Men On Boats

Buffalo, NY - The University at Buffalo Department of Theatre & Dance will present Men On Boats by Jacyln Backhaus and directed by Eero Laineon Wednesday, October 25 through Saturday, October 28, 2017 at 7:30pm and Sunday October 29, 2017 at 2:00pm in the Drama Theatre, located at the Center for the Arts, North Campus. Tickets are $20, Students (any school) and Seniors $10.

This play chronicles the 1869 expedition to chart the Green River and Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, led by John Wesley Powell. The play comically highlights the American mythos of western “exploration.” Through clever satire and contemporary style Backhaus recounts and retells history from a modern perspective. This is best illustrated by a note from the playwright on casting the play: “The characters in Men on Boats were historically cisgender white males. The cast should be made up entirely of people who are not.”              

The play is one full of witty, sardonic, and tongue-in-cheek moments. Resulting in a strikingly creative, unquestionably bold, and undeniably entertaining play that both celebrates and parodies one of the most illustrious exploration stories in US history. Laine, noting how Men On Boats is not unlike other productions that present well-known histories in a theatrical, perception-altering way, such as Hamilton.

Under Laine’s direction, Men on Boats will be a lively, highly entertaining account of the expedition, using a contemporary lens to complement on the heroic tale and expose new perspectives on how historic events are interpreted.

Tickets: Center for the Arts Box Office (Tue-Fri, 12-6) and www.ticketfly.com. Charge by phone at (877)987-6487. For more information call (716)645-2787 or visit www.ubcfa.org or http://theatredance.buffalo.edu/.