SDA production reimagines history with all-female cast
SDA’s newest production, “Men on Boats,” looks at an 1869 expedition to the Grand Canyon through a contemporary lens, featuring a diverse all-female cast.
Following the somewhat fictionalized journey of Major John Wesley Powell (played by Casey Gardner) and his eccentric group of explorers as they sail down the Colorado to chart the frontier, the group encounters hardship from both the natural world and each other. High-stakes sequences of sailing down rapids and power struggles between leadership are balanced by wistful moments of discovery and an undercurrent of brotherhood among the men.
The play, written by Jaclyn Backhaus in 2017, was created with an all-female cast in mind. By taking an event that historically involved only white men and retelling it through the perspective of a multicultural group of women, previously overlooked groups are included in the American Frontier narrative.
“I am always fascinated with telling stories and experiences of those who have been forgotten, who have been erased or dismissed, not included in history and historical context,” said Anita Dashiell-Sparks, the show’s director. “[The play] challenges us to consider who really has the opportunity to be an innovator, to be an explorer [and] who has the opportunity and the agency to claim land and objects and things within it as their own.”
For the show, production designers created a space reminiscent of the frontier, yet one that would not overshadow the play’s plot. The dynamic set consists of two wood structures featuring two “river” tubs filled with real water that drenches the actors and splashes onto the stage.
Despite the name of the play, there are no physical boats — the vessels are instead conveyed through ropes, blue silks and pantomiming. Painted on the floor is an expansive chart of American rivers, reminding audiences of just how large this uncharted territory was and what a challenging task the river crew undertook. The story comes to life as the evocative sound design floods audiences with the thundering waterfalls and folksy tunes that Americans associate with the lore of the frontier.
Despite minor prop mistakes, which the cast quickly adapted to, the production was full of emotional intensity and dedicated character work. The actors transform into rugged mountain men who progress steadily from enthusiastic explorers to worn down sailors unsure of what to do with themselves once they get off the Colorado. Gardner as Major John Wesley Powell has the calm command of the stage that an expedition leader would, and Blake Fisher as William Dunn counters her with a nuanced, uncouth power. The rest of the cast creates distinctive, memorable personas, a difficult task when there is a boat crew of 10 and a full cast of 13.
This play is a testament that we don’t have to erase history; instead, we must reimagine how it is told, and that is precisely what Dashiell-Sparks did.
“We have a part in how we preserve history, how we archive it, how we tell it and how we rewrite it, because it is always being written,” Dashiell-Sparks said.
For centuries, the rich history of indigenous and native cultures, the stories of women and the talent of minorities have all been omitted from history. But history is alive and well, and there is now an opportunity to rediscover half our national narrative that was previously lost. “Men on Boats” creates a national folklore that modern audiences can rally behind. This new American spirit allows for the joy of discovering the new frontier, the admiration of beautiful landscapes and the uniquely 1869 experience of “naming stuff” without erasing the detrimental effects of Manifest Destiny and the exploitation of the indigenous people.
Although the historical event that inspired “Men on Boats” solely comprised white men, the active choice to depict this story with a diverse cast of women is a step toward creating an American history that all Americans can be included in and proud of.
“Men on Boats” runs at McClintock Theatre from Oct. 3 to Oct. 6.