An exhilarating story of the dangerous outdoors and the daunting unknown took over NC State’s Titmus Theatre last week. Directed by NC State’s Rachel Klem, the stage was set to tell the story of Jaclyn Backhaus’s comedy, “Men on Boats.”
This comical, action-packed play portrayed an 1869 expedition led by the historical figure John Wesley Powell, who is accompanied by nine other men who all share the same goal of charting the course of the Colorado River.
Based on Powell’s travel journals, the original expedition consisted entirely of men. However, those who went to see “Men on Boats” may have noticed a certain similarity between the cast members. Indeed, the 10-member cast was filled to the brim with talented women, with each coming from a variety of different backgrounds. This type of casting, which has been used in productions dating as far back as ancient Greek theater, is referred to as “cross-gender casting.”
Rosie Hou, a third-year studying psychology and minoring in theater, played the role of John Wesley Powell, who she described as a man who is not afraid to establish his dominance, but at the same time, he is able to show a very human side to him as the play progresses.
Hou spoke out about the significance of cross-gender casting and how it has affected her personally.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a play that has only been females,” Hou said. “It has opened a lot of doors, and it made me think of my character in a different way than before. With other roles, I had to think about how my role fit in with other people’s because I am a woman. Am I the homemaker? Am I the girlfriend? But with this role, I just get to be me, apologetically.”
Aysia Slade, a third-year studying psychology and minoring in theater, played the role of Seneca, one of the men on Powell’s crew, and the Bishop. Slade also offered her insight on cross-gender casting in this show.
“I feel like the story of white explorers has been told over and over again, so using this type of casting makes it interesting and adds another layer to the show,” Slade said. “When the writer was writing these characters, she thought they were so cool and wished she could play them herself. So, by opening up the casting to women only, it gave me an opportunity to play a character that I would have never gotten a chance to play and lets the story be told in a different light.”
Many students and members of the general public have seen this historical comedy throughout both weekends of its run. Among them was Elana Fauth, a fourth-year studying communication, who shared her thoughts on the show after going to see the production.
“Watching an all-female and [diverse] cast act with classic male bravado comes across as an interesting commentary about the stereotypical standards of male behavior,” Fauth said. “I was also so impressed by the acting. The back-and-forth between the characters and comedic timing was really impressive.”
Raven Stone, a fourth-year student studying anthropology and forensic science, also shared her thoughts on the show.
“As every show I’ve seen or been a part of at University Theatre, I had a wonderful experience,” Stone said. “To see women in positions of strength, courage, and motivation gave me so much enjoyment.”
“Men on Boats” has unfortunately concluded, having run its last show on Sunday, Sept. 30. However, if you are interested in getting involved in the theatre, University Theatre will be holding auditions for its annual musical, “Cabaret” from Oct. 23 to 25, which will be running from Feb. 20 to 24 in 2019.
