BWW Q&A: Trent Stork on COME FROM AWAY at Paramount Theatre

9/11/2001… 38 airplanes, 6,579 stranded passengers from 100 countries, 1 small town in Newfoundland. Before they have a clue what’s happening, thousands of passengers are diverted to the town of Gander, doubling its population and putting the townsfolk to the test.

Based on astonishing true events and hundreds of hours of interviews with the townspeople and the “come from aways” (aka stranded passengers) who were welcomed with open arms, you’ll experience the spirit of small-town generosity that helped the healing begin. Full of songs that celebrate kinship and grit, Come From Away’s message is simple and significant: in this day and age, it’s more important than ever for kindness to reach across the borders.

Trent Stork (they/them) (Director) is a Jeff Award Winning Director based in Aurora, IL. Come From Away marks Trent’s 27th production on a directing team for Paramount Theatre, the latest being Cats, Disney's Frozen the Broadway Musical, Billy Elliot and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Previous Paramount directing: Legally Blonde, Kinky Boots (Jeff Award Winner- Best Direction of a Musical, Best Production of a Musical), Hand to God, Into the Woods, School of Rock. Trent also serves as the Artistic Producer & Casting Director for Paramount.

What drew you to the project Come From Away?

I think we're living in a moment that's actually similar to when Come From Away first appeared on Broadway and that the world needs a lot of healing. This show more than other shows has the ability to do that, to heal people, to bring people together and it felt like a call to the moment to be able to direct this show.

How does the theme of kindness and bringing people together in Come From Away align with your personal beliefs?

I believe in the power of theatre. That it is a place where you will come to be awoken to things that maybe you don't think about every day. The idea that the characters in the show are at a particular moment in time, in one place together mirrors exactly the experience that someone has when they're going to the theatre. That they're sitting next to somebody they don't know, they're meeting a stranger for the first time, and they're having a shared experience and whether they know it or not, that experience is bringing them together. I've dedicated my life to theater for this very reason, because it can change lives, open hearts, open minds, and bond people tighter.

Can you discuss the process of preparing for the Chicago-area premiere of this production?

First of all, the cast for this show is absolutely key. When we have 12 actors that are all playing multiple roles, there's nowhere to hide. Each one of them has to represent a whole slice of humanity, has to be able to seamlessly transition between characters, and be able to deliver the heart of the show. Finding the right group of actors was no small feat. After that, finding the right frame for the show that would give the right sense of Newfoundland and also have the ability to transform in the way we wanted to and to find the right vocabulary for the show was also a particular but exciting challenge.

Given that Andrea Prestinario was in Paramount's inaugural Broadway production, how does it feel to work with her again in Come From Away?

Andrea is a dream! It's been such a thrill to be able to work with her again! She's so talented and she's so strong and that was so important to me for the person who was delivering Beverly. The treat I was not expecting, is her Newfoundlander character, Annette! She’s developed such a wonderful character and an amazing contrast to Beverly that is so fun to watch. Also, there's a moment in the show where Beverly sings, “underneath all that rain, is Maine,” which I think is a funny little Easter egg for those of you who saw her do Eliza Doolittle in My fair Lady.

How do you plan to portray the astonishing true events of 9/11/2001 in Come From Away?

This show, in so many ways, is a perfect piece of theater- it's storytelling at its finest. So we're going to stick very true to the core of the original production with 12 actors and 12 chairs doing all the real work. But we are going to give it our Paramount lift to make sure that the show carries in our nearly 2000 seat house.

What was your approach towards capturing the spirit of small-town generosity in the production?

That was all about finding the right group of actors who already share the quality of having a light, open heart. This will inherently give that sense of Gander and also allow the audience to really connect with them.

How do you hope audiences will react to the message of kindness reaching across borders in Come From Away?

I hope people carry this message with them for their entire lives. I hope the next time they have an opportunity to do a little something good for somebody else, that they remember this show, and take that opportunity.

Why must audiences come and see the show?