THE SCHOOL OF THEATRE AND DANCE PRESENTS
MEN ON BOATS
By JACLYN BACKHAUS
Director: JM Christiansen
Scenic/Projection Designer: Jay Michael Roberts
Costume Designer: Ember Cuddy
Lighting/Projection Designer: Peter Fedock
Sound Designer: Mike Post
Stage Manager: Laila Sisson
Playwrights Horizons, Inc. and Clubbed Thumb produced MEN ON BOATS in New York City, 2016.
Initially developed and produced by Clubbed Thumb in 2015.
MEN ON BOATS is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection. (www.dramatists.com)
MAKING ELECTRONIC OR OTHER AUDIO AND/OR VISUAL RECORDINGS OF THIS PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTING RECORDINGS OR STREAMS IN ANY MEDIUM, INCLUDING THE INTERNET, IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The School of Theatre and Dance acknowledges that these are the aboriginal territories of the Salish and Kalispel people, a number of whom are our colleagues, students, and friends. We honor the path they have always shown us in caring for this place for the generations to come.
*Es mistéʔes qe es lʔ, ci łu l ,T,atʔ̓ ayaqn u Qlispélixʷ sqlixʷúʔulexʷs t Nłʔaycčstm Kʷtis
Snacx̓ ̣łqe̓ ym̓ ín. Qe es putʔem łu Sqélixʷ m̓ im̓ éʔeye̓ ms x̣ʷl ,olqʷštulexʷ łu x̣ʷl ,qł sqlqelixʷ.
AUDIENCE STATEMENT OF EMPOWERMENT
The School of Theatre & Dance recognizes that art can provoke; therefore, during the course of this performance, patrons are empowered to leave if themes or situations make them uncomfortable.
AUDIENCE ADVISORY
This production features gunshot sound effects. Viewer discretion is advised.
CAST (in alphabetical order)
Dunn: Emily Albright
O.G.: Camille Ball
Seneca: Cassie Berg
Old Shady: Molly Brandt
Hawkins: Bailey Carlson
Goodman: Elise Clayton
Bradley: Rikky Johnson
Hall: Kairi Lising
Powell: Samantha Mitchell
Sumner: Natalie Renk
Musician: Lucy Taylor
Understudies: Ayla Andersen, Shadie Wallette
MUSIC
Original songs by Lucy Taylor:
"My Country"
"The River's Way"
SETTING
On boats in 1869. Traversing the Green & Colorado Rivers from Wyoming to a Big Canyon on the government’s first Sanctioned Expedition.
~This play is performed with two 10-minute intermissions.~
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
A raging river, a half-starved crew, soaring canyon walls "embossed with fantastic patterns," and, of course, boats. Men on Boats by Jaclyn Backhaus is unique, challenging, and totally fun. Our team was honored to grapple with a script that is all of these things at once: a daring adventure story, a reflection on American history, a big comedy, and a moving testament to the beauty in this country's wild places.
To me, a significant part of the joy of doing theatre is the essential teamwork—the unique feeling of creative, bright people all pulling in the same direction (to borrow a sled-dog metaphor from UM's other outdoor adventure show this year, The Call of the Wild). In this production, I am blessed to be surrounded by excellent "shipmates"—a creative, skilled group of designers who indulged in the strange hallucination of a canyon with fantastic heights and boats speeding along a river-bridge; a kind, playful cast excited by the work and challenges of this show; dedicated mentors whose enthusiasm for the work of their students improved the quality and fearlessness of the art; reliable, motivated stage managers and technicians whose administrative, technical, and operational skills were absolutely essential to accomplishing this complicated play; unbelievably diligent and committed shop crews and managers who gave a huge effort in their work on this production; and a supportive, hard-working group of faculty and staff whose behind-the-scenes efforts make all the little things (and many of the big things) go right. Most of these people will not take a bow tonight, but all of them deserve to be celebrated.
These dedicated artists, technicians, and administrators worked incredibly hard to do something impossible: bring the Grand Canyon to Missoula, Montana. This production of Men on Boats belongs to all of them.
And it belongs to you, too: the audience. Your imagination is a partner in creation tonight.
Enjoy the float. Stay dry.
~JM Christiansen
MFA Candidate
DRAMATURG’S NOTE
In 1869, Major John Wesley Powell led an expedition of nine other men down the Green and Colorado Rivers, ultimately leading to the Grand Canyon. Playwright Jaclyn Backhaus made it clear that in telling this historically cisgender, white male-dominated story, the cast should be made up entirely of people who are not; this is why you will not be seeing any male-identifying actors on stage today. This widely acclaimed play explores our history through the lenses of legacy, adventure, destiny, and, of course, gender.
Men on Boats first premiered as part of Clubbed Thumb's Summerworks Theater Festival in June 2015. Clubbed Thumb revived the show Off-Broadway in collaboration with Playwrights Horizons with the same cast and director the following year when Backhaus was nominated for the John Gassner Playwriting Award. Backhaus now teaches as an adjunct instructor in the Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing at NYU Tisch and is currently a New Dramatists resident playwright.
It goes without saying that this amazing work could not be done without the extraordinary talent exhibited by our actors, designers, and directors. It has been such an honor to work with this incredible team and to contribute to the production as dramaturg. A special thanks to our director, JM Christiansen, for trusting me to work alongside him and the rest of the team. Thank you all for coming and enjoy your trip down the river!
