Season 2, Episode 5: Behind every summer is a community that keeps Fire Island alive. This episode explores the history of the beloved Pines Pantry through the eyes of its iconic Pantry Girls, alongside the volunteer firefighters of The Pines and Cherry Grove who protect the island from fires, hurricanes, beach erosion, and an uncertain future.
Continuing the 2026 theatre season, City Theatre will present Men on Boats by Jaclyn Backhaus. Blending satire, history, and lots of twisted fun, the production sails into Austin March 27 – April 12 at Genesis Creative Collective.
Boats is the true(ish) story of an 1869 expedition, when a one-armed captain and a crew of loyal misfits set out to chart the wilderness. With a gender-bent cast, this innovative plays offers a fresh perspective on the American West and the nature of adventure itself. With humor, heart, and a helluva lot of grit, it is storytelling in a unique and thrilling theatrical journey. The interesting twist is that Backhaus’ casting notes mention that even though ten white men were on the journey, the casting should be anything but. A diverse group of women is playing the men on the expedition. At times uproariously funny, at times deadly serious, Men on Boats asks the cast and audience to consider what it means to revisit and retell our cultural history.
Indian American Jaclyn Backhaus is a playwright, screenwriter, and educator hailing from Phoenix, Arizona. She writes on themes of gender and history including the plays Out of Time, Wives, Men on Boats, Folk Wandering, and India Pale Ale (Winner, 2018 Horton Foote Prize). She was the 2016 Tow Foundation Playwright-in-Residence at Clubbed Thumb and currently in residence at Lincoln Center and a New Dramatists resident playwright. Backhaus holds a BFA in Drama from NYU Tisch, where she teaches. She began work on Men on Boats where after several readings of the piece, “it became clear that we were actually not interested in performing with men in drag. We wanted to carry the sincerity of real characters. And that’s when we really cracked open a deeper truth about it.” Artistic Director Andy Berkovsky directs the production. He mentions “There is a definite course that runs deeply through Men on Boats. It’s rooted in the American spirit and timeless themes about American identity.” The production features the ensemble cast of Allison Fifield, Em Ball, Breanna Klotzbach, Mackenzie Allen, Taylor Allen, Judy Lee, Alli Rose, Grace Simmons, Laura Sturm, and Aimee Knight.
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary Season, City Theatre is an Austin-based, not-for-profit arts organization and is sponsored in part by the Austin Creative Alliance and the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin. Founded in 2006, the company has been recognized by the Austin Critics Table Awards, the B. Iden Payne Awards, the Central Texas Excellence in Theatre Awards, BroadwayWorld Austin, Central Texas Live Theatre, and has twice been voted “Best Theatre Company” by Austin American-Statesman’s Austin 360. CTC is dedicated to providing a quality, reputable, and diverse public theatre and Stage Entertainment experience that is accessible to all artists and the entire Austin community. CTC continues to offer its student and group discount ticket program for any show. Put a little theatre in your life!
More on Austin Playhouse
Upcoming Shows
Broadway news in your inbox
Weekly top stories - unsubscribe anytime.
Weekly top stories - unsubscribe anytime.
Popular episode
|
Pulse Oscar G. Brockett (11/13-11/20) |
|
The Visit B. Iden Payne (10/29-11/08) |
|
ALL MY SONS by Arthur Miller The Filigree Theatre (10/30-11/14) |
|
Clue: The Musical BASTROP OPERA HOUSE (4/02-4/18) |
|
2026 Swan Songs Serenade The Junior League of Austin Community Impact Center (11/01-11/01) |
|
TCU Horned Frogs vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Amon Carter Stadium (10/24-10/24) |
|
Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) Penfold Theatre (12/04-12/27) |
|
Honky Tonk Angels by Ted Swindley Southwestern University Theatre Department (11/13-11/22) |
|
Best Little house in Texas BASTROP OPERA HOUSE (5/28-6/13) |
|
La Energia Nortena The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory (2/13-2/13) |