The Wolves 2019
The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe, a massive hit at the Jungle last year is back for another run and I couldn't be more thrilled. While the cast and director have remained the same the stage has changed. While still put on by the Jungle the show can be seen at the Southern theater, whose stage has been transformed with no arch in sight, into a soccer field. The Southern seems like a perfect venue, the high sloped seats give the feel of sitting in a stadium, and looking into the fish bowl of the practices of the indoor girls Y17 soccer team "The Wolves".
This production of the Wolves works for all the same reason that the show was a hit last year. On its face it is a show about soccer, it revolves around an indoor soccer team's practices and warm ups. But at its heart it is about what it is like to be a high school girl on the cusp of adulthood, and the community that this team creates. What I was most impressed with was how natural the dialogue felt. During the practice conversations about the Khmer Rouge and feminine products overlapped in a way that was very funny but also felt very true to anyone who has ever been in a large social situation before. All of the teammates, who create the majority of the cast, are identified only by their numbers, it wasn’t until the end of the play that we heard the characters names at all. But these nameless characters were all so real, fleshed out wonderfully in the organic conversations that Sarah DeLappe was able to write and Sarah Rasmussen, artistic director of the Jungle and also director of The Wolves, was able to portray on stage.
But this year the show seems even stronger. The Southern feels like a better venue and with the entire cast ( Chloe Armoa, Megan Burns, Meredith Casey, Michelle De Joya, McKenna Kelly-Eiding, Becca Hart, Isabella Star LaBlanc, Rosey Lowe and Shelby Rose Richardson), back together as a team, the team camaraderie which is essential for the show's success is even stronger than ever.
The Wolves is playing at the Southern Theater until February 17th. It is a great show for any human to see.
Click here for more information about the show and how to get tickets.
*Photo by Dan Norman