11 September 2001 is a play written and produced by Michael Vinaver, focusing on the horrific events that occurred due to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. This bold and innovative play combines news reports, personal anecdotes, and journalistic investigations to piece together the attack and how it responded. As a result of staying true to the historical details, Michael Vinaver's theater piece essentially follows the timeline of when actual events took place during the attack.
American Airlines Flight 11, United Airlines Flight 175, and American Airlines Flight 77 take off at around 8 in the morning, all originally headed to Los Angeles, California. Flight attendants from Flight 11 are able to notify personnel that the plane has been hijacked. Here we can see the immediate shock and fear as the ground personnel rush to respond to this news. They alert the FBI and Federal Aviation Administration. We can see the worry and tension visible in the scene while the fast-paced series of events demonstrate a tone of confusion and hurry. Our military scrambles two fighter pilots from Cape Cod’s Otis Air National Guard Base but it is too late. Mohammed Atta and his hijackers crash Flight 11 into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, immediately destroying a portion of the building and killing hundreds of people. The feeling of fear and confusion is palpable, which can be seen by the fact that President George W. Bush was at an elementary school in Florida when he learned of the attack. While the president struggles to respond, NYPD dispatches officers to the North Tower. Everything is chaotic.
Now we learn that a fourth airplane, United Airlines Flight 93, has been hijacked by terrorists. As people run and evacuate from the World Trade Center, Flight 175 crashes into the South Tower, instantly killing hundreds more people. We see in this scene people crying on the ground and holding loved in shock, or overwhelming fear as thousands flee from the scene of terror. Airspaces, tunnels, and bridges are all being shut down as government authorities try to make sense of the horror unfolding before them. This horror is reflected in the personal anecdotes of individuals who present monologues before the audience. Yet the dramatic scenes only worsen as the terrorists aboard Flight 77 crash into the Pentagon building in Washington, D.C., killing nearly two hundred people. The South Tower collapses, and 30 minutes later so does the North Tower. The loss of the Twin Towers in New York City represent the hole in America's heart and the thousands who were injured or killed that day.
This is when the series events shifts from chaos and the horror of mass destruction, to a feeling of intense sadness and heartbreak. Passengers aboard the last hijacked plane, Flight 93, call family members and friends to tell them how much they love them. It is an extremely emotional scene, coupled with tragic music, as we realize these Americans are going to sacrifice their lives for the better of the nation. Crew and passengers fight with the hijackers forcing a crash landing in Pennsylvania, killing everyone on board.
Now the story seeks an end as President George W. Bush, among others such as Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, seek to address one of the most tragic days in American history. It is quiet enough to hear a pin drop as President Bush talks to the American people. He describes the hijackings and their ensuing acts of destruction as "evil, despicable acts of terror." As the scene draws to a close, President Bush promises the people that they will "stand together to win the war against terrorism."
