Behind The Lines: A 9/11 Story

Sponsored by The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation, Inc.

9/11 drew a nation together and linked the lives of two men from different generations. Set against the tragedy of the attacks and the war that followed, World Trade Center firefighter Bill Spade (sole survivor from FDNY Rescue Company 5) and combat veteran Jaymes Poling (three tours in Afghanistan) relive their experiences, revealing an unexpected bond in strength, meaning, and the weight of what they continue to carry after service.

PERFORMER BIO:
Created by internationally acclaimed jazz musician Dominick Farinacci and combat veteran Jaymes Poling, Behind the Lines: a 9/11 Story is a live story, music, and theatre performance set against the tragedy of the September 11 attacks and the war that followed. World Trade Center firefighter Bill Spade—the sole survivor from FDNY Rescue Company 5—and Poling, a three-tour Afghanistan combat veteran with the 82nd Airborne Division, relive their experiences and find an unexpected bond in strength, meaning, and the weight of what they continue to carry after service.

Farinacci—described by The New York Times as “a trumpeter of abundant poise who plays beautifully, with expressive control and brings true musicality”—brings an international career shaped by Juilliard, Jazz at Lincoln Center, a TED Talk, and award-winning recordings, alongside a deep commitment to music and mental well-being. Poling brings a hard-earned firsthand perspective and a powerful ability to translate lived experience into meaning and purpose onstage. Spade—featured on CBS Sunday Morning and the BBC—brings audiences inside the lived reality of that day and the aftermath, sharing what he lived through with rare clarity, courage, and gravity.

The music serves as the internal voice of the piece—deepening the narrative and revealing the humanity beneath the events. Performed live by a full ensemble led by Farinacci, the score spans original compositions alongside reimagined works by Leonard Cohen, Gnarls Barkley, Tom Waits, and more, heard through the emotional lens of the story. The production, directed by Emmett Murphy (Cirque du Soleil, Clint Holmes, Modern Warrior), unfolds in a cinematic world where light, image, and space translate feeling into color. Inspired by synesthesia, the multimedia and lighting design maps each shift in Bill and Jaymes’ psychological states, creating an immersive environment that elevates both the storytelling and the music.

Behind the Lines: a 9/11 Story is the latest production from Farinacci and Poling’s Modern Warrior, a nationally recognized production that unites real stories, live music, and theatre to explore loss, resilience, and the unseen aftermath of life-changing experiences. Modern Warrior’s flagship production, Modern Warrior LIVE, has toured extensively throughout the U.S. Deeply integrated within veteran and mental health communities, Modern Warrior has become a trusted cultural partner for organizations and leaders focused on resilience, service, and reintegration—bringing lived experience to the stage in a way that expands public understanding and reduces isolation. Modern Warrior is a National Endowment for the Arts grant recipient, has been featured on NPR and Fox News, presented at Amazon Headquarters, opened for Brené Brown, and earned praise from national leaders including two U.S. Secretaries of Veterans Affairs and General James Mattis, who called the work a “necessary and worthy mission.”

Created by Dominick Farinacci & Jaymes Poling
Directed by Emmett Murphy

BAND MEMBERS:
Dominick Farinacci (trumpet)
Jaymes Poling (combat veteran)
Bill Spade (World Trade Center Firefighter)
Dominick has a contact who can connect with local organizations that link us with local veterans affairs and mental health groups to be present at events if attendees need assistance.