Donald Rupe, a playwright from Orlando, Florida, never set out to write a musical about the Pulse nightclub massacre. His original intention was to craft a narrative about his friends and their lives. However, the deeper he delved into their stories, the more he found himself circling back to the tragic events of June 12, 2016, when a lone gunman killed 49 people at the gay-friendly Pulse nightclub.
Rupe explains, “The Pulse connection really was not planned, but if I was going to write honestly about myself and about my friends around that time period, it would be false not to talk about how it affected us.” His latest creation, the powerful and moving musical “From Here,” captures the raw emotions and complex community reactions in the days following the massacre.
Exploring the Impact of Pulse
“From Here,” set to make its off-Broadway debut this summer, revolves around Daniel, a thirty-something surrounded by a close-knit group of queer friends. The narrative follows their journey as they navigate life, relationships, and insecurities with humor and kindness. Central to the story is Daniel’s turbulent relationship with his mother.
Rupe notes, “It is and it isn’t about Pulse. We don’t even mention Pulse for the first 45 minutes of the show. But then, like it did in real life, once that moment intersects with the daily drama of the show, it changes the entire show.” This approach mirrors the sudden, profound impact the massacre had on the Orlando community.
A Personal and Universal Tale
The musical debuted at the 2019 Orlando Fringe Festival and has since undergone several iterations, culminating in its current form. As the show prepares for its run at The Pershing Square Signature Center in Manhattan, the cast and crew reflect on its significance.
Blake Aburn, who plays Daniel, brings a deeply personal connection to his role, having lost a close friend in the massacre. He describes the experience as cathartic, emphasizing that while the show revisits the tragedy, it ultimately tells a story of love and acceptance. “The story ends on a high note. The story ends with Daniel feeling hopeful. So it’s easy to kind of go through it that way — to think of the emotions rather than the tragedies,” says Aburn.
Resonating Beyond Orlando
While “From Here” is rooted in the Orlando experience, its themes resonate with any community that has faced mass trauma. Rupe believes that the musical can provide a sense of shared understanding and healing, particularly for communities affected by gun violence, such as Newtown, Connecticut; Blacksburg, Virginia; and Uvalde, Texas.
Rupe expresses, “I think so many people now, unfortunately, have a connection to shared trauma or shared grief, whether it’s in the face of nonsensical gun violence or something widely experienced as the pandemic.”
Omar Cardona, a veteran of “The Voice” who plays Ricky, a love interest for Daniel, shares a personal connection to the Pulse tragedy, having lost a good friend that night. He underscores the responsibility of portraying the events honestly, stating, “The tears just flow.”
Healing Through Art
The musical’s first song following the shooting, “When Angels Fall,” features poignant lyrics that capture the city’s grief and resilience: “The world stopped moving — frozen by a disapproving God/When angels fall, the city walls all disappear/We’re all from here.”
Rupe and his cast hope that “From Here” can facilitate healing and foster a collective understanding of this dark chapter in history. As Cardona aptly puts it, “It’s a story that needed to be told because, yes, we will always continue to remember and we will never forget those who are lost, but I feel like we needed something to finish this story and to put it into the ether.”