Photo by Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts

Area theatre goers are in for a wild ride attending a play about … well a wild ride. “Men on Boats,’ by Jacklyn Backhaus and directed by Michigan Tech Assistant Teaching Professor Nich Radcliffe opens its four-night run Tuesday at the McArdle Theatre in the Walker Arts and Humanities Center on the MTU campus.

The play tells the “mostly true” story of 10 explorers in the 1860s, who set off to chart the Green and Colorado Rivers under John Wesley Powell, a one-armed Civil War veteran. Satirical in nature, the experience is even more interesting given the author’s insistence that the crew, historically white, cis-gender men, be played by a cast that is … not.

Director Radcliffe called the cast he has assembled “absolutely lights out from top to bottom,” and has been working hard to bring this story to life. Due to graduations and overloaded class schedules involving many cast members of last season’s spectacular production of “Sweeney Todd, Radcliffe said the cast is made up of several actors he has not worked with previously. “We’ve got a lot of new faces on stage in ‘Men On Boats.'” He said the cast includes two first-year students and “a handful of second year students who have auditioned for me in the past but just didn’t wind up in the cast. So this is a real breakout opportunity for some folks and evey last one of them … has grabbed the chance and absolutely making the most of it.” He added he is extremely proud of the work they are doing. “The show is a laugh riot, with a few really touching moments sprinkled in.”

As the show depicts an arduous journey by multiple boats over waterfalls, rapids and portages, the challenge, of course is to bring the Colorado and Green Rivers to the McArdle stage. “This is my favorite thing about theatre,” Radcliffe said. “If you’re workin g in film or television, there’s an expectation you’re going on location to film in those environments. But in the theatre we get to have some fun, use our imaginations and by extension ask the audience to use their’s as well. We get to make the journey event more fun, even more exciting.” Without going into detail, Radcliffe said this production is unique. “Our production won’t be liie anyone elses and there wont be another like ours.” He said the fun and excitement is wondering how they’re going to bring audiences the Colorado River and show the Grand Canyon.

Talk to anyone involved with this production of “Men on Boats,” you will hear the word fun repeated often, with good reason. “It’s a really funny show, there’ll be not shortage of laughter, I can. promise you that,” said Paige Harsevoort who plays expedition leader John Wesley Powell. But there’s certainly a bit more beneath the humor. “It’s also kinda hitting on some important topics that I think sometimes people don’t like to talk about. So I think its definately an interesting story and it’s kind of eye opening.”

This is Radcliffe’s fourth production at Michigan Tech and a bit of a departure from last season’s “Glass Menagerie” and “Sweeney Todd,” neither which could be mistaken for “laugh riot.” He said audiences who saw those previous shows might have seen that he tends to find humor in just about any play, no matter ow dramatic and dark. “But ‘Men on Boats’ is an all-out comedy. Satirical in nature, but an absolute all out comedy.”

Actor Sebastian Dash, who play O.G. Howland echoes their director’s assessment. “It was really fun for us to do, so I know it’s going to be fun for the audience too.”

Radcliffe thinks this production might make the list of the five funniest things he’s ever seem. “I hope audiences. have as many laughs watching it as the cast and I have had working on it.”

“Men on Boats” opens Tuesday, November 18 at the McArdle Theatre, with addition performances November 19, 20, & 21. Peforances begin at 7:30 p.m. each evening. Tickets are Pay As You’re Able (full price $20). Tickets may be purchased at the door in McArdle Theatre, online at https://mtu.universitytickets.com/, or on the phone/in person at the Rozsa Box Office during Rozsa Box Office Hours. The Rozsa Lobby is open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. M-F and 1-8 p.m. on Saturdays. Seating begins a half hour prior to the event start time.