When actress Kim Grimaldi turned on her television to a morning program, she was not expecting to see an emotionally-driven theatrical response to the Sept. 11 attacks that would be perfect for the StageWest Theater Company’s agenda.

This, however, was exactly what she saw. After making a call to the artistic director of the StageWest Company, Ronald Lambert, the idea to bring the play “The Guys” by Anne Nelson to central Iowa was born.

“The Guys” premiered last weekend at the State Historical Building Auditorium on 600 E. Locust St., and will be performed Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 7 p.m. Student tickets are free Thursday and Sunday with a student ID. Friday and Saturday’s shows are half price with a student ID. Full price is $15 at the door.

The play deals with a fire captain who has lost eight of his men in the collapse of the World Trade Center towers, and the friendship and connection he develops with an editor who assists in writing eulogies for his fallen men. Author Anne Nelson wrote the play from her true experience in which her “editor” character was based.

“The fire captain did not see anything hero-like in his men, but the editor’s character saw them as heroes,” says Tom Milligan, who plays the part of the fire captain. “He missed the fact that they can be extraordinary men during extraordinary times.”

Milligan says the play shows the uniqueness behind the lives of the eight fallen men and points out how ordinary people can be heroes.

One of the main reasons for the creation of the play was catharsis, Lambert says.

“Every art form, whether it be music, photos, poetry or theater, people have a need to express how they feel, to freeze that moment in history,” he says. “I think it’s important that people find a way to express themselves. Many people create art.”

“The Guys” is the first theatrical response to the events of Sept. 11, written in eight days after the attacks. It premiered off-Broadway in New York City with Sigourney Weaver and Bill Murray reading the parts of the two characters, and has been greeted with resounding success.

Lambert was able to make the right connection at the right time and secure the privilege for StageWest to perform “The Guys” in Des Moines. By doing so, StageWest held the first performance rights to perform the play given outside of New York City and Los Angeles.

Grimaldi, who plays the part of the editor, says the play was well-received last weekend.

“The audience response has been wonderful,” Grimaldi says. “When the captain pauses and starts to remember his men, the audience almost stops breathing. They are focusing in and are with you all the way.”