The play Men on Boats tells the story of John Wesley Powell’s 1869 expedition traversing the Green and Colorado Rivers. Ten men set out on the journey. Only six completed it. Though historically the men were all cisgender white males, Jaclyn Backhaus’ play calls for a female-identifying cast. Hear why the director of the upcoming Justice Theater Project production Jules Odendahl-James was so anxious to tell this story, why she thinks gender parity in the theater is so important, and how she is reimagining Backhaus’ script.

The Justice Theater Project production of Men on Boats runs February 8th through February 24th. For more information visit: http://www.thejusticetheaterproject.org/.

‘Men on Boats’ is inspired by John Wesley Powell’s book, The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons. For more information about the book, click here.