Playwright Jaclyn Backhaus had always wanted to be an early explorer, but as she lives in the wrong century to take a boat ride down unchartered western waters in 1869, she did the next best thing.
In 2015 she wrote a tongue-in-cheek play called “Men on Boats,” which has no men in it. In the Palo Alto Players’ current production, running through Feb. 20, only the front ends of four small rowboats are seen on stage.
The history behind “Boats” is that John Wesley Powell was the leader of a team of 10 soldiers, trappers and adventurers sent by President Ulysses S. Grant to chart the Green and Colorado Rivers. Backhaus’s script calls for these explorers to be played by women.
The government-sanctioned team was outfitted with good equipment and lots of provisions including food, whiskey, cigarettes and medicine. But the group was beset by many mishaps, capsizing several times and losing some of their supplies and, eventually, two of their rowboats.
The opening night audience at Lucie Stern Theater had mixed reactions to the play’s odd coupling of a serious historical trip and intentionally ridiculous props, but it features a number of strong performances and several laugh-out loud moments.
Maria Mikkheyenko is a standout as Old Shady. Standing tall, she sings two songs in the play a cappella in a beautiful voice.
The explorers’ three-month journey took them from Green River Station in Wyoming Territory through parts of Colorado and Utah before reaching the confluence of the Colorado and Virgin rivers in present-day Arizona and Nevada. Scenic designer Heather Kenyon created several realistic canyons and boulders to emulate the unchartered territory, and Edward Hunter’s lighting accentuates that barren land. Costume designer Y. Sharon Peng creatively dresses the 10 explorers in appropriate period clothes.
Because “Men on Boats” features adult language, it’s only recommended for those ages 13 and older. Tickets are $39 – $54, and on-demand streaming tickets for Feb. 17-20 are available for $20 at 650-329-0891 or www.paplayers.org.
COVID-19 protocols are in place, and audience members must show a valid ID and vaccine cards, as well as wear a mask inside the theater.
Source: www.mercurynews.com