Q&A With Bystander 9/11 Actress Sheron Thorp Doucette

FRAMINGHAM – On September 11, 2021, Framingham Public Schools and atac (Amazing Things Theatre) will present Bystander 9/11, a powerful play on the 20th anniversary of the attacks on September 11.

Directed by Donna Wresinski, the play features several Framingham Public School employees, Framingham High alumni, and a couple of local politicians.

The performance is scheduled for one-night only in the intimate downtown theatre for September 11 at 8 p.m.

Tickets are available now and are selling fast. To purchase a ticket click here.

SOURCE is doing a Q&A with the cast members

Sheron Thorp Doucette

Doucette is the theatre arts teacher at Walsh Middle School and an actress in the play.

Lives in: Framingham

Your acting experience: This is my first on-stage role in over twenty years.  I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t involved in theatre but most recently it has been as producer, director, stage manager or designer. 

Favorite actor/actress? Benedict Cumberbatch today but it might change tomorrow. I also think Viola Davis is a gift to whatever she is in. 

What is your favorite play? Gah! How can I answer that? In all honesty, I would have to say that it is the one I am working on at the moment, whenever that moment is.  I think when you take on a new show, regardless of whatever hat you are wearing: on stage, off-stage or in the audience, you allow yourself to fall under its spell. That being said if I had to choose, I have always loved Hamlet and one of my favorites that is a little more contemporary is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. Thank you for not asking what my favorite musical is.

Where were you on Sept. 11? I was working for Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston.  Our summer season had just ended and we were doing post season production work.  The Choral Director in the hall beside us came in and said, “If you have a television, put it on, we were just attacked.” When we plugged in one of the televisions we had from the cast apartments all we saw was static and were cursing our poor reception.  Then a banner came across the screen and it was clear unlike the background. It was stating what was happening.  That was when we found out that the static was actually live feed from the debris of tower one coming down. I was getting married ten weeks later and a member of our wedding party was scheduled to be on one of the flights for work only to cancel at the last minute because their child was ill. It wasn’t until that night that I found out she wasn’t on the plane.

Why did you want to be a part of this production? Acting again was a promise I made to myself long ago. When this opportunity presented itself, it was the right play at the right time. I remember that day as if it were yesterday. I remember there being a feeling of “How can I help?” It was a tragic but unifying feeling. I want to be part of the process of remembering and honoring those that were lost and those that survived. 

How does this play speak to you? There are so many connections to those lost from Framingham. It is an important story to tell for our community. It is important to do that together, to talk, to share, to grieve and to remember. It is also important to share this with a generation that wasn’t born yet. One of my lines is “It’s horrible, but it is history.” This production will hopefully be the catalyst for that. It already has been in my family as I have been preparing for our show.

What do you wish the audience takes away from this performance? This twenty year anniversary comes at a challenging time in our country.  I think we need to be reminded of that “How can I help?” feeling we had then as well as acknowledging the mistakes we made toward some of our own citizens at the time. We just need to do better and the arts start conversation.

What does hope mean to you? Hope is the seed to be better today than we were yesterday. We need to nurture hope in order for it to take root and flourish. 

The arts in Framingham are growing.

When it comes to the arts, Framingham needs  more funky little spaces like ATAC throughout our community to encourage the love of the arts for all members of the Framingham community. We have a wonderfully diverse population and the arts are a wonderful way of sharing, educating and appreciating all the people from around the world that fill the city.

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