Q&A With Bystander 9/11 Actor Eric Dwinnells

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FRAMINGHAM – On Saturday, 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. There are less than 135 tickets for the performance.

Tickets are available now and are selling fast. As of this weekend, there is only about 2 dozen tickets.

To purchase a ticket click here.

SOURCE is doing a Q&A with the cast members

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Eric Dwinnells

Lives in: Framingham

Your acting experience: More than 10 years of theater study under Donna and her daughter, Teri. Some time at The Boston Conservatory and more than 20 years of performing for all kinds of audiences under all kinds of circumstances

Favorite actor/actress: Christoph Waltz

What is your favorite play? HAIR

Where were you on Sept. 11? At home in Ashland, surfing the net listening to Howard Stern. Heard Stern talk about it and then I watched the day unfold on TV with my mother.

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Why did you want to be a part of this production? First off, because Donna asked me too. She helped me so much through high school, if I’m able to, I’ll always be ready to work with her! Beyond that, 9/11 was a turning point in our history and a turning point for me personally. It’s a moment to be remembered and reflected upon as a society and personally.

How does this play speak to you? It takes me back. As we do the rehearsals and as I think of my character, I can’t help but think of my own experience so I tend to imagine myself as a college student. Then of course it hits me that I’m middle aged now, not a young student! And it makes me think again of how much has changed in society and personally and what it all means. Even though you remember 9/11 and know intellectually that it was an important historical moment, it’s just not something you always think about in a meaningful way. So now doing this performance, we are confronting it nightly at rehearsal and thinking about it throughout the day…it’s a lot of heavy reflection! But healing too, I think.

What do you wish the audience takes away from this performance? I hope it will take them back to that time, too. I hope it will give them a chance to reflect on their own lives since then. For young people, I hope it will give them some sense of what it was like that terrible day and I hope it will inspire them to continue the conversation after the performance has ended with friends and family who lived through it. 

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What does hope mean to you? I think of Mister Rogers’ saying “Look for the helpers”. When you see something terrible happening, remember that there are many good people trying to help. That is hope. That Mister Rogers quote gets passed around a lot and it’s a great thought, but it’s also important to remember he was talking to children. If he were talking to adults, I think he would encourage us to BE the helpers!

The arts in Framingham are on the come up! There has always been a strong artistic community in and around Framingham but there has been a lack of opportunity to display their talents in town. There are some great outlets now (including Amazing Things) and I hope to see this trend continue with more creative outlets for artists of all disciplines.

When it comes to the arts, Framingham needs  a proper theater! I see presentations from the historical society and I see numerous buildings that used to be theaters where stars like Tony Bennett used to perform back in the day and I think…why can’t we have that now! We are a city now! We deserve a proper professional theater!

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