"The Guys" opens at Valhalla in September

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A new play set in the days after the September 11, 2001 attacks is headed to the Valhalla Tahoe Boathouse Theater for eight performances starting Sept. 12, 2024.

The Guys” explores the emotional impact of post-Sept. 11 through the stories and lives of eight firefighters. Based on a true story, playwright and journalist Anne Nelson crafted the piece from her own experience of helping a New York fire captain write eulogies for his firefighters who died at the World Trade Center.

“From laughter to tears, to heartbreak, to a feeling of intense hope, we are drawn into this very human experience,” said Diana Evans, director of the Valhalla Tahoe production. “There are only two people on stage and the performance is a simple one-act, but the dialogue and the healing journey the characters both experience is profound and will leave the audience deeply moved.”

The play is a poignant exploration of the healing power of words and shared stories. It is not a story about Sept. 11, but rather about the human ability to craft and share narratives that transform memories into sources of healing, helping people navigate through pain and loss.

Starring Ginger Nicolay-Davis and Brett Robinson, and directed by Diana Evans, this production is supported by the Tahoe-Douglas Fire Protection District, the South Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, and the Lake Valley Fire Protection District.

“On behalf of the local fire agencies, we are honored to have this production come to our community. The story they are telling describes the culture, what it means to be a firefighter, and the impact of 9/11. South Lake Tahoe Fire, Lake Valley Fire, and Tahoe Douglas Fire have all supported the production by coming out for the photo shoot and we all honor those lives that were lost 23 years ago,” said Fire Chief Jim Drennan of South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue.

Tickets are available at ValhallaTahoe.com. Performances are Sept. 12-14, and Sept.19-21 at 7:30 p.m., Sept. 15 and Sept. 22 at 4 p.m.

Synopsis:

Less than two weeks after the September 11 attacks, New Yorkers are still in shock. One of them, an editor named Joan, receives an unexpected phone call on behalf of Nick, a fire captain who has lost most of his men in the attack. He’s looking for a writer to help him with the eulogies she must present at their memorial services. Nick and Joan spend a long afternoon together, recalling the fallen men by recounting their virtues and foibles and fashioning the stories into memorials of words. In the process, Nick and Joan discover the possibilities of friendship in each other and their shared love for the unconquerable spirit of the city of New York. As they navigate through the emotional landscape of grief, they draw on humor, tango, the appreciation of craft in all its forms—and the enduring bonds of common humanity. THE GUYS is based on a true story.