~Sarah Hibbard
BA Candidate
PRODUCTION STAFF
Production Manager: Jason McDaniel
Assistant Director: Bethany Johnson
Fight/Movement Choreographer: Mark Plonsky
Dramaturg: Sarah Hibbard
Assistant Costume Designer: Molly White
Assistant Sound Designer: Lexia Pilutik
Dialect/Vocal Coach: John DeBoer
Properties: Kinsey Church
Assistant Stage Manager: Paige Wisneski
Technical Director/Scene Shop Manager: Brian Gregoire
Assistant Technical Director: Ashley Milleson
Charge Artist: Jay Michael Roberts
Scenic Artists/Painters: Alicia Griggs, Chase Knutson, Ashley Milleson, Gracie Ruiz
Scene Shop Staff: Ashley Milleson, Trevor Monsos, Jay Michael Roberts
Carpentry and Paint Crew: Wilder Ayer, Markus Charlson, Brielle Gould, Chris Lubitz, Nick Monsos, Benjamin Myers, Auna Noah, Gracie Ruiz, Kye Shaver-Graf
Prop Shop Manager: Laila Sisson
Costume Shop Manager: Jessica Lang
Costume Shop Staff: Emi Cerro, Ember Cuddy, Brenna Holgate, Jamie Howard, Auna Noah, Eleanor O’Brien, Jurate Varanavicius, Molly White
Costume Construction Crew: Ayla Andersen, Karter Bernhardt, Morgan Best, Liv Carmichael, Emi Cerro, Dani Clark, Alicia Griggs, Terra Honaker, Brynn Hughes, Emily Kirkpatrick, Kairi Lising, Eleanor O’Brien, Tye Schritz, Alma Stephens, Audrey Sylling, Regan Tintzman
Head Dyer: Emi Cerro
Light/Sound Shop Manager: Terry Jorgensen
Lead Electrician: Mike Post
Light Shop Staff: Peter Fedock, Kendall Skoog
Light Hang and Focus Crew: Kolton Barrington, Elise Clayton, Morgan Davis, Peter Fedock, Jamie Howard, Brady Grenfell, Jules Jensen, Andy Lottis, Chris Lubitz, Sarah Old, Cubby Rodda, Gracie Ruiz, Rae Scott, Kendall Skoog, Jurate Varanavicius, Erin Withrow
Light Board Operator: Chris Lubitz
Sound Board Operator: Everett Works
Weapons Handler: Andy Lottis
Scenery/Props Crew: Monroe Ayers, Brady Grenfell, Andy Lottis
Wardrobe Crew: Alicia Griggs, Brenna Holgate, Connor Romandine
House Manager: Sara Kutz-Yeager
SPECIAL THANKS
Jaclyn Backhaus
Brianne Christiansen
Brian Gregoire
Erin McDaniel
Bernadette Sweeney
TALENT SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT 2022-2023
Hannah Dusek
Growing up in Chicago, Illinois, I was constantly surrounded by the arts and found dancing to be my passion at the young age of two. Training with my pre-professional company (Beyond Words Dance Company, under the instruction of Kate Jablonski) for eight years, I could not deny the drive and passion I had for dance and knew that it was always going to be a part of my life. Graduating from Beyond Words in 2019 allowed me to start discovering my own unique artistry through movement. Using my own experiences, emotion, and education to drive this curiosity, I was able to find a sense of comfort and strength through movement.
The fire within me fueled my determination to constantly create and move throughout my time here at the University of Montana. Once joining this amazing program in 2019, I was showered with innumerable opportunities that were graciously given to me through the love the faculty have for each one of us artists. Putting every ounce of my being into the training I’m getting here at UM has been one of the best experiences in my life … especially thanks to Brooklyn Draper and Heidi Jones Eggert, two powerhouse women who believed in me from the start. Had they not pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and find the true artist that lived right in my heart, I would not be where I am.
Performing and training in many styles including contemporary, lyrical, jazz, hip-hop, ballet, and tap have been most of my career up until my time at UM. The Dance Program of the School of Theatre and Dance introduced me to the modern style of movement; through this, I have been challenged and so beautifully introduced to the world of modern dance. The program allows for us artists to fully dive into our creative skills by consistently being shown the ins and outs of choreography and performance while being given the ability to create and showcase our own works from the very first day we walk through the studio doors. I am constantly inspired by my fellow majors, who have turned into the best family for which I could have ever asked. I want to thank all of them from the bottom of my heart for all the love and support they give me and give this program.
I am beyond grateful to have been awarded the Talent Scholarship and appreciate the help and encouragement it will bring to my senior year. This would not be possible without the generosity of donors or the encouragement from audience members, so thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. I am so honored to continue feeding my passion for dance through my senior year under this scholarship title and into the future. It is through your support and encouragement that performing artists continue to create and be seen. Thank you for believing in us and in our art.
UM THEATRE AND DANCE STUDENTS SUPPORTED BY
Ballet Beyond Borders Scholarship; Charles Ross Capps, Sr., and Agnes Ranjo Capps Scholarship; George & Louise Caras Scholarship; James Caras Family Scholarships; Sarah Crump Memorial Scholarship; Alexander & Virginia Dixon Dean Scholarships; W.K. & Alice Dwyer Scholarship Endowment; William P. Gillespie Scholarship; Riki Gordon Scholarship; Donal Harrington Scholarships; Bill Kliber Endowment for the Arts Scholarship: Jim Kriley Memorial Scholarship; Mary Cardell Moore and Robert & Florence Cardell Awards; Mott Ranch Scholarship; Odyssey of the Stars Scholarships; Sarah Ottley Memorial Scholarship; Sheila M. Sullivan Scholarship; Talent Scholarship; Thespian Scholarships; UM Dance Days Scholarships; Dick & Marith Willis Scholarships; May Carol Zeman Award
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