Berry College Theatre Company began their voyage into the 2021-2022 season recently outdoors with “Men on Boats.”
New Director of Theatre Peter Friedrich led the adventure with an all-female cast. Based on the true story of the Powell Expedition, New York Times Critics’ Pick, “Men on Boats” uses John Wesley Powell’s 1869 Colorado River expedition to praise the men’s bravery, but also raise important issues on race, cultural appropriation and man’s relentless drive for immortal fame. By stipulating that only women can be in the play, playwright Jaclyn Backhaus challenges audiences to visualize not only the roles women can play, but the male whitewashing of history, right down to the modern names of lakes and mountains.
“It is a beautifully balanced, complete, complex play. It’s a crowd pleaser, but also a crowd challenger,” Friedrich said. “It meets the moment in addressing race, but through comedy instead of finger-wagging.”
The Theatre Company's next production is "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean," which revolves around a James Dean fan club that reunites at a Texas five-and-dime store.
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Written by Sisters Theatre Public Relations and Marketing Director Syd Muñoz
