Men on Boats may have at least one boat, but don’t actually expect any men onstage. Instead, casting no cis-white dudes was a must for playwright Jaclyn Backhaus. Her scripted telling of real 19th century river adventures in Ye Olde West offers a diverse cast of women the chance to step into the role of intrepid explorer. Witness the 10-person crew as they traverse the wilds of the hitherto unknown Colorado River. Absurdism melts into thrilling adventure in this reexamination of American exceptionalism. – Cat McCarrey
