Chagutok

***Semifinalist, O'Neill National Playwrights Conference
***Finalist, Dayton Playhouse FutureFest

[FULL-LENGTH] Four Americans each make a solitary pilgrimage to a remote, unpopulated island off the Alaskan coast, hoping to witness an obscure and mysterious atmospheric phenomenon known as the Chagutok Lights, which occurs only once every seventeen years. They each expect to be camping alone out there, but find...

***Semifinalist, O'Neill National Playwrights Conference
***Finalist, Dayton Playhouse FutureFest

[FULL-LENGTH] Four Americans each make a solitary pilgrimage to a remote, unpopulated island off the Alaskan coast, hoping to witness an obscure and mysterious atmospheric phenomenon known as the Chagutok Lights, which occurs only once every seventeen years. They each expect to be camping alone out there, but find themselves stuck in each others' company - an unwelcome situation for these people-skills-challenged individuals, but they manage...until a dead body appears. And it's just the first. Alone on this barren island, these four loners must work together to solve the mysteries of the dead, the Lights...and each other.

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Chagutok

Recommended by

  • Nick Malakhow: Chagutok

    This was a consistently surprising and touching play that kept me gripped with its subtle but impactful twists and turns. I loved the multi-faceted exploration of loneliness and relationships and the intersection of those things with socio-political context and turmoil, and I also appreciated what the play said about cycles of injustice and change. The ending was sweet, poignant, and the characters were relateably human in circumstances that were infused with a delightful, subtle magic.

    This was a consistently surprising and touching play that kept me gripped with its subtle but impactful twists and turns. I loved the multi-faceted exploration of loneliness and relationships and the intersection of those things with socio-political context and turmoil, and I also appreciated what the play said about cycles of injustice and change. The ending was sweet, poignant, and the characters were relateably human in circumstances that were infused with a delightful, subtle magic.

  • Samantha Oty: Chagutok

    This play is stunning. So many great twists that I didn’t see coming—and when they did it made previous moments and conversations make so much more sense. However, I think the biggest twist is how heartwarming and sweet the ending of this piece is. Overall incredible.

    This play is stunning. So many great twists that I didn’t see coming—and when they did it made previous moments and conversations make so much more sense. However, I think the biggest twist is how heartwarming and sweet the ending of this piece is. Overall incredible.

  • Doug DeVita: Chagutok

    I love this play; by turns eerie, funny, mysterious, and ultimately touching, Gatton’s sure hand guides his assorted mismatched characters through a gauntlet of emotional revelations that build in intensity until everything coalesces into a surprise — and surprisingly touching — denouement. A stunning work.
    .

    I love this play; by turns eerie, funny, mysterious, and ultimately touching, Gatton’s sure hand guides his assorted mismatched characters through a gauntlet of emotional revelations that build in intensity until everything coalesces into a surprise — and surprisingly touching — denouement. A stunning work.
    .

View all 15 recommendations

Character Information

  • Tasha
    American-born granddaughter of Russian Jewish immigrants; her natural-fiber, crunchy-granola aesthetic clashes with her prickly personality.
    Character Age
    early 20s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    White
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • Rex
    Ideally of meaty/beefy build, scruffy or bearded. Conversationally and emotionally guarded, if not downright secretive. A photographer.
    Character Age
    Late 30s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    White
    Character Gender Identity
    Male
  • Mary Jo
    A redneck in sound and vibe, but smart and well-educated. Witty, cantankerous, and a loner -- but also a talker.
    Character Age
    50s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    White
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • Daniel
    An American-born son of South African immigrants. A science nerd. Smart, insightful, a little excitable but emotionally grounded.
    Character Age
    early 30s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    African American/Black
    Character Gender Identity
    Male

Development History

  • Type Reading, Organization Actors Theatre of Louisville/Louisville Fringe Storytelling Revolution Festival, Year 2026

Awards