By Jasmine Peregrina and Sevinch Nasimova

Instead of Men on Boats, It’s Women on Boats.

That’s because there will be an all-female and non-binary cast when students from Edward R. Murrow High School perform “Men on Boats,” on March 30th.

 “I like that it is providing opportunities to women and non-binary actors to see themselves in roles that traditional American history and theater don’t write for them. The title is Men on Boats and you look at the cast and you say, where are the men, where are the boats?”  said Director Scott Austin. ‘We do have boats, but the playwright talks about how she wanted to create a playwright she could see herself in and we have so many talented young women and non-binary actors in the play and in Murrow in general and it’s good to give more of them opportunities for roles that aren’t traditionally written for them.”

The play takes place on a boat in the middle of the Grand Canyon. Both Mr. Austin and the cast have been working on stage work and focusing on creating the appropriate setting for the audience to feel the authenticity of what these characters feel lost at sea. 

Image: Two characters have a discussion over a prop campfire.

“Well, the play is very physical, and a lot of the scenes are rowing sequences and where the characters are on boats going through the Grand Canyon through the river so .. how do we make that look like thats whats happening. How do we make that look not cheesy?” Mr. Austin said. “How do we coordinate the actors, so they don’t smack each other with paddles and how do we make the characters look like they’re in danger on solid ground and running rapidly on waterfalls. So the physicality of this show was definitely a challenge.”

The actors certainly value the play through their devolution to their roles, and their performances that create incredible dynamics between the characters.   

Image: The actors in Men on Boats embraced the physical dynamic of the play in many scenes.

“To see the different dynamics between these characters, and I think it’s a great story and the resolution is one that isn’t expected, so I’m excited for that,” said Leah Taylor, who plays O.G Howland. 

The actors and set up crew worked hand in hand and became like one big family developing the show.

“I’d say how everyone working in the show – cast, crew, costuming, GLAM squad, etc – really works together hand in hand,” said Lydia Nestan, who plays Old Shady, “It really starts to feel as if we are one big family. The way we’d all work together as a team to get stuff done and perfected in a certain amount of time is a specialty at Murrow. It’s like the ‘go big or go home’ phrase. They always give it their all, even when they don’t feel like it.”

Nestan said the formatting of Men on Boats is unique and complex.

“It’s a tragic expedition story that’s made in a comedic way, so the audience could laugh at the jokes but realize the tragic reality at the end of the show.” she said.

Featured Image: The Cast of Men on Boats performing in the Papp.