Public performances
The first public performance was held on December 5, 2017 at Mejiro University in Tokyo.
Flyer Photo 学校公演（第17回）
Feedback from a student
First as all, I was impressed by the performance. Hannah’s beautiful voice and Cello’s
sound were mixed perfectly. It was touching because Hannah expressed rich emotion by
reading her script.
The second one was held on March 25, 2018 at Sunny Plumeria English language school in Tokyo. Flier Photo 日本語のプログラム
The third one was held on November 4, 2018 at Meikai University in Chiba.
学校公演（第18回）
The fourth one was held on November 11, 2018 at Sunny Plumeria English language school in Tokyo.
公演記録 No.53・54・57・59
Message
Message from Ms. Brenda Berkman for Ground Zero's script 日本語訳
October 18, 2013
The events of September 11, 2001 are both universal and unique. People from all over the world remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City. For months afterward, television and newspapers were filled with stories of the people who died and the people who survived.
Mr. Kato has taken my brief first hand account of my 9-11 experience as a New York City fire officer who was at the World Trade Center trying to save lives that day and has dramatized it for the Japanese people. His play is universal - the experiences of first responders in New York on 9-11 have many of the same themes as experiences of people who have been at other terrorist attacks or natural disasters including 3-11-11 in Japan. But the play is also unique because it uses my voice, the voice of a woman first responder to tell the story.
Many people do not even know that there were women first responders on 9-11. I hope that people who read and see the play will remember and honor the many acts of heroism and sacrifice made by women and men from all over the world in response to September 11.
Never Forget from BrendaBerkmanArtworks
MessageⅡ
Message from Ms. Hannah Grace for Ground Zero's performance
March １, 2018
I was only a Freshman in high school when the 9/11 attack took place. Like many students, I watched the footage on the TV screens all day during each class. I kept a journal of my thoughts as the events unfolded, not knowing how else to process what I was seeing. The impact of that day is still with me. The next day many students gathered early before school around our school’s flagpole to pray for New York and our country.
Two weeks after the attack I was able to go to New York City with a volunteer group to help pack boxes of food and supplies for people struggling in the aftermath. I also had the opportunity to see something of the wreckage of the Twin Towers, and feel the impact the event had on the citizens of NY.
Ms. Berkman mentions that New Yorkers were changed by the disaster, that they became kinder. I experienced this atmosphere as a volunteer there. Everyone seemed to be reaching out to each other to give and receive support. I sensed that there was a lot of love in the city at that time in the midst of sorrow.
At the same time, that event changed the course of American history and of the world. Now that I live outside of America I realize just how much the rest of the world was also impacted by the event. This is a shared part of our global history. It is an important story to tell, in and outside the US.
Brenda Berkman’s story is as close to the event as is possible to get, and this monodrama tries to capture both the facts as well as some of the emotions of that day. I hope that as people listen to the story, they will remember the heroes who worked so hard that day to save lives even at the cost of their own. I hope that we can all consider the impact we have on each other in this world and what each of us individually can do to help those around us, even in small ways.
I want to thank Ms. Berkman for so generously sharing what must have been such a difficult experience. I am deeply grateful that I have the privilege of sharing her experience with others.
Actress Hannah Grace
