Playwright: Karen Tarjan

​

Embark on a Frozen Odyssey! Unearth the indomitable spirit of Ernest Shackleton in a gripping tale of survival, courage, and camaraderie, as his Antarctic journey unfolds on stage. The White Road, where the human spirit meets the harshest elements, forging a legacy that transcends the frozen abyss.

Award-winning playwright Karen Tarjan's play is the story of Ernest Shackleton’s ill-fated attempt to cross Antarctica from sea to sea, via the South Pole. When their ship, The Endurance, is crushed by pack ice over a thousand miles from civilization, Shackleton and his crew have only one path ahead of them: the White Road. An incredible tale of survival in near-impossible conditions when all hope seems lost.

“Karen Tarjan’s thrilling play, The White Road, now receiving a wonderfully vivid, powerfully physical, often blackly comic world premiere… Tarjan demonstrates great flair for spinning an adventure yarn.”—Chicago Sun-Times 

“Shackleton was also a poet, considered one of the best Antarctic poets of the period. This sense of romantic heroism flows throughout The White Road, as we experience a superbly well-told tale of survival.”—Chicago Stage Standard 

“An intense adventure that pits man against nature at its most vicious form. Based on the true heroics of Irish-born polar explorer Ernest Shackleton, The White Road tells the story of yet another incredible undertaking where all hope lies solely in one’s will to survive.”—Buzznews.net 

“There's no denying the visceral exhilaration of [this] classic man-against-nature yarn.”—Windy City Times

​