Rowing Upstream: “The Girls in the Boat” Tells a True Story of Moving Against the Current

The girls in the boat certainly did make waves. The Girls in the Boat, a play written by Alice Austen, tells the origin story of the first women’s Olympic rowing team who competed at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and went on to become the most winning sports team in American history.

Under the direction of Nicole Trueman-Shaw, Director of Upper School Student Leadership & Dean of Students, the MICDS Troubadours staged the play for three performances in the Vincent Price Theatre. “The Girls in the Boat showcases the persistence, determination, teamwork, and leadership of these amazing women as they battle for equal rights as athletes before, and after, Title IX,” Trueman-Shaw says. The story of the rowing team was a perfect fit for the fall play. “I was looking for an age-appropriate show that pulled the audience in with a topic many of our students love—athletics—while teaching the audience a little something about history.”

The ensemble cast sparkled as they told a story where no one character is more or less significant than another. In addition, the roles were physically challenging since the actors spent large amounts of time rowing on stage without a break. Trueman-Shaw remains very proud of the show. “These actors were pros through it all!”

Way to go, Rams!