All Aboard the No-Name
Because who needs a boat with an actual name?
O.G. Howland
One of those ragey-but-silent types.
O.G. Howland is played by Maya Jairam. Maya is excited to step onto the stage with OpenStage Theatre under the direction of Denise, again. Maya has previously appeared in The Comedy of Errors as the Officer with OpenStage. She loves to sing and dance, even though, it is not France. She is a founding member of Horseteeth Improv, and thinks being on the backline is an underrated form of thrill-seeking. She was among the nominees for two Regional Broadway World Small Ensemble Awards this year--because, like with this show, she keeps striking gold by being cast in brilliant ensembles. Maya continues to valiantly fight the laundry monster, on a daily basis, which may explain the resentments of both her dogs and her hedgehog.
Seneca Howland
Quiet but mighty. And don't you dare try to insinuate things about his brother.
Seneca Howland is played by Kaya Rudolph. Kaya graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. While at CSU, her favorite productions included Love and Information and Little Shop of Horrors. Kaya also worked on Elephant’s Graveyard with Bas Bleu Theatre. Most recently, she appeared with OpenStage in 2019 as Gary Coleman in Avenue Q.
Frank Goodman
Goodman only cares about two things: the opinions of every single member of every boat, and good French wine. And there’s no French wine to be found on the river.
Goodman is played by Aleah Black. Aleah is an artist, performer, and educator here in Fort Collins with a degree in Theater and Performance from Bard College. Aleah previously worked at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts and Redwing Black Bird Theater in New York State and is currently teaching and directing at Mountain Sage Community School in Fort Collins. Their most recent work includes assistant directing Driving Miss Daisy at Bas Bleu Theatre and Water: Works with Impact Dance Company, as well as many shows, festivals, and pageants at their school. This is their first show with OpenStage Theater and Company. Aleah can't wait to continue to create theater in this vibrant and creative community.
Men on Boats
By Jaclyn Backhaus
Directed by Denise Burson Freestone
January 18 – February 15, 2020
“A thrilling, gender-flipped slice of manifest destiny.” -Time Out New York
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 an insane yet loyal crew set out to chart the course of the Colorado River. Inspired by John Wesley Powell’s actual travel logs, Backhaus’s nimble and ingenious script is provocative, laugh-out-loud theatre, performed by a diverse cast of non-male actors who infuse America’s historic myths of male conquest with a sly blast of satire. With the speed and force of whitewater rapids, this off-Broadway sensation creates perilous canyons and death-defying cliffs out of sheer imagination, shaping an innovative and innately theatrical experience.
Playing at Lincoln Center Magnolia Theatre – 417 West Magnolia Street
