"I spent most of the day with no idea what was happening anywhere
beyond a few blocks of my East Village apartment. I had no cellular
service or old-fashioned battery-powered radio available. Only late in
the day did I find scant wireless Internet access outside a hospital
where people were crammed shoulder-to-shoulder. The wireless finally
shut down, too, and my phone battery was running low. Rumors abounded
on the street -- power would be on in a few hours, in three days, in a
week. No clue on water, hot or cold. I peeked into underground parking
garages in my complex: the cars appeared to be floating. Alongside many
others I scoured shadowy delis with my flashlight, looking for water
and food that could keep for unknown amounts of days. All of the
battery-powered AM/FM radios had been bought up.
"I had no idea if the power outage was widespread to millions or just
in the East Village. Nobody seemed to have a clear idea what was
happening anywhere else. But throughout the day I felt a connection
that reminded me of 9/11 and the summer night in 2003 when New York
City went dark for 24 hours. New Yorkers are awesome. Nobody was an
asshole. Nobody was sketchy. People helped each other and shared the
misery together. I talked and joked with people in my building I'd only
passed before with maybe a 'hello.' In the attached article you'll see
a photo of a deli with its awning yanked down by the winds. I passed
by it this morning and saw a lot of merchandise available within easy
reach through a broken window. I passed by that deli again hours later
and nobody had taken anything. New Yorkers." -
Avenue Q playwright and Tony winner
Jeff Whitty, writing on his Facebook page.
RELATED: Whitty's latest show,
Bring It On: The Musical, is
now playing at the St. James Theater.
