For years, a lighthouse guided sailors across a deadly crossing in the heart of Lake Michigan. Standing on a foreboding island marked by oppressive fog, the lighthouse aided navigation for those who embarked on the Portes des Morts, or Death’s Door.
In the world premiere of Pilot Island & Her Keepers, the Impostors Theatre Company illuminates the stories of the keepers tasked with watching over the light, inspired by real events.
Pilot Island & Her Keepers
Through 11/23: Thu–Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 3 PM; Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee, 773-697-3830, theimpostorstheatre.com, $31 reserved, $26 general admission
Playwright and ITC company member Kayla Belec’s innovative script triumphantly weaves together several narratives of the keepers who worked on Pilot Island. For some, it is a land of opportunity, while others meet it with reluctance. The lore that precedes the keepers becomes something that steers, haunts, and rouses them as they forge ahead and create their own legacies during their time on the island.
The lighthouse at Pilot Island still stands today, although the task of keeping it has given way to automation. Thanks to the vision of the cast and creative team, led by director and ITC artistic director Stefan Roseen, Pilot Island isn’t just a piece of lost history or a single story of a time that has come and gone. Audiences are invited to escape to an immersive world that crosses the boundaries of time and emphasizes the often otherworldly connection between the place and the people within. The attention to detail across each production element, from the whimsical score by Dominick Vincent Alesia to the chilling lighting design by Emma Luke, elevates an already captivating story.
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