Snowmaggedon gave him FOMO, so he wrote a play about it

Snowmaggedon, the mega-snowstorm that trapped St. John's residents in their homes for days five years ago, is at the heart of a new play debuting at the LSPU Hall in St. John's next month.

Now people can relive the storm, and maybe laugh about it, with 76 Centimeters.

Written by Xaiver Michael Campbell, the play is a romantic comedy that tells the story of couple Abe and Samson, who are trapped in their basement apartment during Snowmaggedon.

Campbell said he watched the historic snowstorm play out from afar, stuck in Montreal after a cancelled flight. 

Except for the shovelling, he said that seeing the community pull together during this time actually gave him a bit of FOMO — the fear of missing out. So, he started writing the play in February 2020, only weeks after the storm. 

"I was just like watching it and ... wanting to be home because you know, then you start seeing all the community aspect of it," said Campbell." "[It's] bittersweet … it stuck with me."

He said he remembers the shocking elements of the storm, like massive snowbanks filling the streets, with the lines created by snowplows and the doorways filled with snow. 

"Seeing all of that and the chaos that ensued during and after Snowmageddon, I was like, this is a pretty dramatic event and it would make for a good piece of dramatic theatre," said Campbell. 

While the storm was something happening outdoors, Campbell said what interested him was what happened indoors. The play demonstrates what can happen to a relationship while trapped inside. 

"You have them feeling confined. And it's like, what did they do, how did they figure it out, how did they get through the storm intact," said Campbell. "You might get changed by an experience like that." 

A relatable experience for everyone

Jamal Weekes plays the character Samson, who is in a relationship with the play's other character, Abe. 

In the play, Samson and Abe try to work out their relationship amid the throes of Snowmaggedon. 

"They're a couple in love and also currently trapped in a basement apartment because of Snowmageddon and they are stuck," said Weekes." 

"I was speaking to the director, Santiago, after I read the play, and I was like yo, I feel like I have been on both sides of this conversation," said Weekes. "I hope that at the end of it, people see bits and pieces of themselves." 

Audiences will be able to see 76 Centimeters between Feb. 6 and Feb. 9.

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