A drama that navigates the challenges of growing up and working as a team will be staged in a Pulitzer Prize-nominated play at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Oct. 14-16 and 20-22.
“The Wolves,” a drama about nine girls on a high school soccer team, will be staged in the Studio Theatre of the Noel Fine Arts Center, 1800 Portage St., Stevens Point, by the Department of Theatre and Dance. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14-15, and Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 20-22, with matinees at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16, and Saturday, Oct. 22. There will be a talk-back with the director and cast on both Saturday evening performances of the play, which is part of the “What Lies Beneath” theatre and dance season.
Tickets are $27 for adults, $24 for seniors and UW-Stevens Point faculty and staff, and $16 for youth. They may be purchased online at tickets.uwsp.edu, by calling 715-346-4100 or by visiting the Information and Tickets Office in the Dreyfus University Center in Stevens Point. Tickets may also be available at NFAC starting one hour prior to each performance.
The show takes place over six weeks of soccer games for the Wolves indoor soccer team season, with each week being a new scene. The athletes’ progress is shown through humor and drama as they discuss their lives, face serious challenges and realize what it means to grow up. Written by Sarah DeLappe, it was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 2017.
“The Wolves team members evolve as they confront things they have never had to deal with before,” said director Tyler Marchant, a professor of theatre. He chose the play for the energy in the script and its physical storytelling, he said, as well as for the opportunity to showcase 10 women in the theatre program.
“The student actors are balancing the emotional and physical sides of the show,” said Marchant. Members of the Pointers women’s soccer team met with the cast to discuss their experiences, and the cast has been practicing passing and warm-up exercises while developing their characters.
“The show is about the human experience,” said Marchant. “It’s about connecting to what happens when we identify who is on ‘your team,’ which requires empathy along with hardship and success.”
