Men on Boats

About the Show

By Jaclyn Backhaus
In 1869, John Wesley Powell led a group of 10 men down the Colorado River to chart its course. With only 4 boats, a month’s provisions and plenty of moxie, these men risked life and limb, all in the name of Manifest Destiny. Based on Powell’s travel journals, this modern action adventure adds new perspective to exploration and our look at history.

Directed by Rachel Klem

From the Director

Cross-Gender Casting (or cross-casting) is as old as theatre itself. I was excited when I first read Men on Boats to find that the playwright, Jaclyn Backhaus, took the idea of cross-casting a step further. In the casting notes she says, “The characters in Men On Boats were historically cisgender white males. The cast should be made up entirely of people who are not.” She is pushing us to think about gender outside the box in the same way that the musical Hamilton asks us to think about race.

”…[a] rollicking history pageant…MEN ON BOATS makes canny use of the obvious distance between performers and their roles to help bridge the distance between then and now…” —The New York Times.

Produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc.

Show Times:
7:30pm Nightly, September 20-22, 26-29
2:00pm, Sunday Matinees:  September 23 & 30

Wednesday Community Night:  September 26 — All public seats $15 (plus applicable fees and tax)

Audio Description & Closed Captioning:   Friday, September 21 — View Captioning here on day of show.
Contact Ticket Central in advance if special assistance is required.