John Eisele/Colorado State Unive
Courtesy of Colorado State University
Colorado State University’s school of music, theatre and dance’s first theater production of the year is officially underway. “Men on Boats” was written in 2017 by playwright Jaclyn Backhaus, telling the story of John Wesley Powell’s expedition down the Colorado River in 1869. The play will be showcased at the University Center for the Arts until Oct. 5.
“Playwright Jaclyn Backhaus reimagines this expedition and casts this all-male moment in history with a group of non-male performers,” The listing for the play on CSU’s Events Calendar reads. “‘Men on Boats’ disrupt the foundations of history and theatre with a bright, comedic edge.”
The creative narrative choice to only cast women explores how gender can craft and alter accounts of history.
“There were themes of men in exploration and women being barred from those exploratory roles and how that can shape history as we know it,” audience member Anther Oravec said. “I really like the perspective of an all female-presenting cast in that way.”
Throughout the play, humor and structure constantly juxtaposed each other. The performance got loud and chaotic during some scenes and grew quieter and more tense in the next. Dialogue followed the same path: Some lines were vulgar while others were comparatively light-hearted and immature.
Over the course of the play, the narrative left plenty of room for dramatic shifts in tone and intensity. One scene, the audience was biting their nails as they tried to decide what path the crew might take to escape the canyon, and then they’re cheering on the crew for rescuing one of their crewmates in the next.
The play drops the traditional “man vs. man” conflict to explore the bond between the voyagers. Tension builds within the group, which creates conflict in a story absent of a conventional antagonist.
“Embodying the role got me to try to touch into my masculinity and just see more of the tough part of me.” -Deneen Smith, cast as Seneca Howland.
The set was designed plainly and intentionally so. The only permanent set pieces on the stage were several crates, which were used to represent props such as boats and benches, and three white drapes. Because of this, immersion came from the sound design, lighting and the action of the play itself.
“(The set design) just made the show more focused on the acting,” said Cameron Aden, a deck crew member. “This is definitely a very acting-heavy show, and I feel as though the immersive experience definitely added to the realism of the show. But at the same time, it also didn’t necessarily take away from it.”
Lighting and sound provided plenty of immersion in the absence of a traditional set. Dramatic shifts in lighting simulated the passage of day and night along with the intensity of sea storms that stood in the way of the crew. The lighting was complemented by the sounds of flowing rivers, making the audience feel they are part of the expedition.
Choosing to cast all women for a story composed of only men provided unique acting opportunities for the cast.
“Embodying the role got me to try to touch into my masculinity and just see more of the tough part of me,” said Deneen Smith, cast to play Seneca Howland.
Shaking up the cast dynamic encouraged other theater students to take on unfamiliar roles. The typical actors went behind the scenes, and some set crew members took the stage.
“I’m usually a performer,” Aden said. “I did this design for a TH 186 assignment, and it’s a really unique way to be able to integrate the company because everybody always does something they’re not trained to do.”
Held at the University Center for the Arts, “Men on Boats” will be shown every evening at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2-4, with a matinee at 2 p.m. Oct. 5. Tickets can be found at the Ticket Office website.
Reach Robert Sides at entertainment@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.