This dramatic work was written to commemorate the 25th anniversary of loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald and her crew, and to honor the men and women who work in the maritime and great lakes' freighting industries. The reasons why the Edmund Fitzgerald so draws our interest are:  First, she was the greatest ship on the Great Lakes, a fine captain and crew, and at the time of year notorious for such storms, they were thrown against a beast of a storm on a lake with an unforgiving reputation.  Second, stories where human endeavor must stand against nature satisfy our need to understand our environment. Last, since many questions remain unanswered, we also have a mystery that leaves us profoundly disturbed.

The Fitzgerald displaced 13,632 tons and was 729 feet long. In 1958, when she was first launched, she was the largest carrier on the Great Lakes, and remained so until 1971. The Fitzgerald was labeled "The Pride of the American Flag". In 1964 she became the first ship on the Great Lakes to carry more than a million tons of ore through the Soo Locks. On November 9, 1975 she departed from Superior, WI with approximately 26,000 tons of ore bound for Detroit MI. Shortly after leaving, the Fitzgerald made contact with the Arthur M. Anderson bound, on a similar route, for Gary IN.  The title is based on the final words uttered by Captain McSorley to the Anderson crew  before the Fitzgerald disappeared beneath the surface.  

We have all heard the Gordon Lightfoot song about "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" that tells the tale of that fateful night and now, Lake Superior Theatre gives us the opportunity to contemplate this tale of courage and hope right on the shores of one of the largest bodies of freshwater in the world, Lake Superior.

The Night of the Storm continued

Join us for a season to celebrate as we present and preserve our history!