Overview
Synopsis
In 1869, ten explorers set off to chart the Green and Colorado Rivers, under the guidance of John Wesley Powell, a one-armed Civil War Veteran and personal friend of President Grant, a government-sanctioned journey following in the footsteps of the deserters, lone adventurers, and countless indigenous people who have previously braved the wild rapids leading through Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico, and through the most dangerous waterway of all: the Grand Canyon. Along the way they make friends, they get on each other’s nerves, they suffer loss of boat and supplies, they doubt, struggle, and name mountains after themselves, they posture and pretend, they quit while they’re ahead, and they repeatedly brave dangerous rapids to reach the other side. As boats capsize and supplies are lost, as belts tighten and nerves fray, the company draws together as a band of brothers, even as three members fear the outcome of the final waterfalls and make the fateful decision to leave before the end. In Men On Boats, Jacklyn Backhaus’ original, hilarious, and delightful adventure dramedy, the conquering men out to chronicle the land in service of America, God, and Manifest destiny, are given voice and movement by actors who are anything and everything but white and male, and the bravery, determination, foolishness, humanity, and true grit of the historical explorers is memorialized, while the historical moment of their journey is viewed with a critical lense.
Show Information
- Book
- Jacklyn Backhaus
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 3
- First Produced
- 2015
- Genres
- Comedy, Historical/Biographical
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings, Simple/No Set
- Time & Place
- 1869, Summer, On Boats, Green River, Colorado River, Grand Canyon
- Cast Size
- medium
- Ideal For
- All-Female Cast, College/University, Community Theatre, Diverse Cast, Ensemble Cast, Mostly Female Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Includes Adult, Late Teen, Young Adult Characters, Medium Cast
Context
The Playwright's casting note is crucial for production purposes. The Playwright states:
"The characters in Men On Boats were historically cisgender males. The cast should be made up entirely of people who are not. I'm talking about racially diverse actors who are female-indentifying, trans-identifying, gender-fluid, and/or non-gender conforming."
to read the context for Men on Boats and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Supporting |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
Sorry! We do not currently have terms for this guide.
Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.
Quote Analysis
Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.
Guide Written By:
