In a month when rivers of tulle and truckloads of glitter snow engulf seasonally minded stages, “Islander” offers a minimalist musical that glimmers with a far more subtle kind of magic.
The Scottish import conceived and originally directed by Amy Draper plays out on a virtually empty set, with no costume changes and nary a fluttering flake to be found. With a pair of actors portraying dozens of roles, the 75-minute production (part of Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s WorldStage Series) vacillates between serene and tumultuous, its structure and sounds evoking the mighty ocean currents integral to its story.
