The question at the heart of this world premiere play.

By Jacob Janssen, Jackie & Steve Kane Artistic Director
From Culture Club, Door County Pulse
September 25, 2026

Legacy is a tricky thing. What sort of world we leave behind is the question at the heart of Brian James Polak’s dark comedy The Call List, which premieres at Third Avenue PlayWorks in Sturgeon Bay September 23 through October 11. 

For five years Brian and I have been having conversations about art and community. But that is not surprising, Brian and I are both talkers. We both like to talk to other artists almost as much as we like to make art, almost.

I met Brian shortly after moving back to Door County. We were introduced to one another by Leda Hoffman, a director who has spent time working in Door County. Brian and I immediately hit it off. We are both middle aged men who have spent the better part of our lives ruminating on the state of the arts. We are both from small towns in states often neglected by the supposed ‘centers of culture,’ where we had both spent significant portions of our careers. 

Often our conversations would turn to the future and the sort of artistic landscape we hoped to build. Call it a pre-legacy, if you will.

Then three years ago, on the heels of the first World Premiere Wisconsin Festival in 2023, we made a commitment to produce Brian’s play. Brian had just spent time workshopping the play with Door County favorite Eva Nimmer, and our friends at the Door Kinetic Arts Festival. It felt fitting that our entry in the 2026 WPW Festival would be fully made right here in Door County.

The Call List follows Samantha Fischer, a restless young woman who finds herself tasked with calling a list of strangers to tell them that someone they knew has died. 

It is a strange assignment, to say the least. Her task is complicated when she discovers that some of the people on the list might not know the deceased, and hijinks of a sort ensue.

The Call List shows us that legacy is a tricky thing. No matter how carefully we lay our plans, once we pass, we are no longer here to speak for them. Plans, if we have them, might be handed over to ill-equipped executors. They might be misinterpreted. 

To be clear, The Call List is not a pitch to get your will in order, though you probably should. 

Rather, it makes the case that a legacy is built in life. It is found in countless little interactions, kindnesses, friendships, and shared moments of joy. A legacy isn’t built only through the works one accomplishes, but most importantly in the memories of those we touched.

So for Brian and I, those endless hours of conversation are the basis of our legacy. They didn’t just inspire us to work together, they shaped a story I can’t wait to share with all of you.