Theatre at Bridgewater College to stage ‘Men on Boats’

Theatre at Bridgewater College will present Men on Boats by Jaclyn Backhaus at Bridgewater College Oct. 25-28 in Cole Hall.

Performances are at 8 p.m. Oct. 25-27 and at 3 p.m. on Oct. 28. Reservations are recommended. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for seniors over age 65 and non-BC students. Tickets will be available at the door 30 minutes prior to the start of the performance. This performance is for mature audiences.

Men on Boats is directed by Dr. Scott W. Cole, associate professor of theater at Bridgewater College.

Ten explorers. Four Boats. One Grand Canyon. Men on Boats is the true(ish) history of an 1869 expedition, when a one-armed captain and a crew of insane yet loyal volunteers set out to chart the course of the Colorado River.

Members of the cast include:

• Julianna M. Brooks, a senior English and theater double major, from Aspers, Pa., as John Colton Sumner;
• Samantha N. Brown, a senior English and theater double major, from Grottoes, Va., as William Robert Hawkins;
• Taylor M. Callahan, a sophomore global studies major, from Mechanicsville, Va.; as John Wesley Powell;
• Destiny C. Cross, a first-year theater major, from Windsor, Va.; as Seneca Howland;
• Catherine M. Downing, a junior English and theater double major, from Eldersburg, Md., as Frank Goodman;
• Mary E. Killian, a junior psychology and theater double major, from Roanoke, Va., as Old Shady;
• Lea M. Njosa, a sophomore global studies major, from Burtonsville, Md., as O.G. Howland;
• Cristian A. Sanchez, a senior mathematics major, from Jacksonville, Fla., as Andrew Hall; and
• Angela R. Tolomei, a junior theater major, from Hanover, Pa., as William Dunn.

Raymond F. Alexander, a senior communication, technology and culture major, from Knoxville, Md., and Francisco R. Escalera, a junior art and theater double major, from Stafford, Va., are serving as assistant directors. Victoria L. Callahan, a junior sociology and communication, technology and culture double major with minors in theater and cultural studies, from Bloomsburg, Pa.is serving as dramaturge. Sajidah Fulani, a sophomore art and theater double major, from Amelia, Va., is serving as assistant set designer.

Working with the production are Bridgewater College adjuncts in theater Holly Labbe on costume design and Phil Grayson on sound design. Also working with the production are members of the local community: Shannon Dove on set design and Bridgewater College alumnus Ryan Howard on lighting design.

Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in the Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Founded in 1880, it was the state’s first private, coeducational college. Today, Bridgewater College is home to nearly 1,900 undergraduate students.