Drawn from Herman Melville’s classic novel, Moby Dick, Ishmael, tells the tale of a country schoolteacher who signs on to a whaling trip with a captain he’s never met. A shape-shifting actor and a multifaceted musician conjure a funny, thoughtful and harrowing play about Ishmael’s drive to see the world and Captain Ahab’s insatiable quest for the great white whale, Moby Dick.Originating at the 2015 Minnesota Fringe Festival, Ishmael was selected for the Big Sky Conservatory and developed into a full-length theatre piece and premiered at the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center in March of 2017. The production opened the 2018 season for Minneapolis’ acclaimed Jungle Theater and played to sold out capacity for its entire run.In discussing his approach to crafting this famous story into a 90-minute theater piece, Ishmael, playwright Leo Getter, says “We tell this tale in such a way that it’s like closing your eyes and having the book come alive for the audience.” Guthrie Theatre actor Michelle O’Neill has now reshaped the piece for touring integrating members of the original cast, including Jack Weston as Ishmael and musician Jim Parker providing a seamless sound scape that sets an evocative tone for the work.