There are 26 mentions in The Record between 2010 and 2016 of Townshipper Trevor McKinven’s one-man show They Came From Away, which explores the experiences of passengers whose planes were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland during 9/11.
The show debuted at The Piggery Theatre in North Hatley in 2010, and since then, McKinven estimates having performed They Came from Away close to 200 times in the Townships, Montreal, several towns in Ontario and two tours in the Maritimes.
Unfortunately, the momentum that had been building for the past six years has hit a major speed bump, according to McKinven.
“I feel like I am in a tiny sail boat, and a multi-million dollar yacht just pulled up right beside me,” he said.
A new big budget, Broadway bound musical from Toronto, Come From Away (first workshopped in 2012) which bears not only a similar title to McKinven’s They Came From Away, but a striking resemblance in subject matter, has eclipsed his play and is compromising his ability to move forward.
“To say the wind is out of your sales is an understatement,” McKinven said, having to defend the originality of his show at every performance since Come From Away has entered the picture.
“Everyone just assumes I’m ripping them off,” he said.
Read the full story in Friday’s Record
