MEN ON BOATS

Men On Boats: John Colton Sumner

In 1869, John Wesley Powell assembled a team of Civil WAr veterans, outdoorsmen, and at least one petty criminal to explore and map the Green and Colorado Rivers for the US government. The Powell Geogrpahic Expedition marked the first known passage of the Grand Canyon by white men. Taking place in the midst of the country’s westward expansion, the Powell expedition marked the end of an era. While the play is faithful to the historical story of Powell and his men, its unconventional casting raises multiple questions. If Powell and his men are represented by people other than the cis-gender white men who overwhelming populate the stories our country tells about itself, how does it change our understanding of them?

Sumner, known as the “Bear Grylls” of the 1800s, was hired to join the expedition for his expertise in navigation, hunting. Self-assured and confident, he was a man who fiercely loyal to those who fed him and was a man who led by example. Based on an actual historical figure, he was one of the survivors of the Powell expedition.