BRENTON NEWCOMB
Staff Writer
Opening on Thursday, Dec. 5, Fredonia’s Department of Theater and Dance is putting on “The Wolves” in Bartlett Theatre inside of Rockefeller Arts Center.
“The Wolves” is an all-female cast play that centers around a girls soccer team and their pre-game warm-ups every week.
It is a contemporary play written in 2016 by Sarah DeLappe.
The play is not only a comedic one with the conversations the girls have, but also a very moving one with depth and serious themes.
This makes the play applicable to a wide audience — especially for anyone who has ever played on a sports team and understands how close teammates become, how they support each other and how they sometimes get after each other.
When talking about the themes and conversations in the play, Dr. Jessica Hillman-McCord, the director of the production, said, “They’re talking about genocides and immigration, and also their periods … often at the same time.”
The play takes teenage girl clichés and turns them upside down. One second, the players are talking seamlessly about drama, the next they’re talking about deep, worldly issues.
Hillman also said that this makes it so that “Their voices are given weight and respect.” This is important and unique because according to her,“It’s easy to dismiss 16-year old girls as a type.”
Think of the movie “Mean Girls.”
This dialogue and conversation make up a huge part of the play, which deals with big ideas as well as everyday things, and these conversations go from one to the other effortlessly.
Overlapping dialogue truly makes this play one of a kind.
Hillman said that the playbook is written in a way she has never seen before; the pages often have two or three columns with different conversations going on.
At first, this seems unnatural and slightly overwhelming. In reality, this is how everyday conversations go on; there is always overlapping talk from people cutting each other off or going on tangents.
This overlapping dialogue is a lot to take in, but is easily understandable and works the same way an orchestra does when playing a score; the different players are the different instruments, making the play a moving piece of work.
Interestingly enough, there aren’t any character names in “The Wolves” — just the players’ jersey numbers. This was a conscious decision made by the playwright.
Hillman elaborated on this and said the playwright did this “In order to make you figure out who they are through more than just their identities.”
This makes for a slow reveal on each character as you get to know their personality.
The work on the Fredonia production began as early as the spring; the designers and cast were assigned the first week of the semester.
Immediately, the cast began their soccer practice as some of them had no prior experience with the sport.
This proved to be one of the most challenging aspects of the play, turning the cast into convincing soccer athletes who have played the sport growing up.
The cast even had a soccer game in front of a large audience toward the end of their practices.
What makes the play truly spectacular is its creation of a space that allows for safe and healthy communication, encouraging women to bond together regardless of if they are in the plotline or not.
“The Wolves” is an open and accessible conversation on what it means to be on a team and being a teenage girl that is witty, dramatic and powerful.
Opening night is Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Additional showings include Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 7 and 8 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for the event are $12 for students and $25 for the general public.