by Sama (Sky) Abdullayeva
sabdull4@uwsuper.edu
It’s not often that soccer skills have pay-off on the big stage. “The Wolves” is the newest production coming from the University of Wisconsin-Superior Theatre program and had actors practice alongside the UWS women’s soccer team.
“The Wolves” Playwright Cover
Photo by Sama (Sky) Abdullayeva | The Promethean
“The Wolves” was originally written by Sarah de Lappe, but is being directed by Jess Hughes. Hughes isn’t new to the theatre world, as she’s previously worked on plays for the Duluth Playhouse. Since she was a teenager, Hughes always was fond of “The Wolves” as she felt like it resonated with a young audience.
“I think that anyone that grew up in a marginalized community will really connect to this play because it’s about these team members who have been made to feel small. Who have been made to shrink themselves to fear expressing big emotions, to fear using their voice,” said Hughes.
“It’s not actually about wolves, of course,” said UWS Student Elle Evenson, who plays the team captain #25. “There are no animals in the entire show, but the characters do act like elements of nature. You know, there’s alphas and, you know, different people who play more leadership roles and more follower roles.”
“The Wolves” is a one-act play about the nine girls that make up the Wolves High School soccer team. The play is focused on the gossip that precedes each game as the girls’ spill the tea on politics, their bodies, their coach’s drinking habits, and their future dreams. However, no one but them knows what actually happens behind these “simple” issues.
To gear up for opening night on Nov. 8, actors in “The Wolves” practiced alongside UWS women’s soccer team in order for actors to feel the dynamic that’s shared out on the field. Head Coach Allyson DeGroot ensured that the actors understood how soccer is played.
“So what I love about soccer is it’s the whole team working together and it’s a great environment to create community,” said DeGroot. “A lot of team camaraderie and team buy-ins can lead to you getting a win that you maybe thought you couldn’t get.”
“I think the main idea is like the trials and tribulations of girlhood when you’re in high school and those social connections can be really hard to navigate. And seeing a group of people come together throughout all those challenges is really inspiring,” said UWS student Jay Ostazeski, who plays #46. “It’s just about like a girls’ soccer team which could be beasts.”
“The Wolves” will perform in the Manion Theatre on Nov. 8, 9, 14, 15 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 10 & 16 at 2 p.m. Tickets will be available at the box office.
