which tells the story of an FDNY captain who lost eight firefighters under his command that day, will feature retired FDNY firefighter Craig Kwasnicki as Nick, the fire captain at the center of the story. Anna Glenn Sparks will portray Joan, the writer who helps him put his memories of those fallen colleagues into words.

The production also represents a return to the material for director Joseph Daly, who portrayed Nick the first time that The Guys was performed on Staten Island twenty years ago. As Joe recalled: 'The Guys was first directed on Staten Island by Ken Tirado in the summer of 2010. Andrea Brescia Kelly and I performed it in the Courthouse at Historic Richmondtown and repeated the show two years later. I was deeply touched when Alice Diamond - the catalyst for this event - asked me to revive the play this anniversary year. Everyone who we approached quickly jumped on board with their time and resources and it is an honor and privilege for us to help commemorate those who were taken from us twenty-five years ago.'

This acclaimed play tells the true story of an FDNY captain who lost eight firefighters under his command on September 11 and seeks help writing eulogies for his fallen colleagues. Unsure of how to capture the lives of the men he knew and loved, he turns to Joan, a writer, for help. Through their conversations, the play offers a powerful reflection on courage, sacrifice, and humanity in the days following the attacks.

The play is not simply a story about September 11. It is a story about memory, friendship, grief and the very human struggle to find words after an unimaginable loss. Though profoundly moving, The Guys also contains moments of sweetness and humor as Joan and Nick remember the personalities and lives behind the tragedy.

There is also a larger purpose behind this year's production: all proceeds from The Guys will be donated to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation. This Staten Island-based organization was created in honor of FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, who died on September 11, 2001. Today, Tunnel to Towers supports fallen first responder families, catastrophically injured veterans and first responders, Gold Star families and veterans experiencing homelessness, while also working to ensure that the nation never forgets September 11.

The timing is especially meaningful for Tunnel to Towers. As part of its 25th-anniversary efforts, the Foundation has announced plans to deliver 343 mortgage-free homes in 2026, honoring the 343 members of the FDNY who made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11.

The Guys will be performed Friday, September 11 at 7:00 PM, Saturday, September 12 at 7:00 PM, and Sunday, September 13 at 2:00 PM at Staten Island Academy's Haugen Hall Theater. Tickets are $33.23 for general admission and $28.03 for students and seniors. The production will open each evening with a short presentation by a retired firefighter reflecting on their experiences on September 11, followed by the performance.

For tickets and additional information, contact Ghostlight Players at (718) 448-3959.

ABOUT GHOSTLIGHT PLAYERS

Ghostlight Players, Inc., is a non-profit community theatre company committed to bringing quality, engaging and thought-provoking performance art to Staten Island. Founded in 2019 by Artistic Director Gary Bradley and Executive Director Charles Sullivan, Ghostlight has produced more than thirty live theatrical events, four holiday concerts, and dozens of virtual readings that sustained the local artistic community throughout the 2020 pandemic.

Dedicated to incorporating voices from all the communities comprising Staten Island, they have presented classic comedies, like Arsenic and Old Lace, Blithe Spirit and You Can't Take it With You; exciting contemporary plays like Good Grief, Lynn Nottage's Sweat, and The Wolves; musicals large and small, including Cabaret, Bridges of Madison County, 1776 and Urinetown; and adaptations of classic literary works, including Pride and Prejudice, The Grapes of Wrath and The Maltese Falcon.

In addition to producing The Guys, Ghostlight will be presenting Martin McDonagh's engrossing dark comedy/drama The Beauty Queen of Leenane from October 2nd to October 9th at Hemsley Hall, The 24 Hour Plays on December 7th at the Blackbox Theatre at CSI, and a Christmas concert at Hemsley Hall in late December.

TOUR DATES

• Friday, September 11 at 7:00 PM — Haugen Hall Theater, Staten Island Academy
• Saturday, September 12 at 7:00 PM — Haugen Hall Theater, Staten Island Academy
• Sunday, September 13 at 2:00 PM — Haugen Hall Theater, Staten Island Academy
• October 2nd to October 9th — The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Hemsley Hall
• December 7th — The 24 Hour Plays, Blackbox Theatre at CSI
• Late December — Christmas Concert, Hemsley Hall

Visit https://www.onthestage.tickets/ghostlight-players-inc/ for tickets and follow Ghostlight Players on Instagram.

ABOUT THE GUYS

Written by Anne Nelson, The Guys is a two-character drama set in New York City in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. The play follows an FDNY captain who lost eight members of his company and a writer who helps him find the words to honor them. It premiered off-Broadway at the Flea Theatre on December 4, 2001. Directed by Jim Simpson, the original production features Sigourney Weaver and Bill Murray.

ABOUT THE TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION

Born from the tragedy of 9/11, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation carries out its mission to 'do good' by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building specially-adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders.

Children of the Foundation's home recipients are offered full scholarships for undergraduate degrees and accredited trade school programs, helping secure their futures. The Foundation is also committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and helping America Never Forget September 11, 2001.

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