What do you know about the 1869 expedition to chart the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon?

Nothing?

Yeah, me neither. But Men on Boats is here to show the “true(ish)” version of the ten men who undertook this dangerous mission. The comedy appears at first like a Ken Burns documentary in the making but is, in fact, a succinct retelling of a journey that, in reality, took three months, and does not feature a single male actor.

This production, originally staged by Clubbed Thumb, and then co-produced by Playwrights Horizons, cast ten incredibly talented actresses, led by Kelly McAndrews, University of Missouri- Kansas City alumnae. McAndrews played John Wellesley Powell, the head of the expedition. Unapologetic in ‘his’ approach to the crew, and never hindered by his lack of an arm, McAndrews strikes the perfect balance of humor and gravitas. With her detailed and self-aware script, playwright Jaclyn Backhaus describes every turn of the ride including rocks, whirlpools, lost oars, and, of course, waterfalls.

The character portrayals are further enhanced with a costume design by Ásta Bennie Hostetter, CalArts alumnae, which neither highlights nor hides the fact that these are in fact, women. Each actor wears a unique and specific design that is both true to their role in the mission, and, unique to their individual style.

Men on Boats is a great example of the wonderful storytelling and artistry that our alums are regularly a part of. We are proud to see these artists’ work grace the New York City stage.