Generation 9/11: So Far/So Close

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Over the last decade, two separate numbers—9 and 11—have come to define a single devastating moment in recent human history. As the world steadies itself for the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Chris Wolfe brings Generation 9/11: So Far/So Close—a new one man show—to the Fringe, questioning the lasting effects of this event on humanity.

Taken from over 150 interviews with people all over the US, Generation 9/11 recreates the day that changed the world forever. Beginning with the initial shock, the play follows its characters as they attempt to come to terms with what has happened, and to get used to a new and unfamiliar world. It would be very easy for Wolfe to get lost in the politics and the controversy that still surrounds 9/11, but the emphasis of this play is placed firmly on how the attacks changed the lives of everyday people, and how they dealt with the fear, prejudice and misconceptions that they encountered over the next few years.

By focusing on the personal cost of 9/11, Wolfe and director Catherine Ming T’ien Duffly have created a thoughtful and refreshingly honest account of the complexities of the human condition and the reality of a modern society in crisis. Although Wolfe continually questions whether 9/11 will become the defining moment of a generation throughout the show, the question is rhetorical and it’s clear that the answer to this question is entirely up to us. Uncomplicated and accessible, Generation 9/11 is a thought-provoking piece of theatre.