Men on Boats

Ten explorers. Four boats. One Grand Canyon. The true(ish) history of John Wesley Powell’s 1869 expedition to chart the Colorado River.

A one-armed captain and a crew of insane but loyal volunteers comprise the Powell Geographic Expedition and the cast of characters in the story, but in Jaclyn Backhaus’ telling, there’s neither man nor boat in sight — rather, 10 spirited, local women actors.

Says Artistic Director Missy Moore, herself having played the role of Hawkins before being in the director’s chair to launch the TRTC 2021-22 season: “Very rarely do we get to go on an adventure. We’re usually cast as the mom or the sexy lover or the asexual tomboy. Very rarely do female actors get to step into a role where they transform because of the heightened adventure, where death is the possibility.”

Opening night is Sept. 30 with Thursday-Sunday runs through Oct. 17, and we’re offering both traditional, full-house seating as well as socially distanced, four-seat pods. We know there’s no “right” answer in how to get back to enjoying live theater, so we’re doing our best to offer something for as many people as possible. Both ticketing options are available at thunderrivertheatre.com.