February 21, 2019
The East Texas Baptist University Theatre Arts season will continue with Jaclyn Backhaus’ widely acclaimed play, Men on Boats. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on February 21-23 and 2:30 p.m. on February 24 in the Mabee Recital Hall of the Jenna Guest Music Building. Directed by ETBU Costume Shop Supervisor Samantha Pettigrew, the all-female participated in this modern commentary on historical roles.
“This show is different from anything I have done before,” ETBU freshman Elaina Berry shared. “I play Andrew Hall, the map maker and navigator. The apparent, initial challenge is portraying a man. Deeper than that, depicting the risk and uncertainty of the expedition is difficult. As the scenes involving the men on rapids are very complicated, we ran through them repeatedly and learned to communicate. Our director, Samantha, made an effort to get the cast together to bond. The games we played built trust and helped us listen to and watch each other with intent.”
Hair, makeup, costume, and set designers were essential to this production as they had the task of transporting the audience to the 19th century Midwest while maintaining the satirical atmosphere of the play.
“For the set, I wanted to bring the sublimity of nature into the venue for the audience to enjoy,” ETBU senior Irene Nguyen explained. “To form the cliff walls, we built flats first and then used one-by-four blocks and chicken wire to shape the surface. We used muslin and paint to create the finished product. Each design element plays a part of uniting the production, and I hope our collaboration will engage the audience.”
With slightly more than a month to prepare for the show, the cast and crew have spent hundreds of hours building the set, writing lighting cues, designing sound effects, and making costumes. Many of the students expressed that the long schedules have been worth all of the work.
“In my role as Old Shady, it has been a challenge to dive into a character so different from myself, but I have enjoyed every moment of it,” ETBU freshman Avrie Chapman said. “I love this play. Though based on real events, Men on Boats cleverly tells a story of equality and open-mindedness. Being a part of this cast has been a highlight for me. It is rewarding to build relationships with people, who love art and Christ.”
Suitable for adolescent and adult audiences, general admission for Men on Boats is $10 or free with an ETBU I.D. Following each performance, the cast and production staff will hold short talk-back sessions. To learn more and purchase tickets, visit www.etbu.edu/theatre.