"Where were you on 9/11?," said actress Marsha Guyer, as the stage lights dimmed on Monday night's special performance of "The Guys" at South Baldwin Community Theatre. The play, which tells the story of New York Fire Department captain Nick, who through a chance encounter meets editor and journalism professor Joan a few weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Together, they work through Nick's grief to write the eulogies for eight of the "guys" in his crew who were lost that day, and they help each other come to terms with the tragic event.

The show, which consists of a small cast of just two actors, takes place in one setting: a New York City apartment. The stage is modestly decorated with a chair, couch, lamp and a coffee table displaying an authentic 2001 magazine with a cover page of the twin towers on fire as smoke pours into the Manhattan sky.

While the play carries an emotional, somber tone throughout its 90 minutes, there are also moments of comedy that quickly dry any tear-filled eyes.

Theatregoers will know that many theaters do not hold performances on Monday, a precedent set by Broadway after a long weekend of shows and matinee performances. However, Steve Henry, president of SBCT, said it was important to have a performance on the anniversary of 9/11 and share the experience with local first responders. SBCT honored them with complimentary tickets and dinner before the special show.

Henry said he believes this may have been the first Monday night performance throughout the theater's 52-year history.

As someone who was alive but too young to remember the attacks (I was born in 2000), I was eager to see the show and learn what isn't included in the history books. "The Guys" not only covers the chaos, horror and pain of that day but also shows how the after-effects stretched so much further than the boroughs of New York City and still resonate just as deeply 22 years later.

The most unique aspect of the show for me is the idea that the first responders who lost their lives that day are much more than fallen heroes; they were ordinary people, on an ordinary Tuesday morning thrown into an unforeseeable situation. In the midst of devastation, they didn't falter. Many gave their lives to save countless others.

So, whether you were in diapers like me or you remember it like it was yesterday, consider adding "The Guys" to your weekend plans. You are sure to walk away with a couple tears and a new perspective.