To commemorate the tragedy of 9/11, On The Verge Theatre presented a staged reading of Anne Nelson’s play THE GUYS for one night only. Admission was free. Donations were accepted, and they benefited the Fire Fighters Foundation of Houston.
Why this play.
Nelson’s two-hander follows an editor helping a fire captain write eulogies for the men he lost. It is a quiet piece about the work of grief rather than the spectacle of the day, which is why it has become a fixture of firefighter commemorations rather than a period piece.
The pairing is a natural one for Houston. The Foundation’s own first fundraiser was held on September 11, 2006, timed to the fifth anniversary of the attacks, and the date has anchored its calendar ever since.
Drawn from the Foundation’s own account of this story.