The Wolves: A Review

The+Wolves%3A+A+Review

Ally Riley '20, Staff Writer

On Saturday, January 5, at 7:00 p.m., my friends and I went to see Sarah DeLappe’s Pulitzer Prize-nominated play The Wolves presented by the St. Luke’s Theatre Company (SLTC). The SLTC productions are performed by St. Luke’s Advanced Acting class students. Prior to seeing the play, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. The only information that I had was the St. Luke’s preliminary note, “The Wolves contains extremely suggestive content and profanity. For this reason, anyone under the age of fourteen years old will not be permitted into this production.”

As I arrived to school I was shocked to discover that the play was to be performed in the Black Box Theatre rather than the traditional Seldin Performing Arts Center auditorium. The seats were organized in a “broken circle” surrounding a rectangular piece of turf. The only visible props were a few bags of soccer balls. There were only about 100 or so seats pressed together in a relatively small space. This arrangement created a very intimate feeling between the actors and the audience which was further emphasized by the simplistic set.

“I wanted to do this play because high school makes it so hard for one to discover and own the person they are without worrying about what others think. This play taps into that while playing in the responsibilities and complexities of being a part of a team,” notes Mr. Peck, Director of Theater Arts.

The storyline was very provocative, yet relevant to a high school audience. The actors’ conversations covered topics ranging from pregnancy and partying to peer pressure, death, and bullying. Despite the relatively small cast, each character was unique and compelling. Furthermore, the dynamics between all of the characters were raw and realistic.

“I am so lucky that the school signed off on this play. Something that was really special for me was watching the audience during the performance. I could tell when they had moments of reflection about the play and their own lives, “ says Mr. Peck.

A featured cast member was Ms. Perry, St. Luke’s Head of Upper School. Ms. Perry played the role of a mother to one of the team’s soccer players. While she did not take the stage until the end of the play, her monologue brought the audience to tears.

“I can honestly say that The Wolves was the best show and experience that I have ever been a part of. The memories I have and the things I have learned about acting, myself, and in general, as well as the friendships that I have made, are things I will carry with me for the rest of my life,” remarks actress Sierra Taylor ‘20.

I thought that the brutal honesty and racy nature of this play was refreshing and eye-opening. It is rare to be exposed to such controversial material in a school setting, but I believe that it is healthy and progressive. As I drove home that night, the play and each character truly stuck with me. While I have always loved music and theater, The Wolves really got me thinking about and reflecting upon my own life. “The Wolves was a life changing experience for me. It was the first time I got to play a character that I actually relate too. I would not change anything about this experience. I loved it,” comments actress Sarah Bryant ‘20.