A Review of the Play, Men on Boats, at Baltimore Center Stage

I recently saw Men on Boats, the third play of the 2019/2020 season at Baltimore Center Stage. This play is written by Jaclyn Backhaus and directed by Jenny Koons. It is a satire based on the one-armed explorer, John Wesley Powell’s expedition and “discovery” of the Grand Canyon and his relationship with his fellow boat mates.

What I enjoyed about this play was the fresh take of having an all-female cast – ten of them portraying an explorer. Although the story takes place in 1869, I loved how the playwright sought to give it a more hip and twentieth century flavor. It was all in the attitude and quips mostly given by some of my favorite characters: John Wesley Powell played by Ceci Fernandez, Old Shady played by Haruna Lee, John Colton Sumner played by Patrena Murray, and William Dunn played by Jessica Ranville.

Watching the interaction of the explorers going through rough seas showed the closeness of them as a team supporting and helping and at times saving each other. It was also fun watching them interact when they “banked” or came on shore. I enjoyed the scenes with Old Shady who was in charge of the food supplies and took this role seriously even getting mad when food rotted or got lost when a boat overturned. But somehow managed to create meals out of what remained. Nevertheless, nothing beats the camaraderie when they shared wine and sang around a campfire.

The actors’ chemistry on stage was fantastic. They delivered their lines well and took what could have been a very boring topic of exploration and made it an interesting and hilarious yet thought-provoking one. This was captured in the scenes portraying the power struggle between Dunn and Powell. Dunn not trusting Powell thinking he was leading them to their deaths and Powell adamant in forging ahead although I could sense some doubt in his decision.

At the end of the day, it’s all about the narrative and the re-telling or the re-imagining of how history is portrayed. And this play accomplished that quite well in letting the audience know that it wasn’t a bed of roses on this discovery expedition. Great job!

So, get your tickets today! You still have time to see this show playing now through December 22, 2019.

Synopsis taken from https://www.centerstage.org/plays-and-events/mainstage/men-on-boats

A ROLLICKING COMEDY

This rollicking comedy is history as you’ve never seen it before — without a single man in sight. Join a team of explorers as they tell the true(ish) story of the “discovery” of the Grand Canyon and upend everything...including their boats.

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