History illuminated: Women play 19th-century male explorers in Janus Theatre’s ‘Men on Boats’

Co-workers of actress Sarafina Monteleone, after noticing how toned she has become, inquired about her new workout regimen.

She doesn’t have one. Monteleone owes her physique to Janus Theatre and the very physical rehearsals for the Elgin company’s revival of “Men on Boats,” Jaclyn Backhaus’ “true(ish)” account of soldier/geologist/explorer John Wesley Powell’s 1869 geological expedition down the Green and Colorado rivers to what is known today as the Grand Canyon.

After the first rehearsal, Monteleone says she and her castmates could barely walk up the stairs. That surprised the musical theater veteran.

“I’ve been more exhausted after these rehearsals than after dancing for three hours,” said the North Central College graduate who plays hunter/trapper William Dunn, Powell’s second in command.

Director Sean Hargadon agrees the cast has been getting quite a workout.

“It’s been quite a heavy lift,” he joked.

“The show as a whole is so fascinating,” said Claire Yearman, who plays the passionate, one-armed Powell, the expedition’s leader.

She is one of 10 women playing the members of the all-male expedition. It’s not the first time Yearman has performed in one of Janus’ all-female productions. In some instances, the all-female casting has been rooted in necessity when the actresses’ talent exceeded their male counterparts, Hargadon said. But gender-blurring casting offers other advantages.

“When you put women in roles written for men … other things get illuminated,” he said.

Janus has staged several all-female productions — most recently its devised production of “Beowulf” in 2022, an unrehearsed production of “The Tempest” in 2018, and William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” in 2009.

“There’s a tremendous amount of female talent in the area,” said Hargadon of his theater’s commitment to providing opportunities for female actors, even as gender-conscious and gender-fluid casting has become more common.

Working on “Men on Boats,” has been an education, said Hargadon, who is the only male in the rehearsal room. Like the cast, the creative team consists entirely of women.

“I embrace it,” he said, adding he wishes more suburban theaters embraced gender-conscious casting. “It’s inspiring to do this.”

“Sean’s very open and responsive to the feedback all of us offer. We’ve all thrown out suggestions and ideas,” Yearman said. “That’s something I appreciate about Sean, he’s open to suggestions.

“The women in this show are smart, capable actors,” she said. “Every single one of us has brought ideas, changed things. That’s one thing that excites me, the collaborative aspect.”

Theater artists are storytellers, Hargadon said. They can tell any story they choose. Female theater artists deserve those opportunities “and there’s no reason why they shouldn’t get them,” he said.

He predicts Janus’ audience will “be amazed by these women and the work they do,” he said.

Monteleone, who typically plays ingénues, looks forward to tapping into her “masculine energy.”

“A lot of times when women embrace their masculine energy, when they’re leaders … when they’re in a position of power, that kind of energy is seen as too much,” she said. “It’s freeing not to have to worry about that.”

“To be a confident, firm version of myself and not be looked down upon is refreshing,” she said. “It’s tapping into a new power I wasn’t aware I had.”

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“Men on Boats”

When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 7-8 and 14-15, and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 9 and 16

Where: Janus Theatre, at the Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St., Elgin, janusplays.com

Tickets: $20