NKU's 'The Wolves' finds strength in the pack

By Noah Moore

On a green turf rectangle, all of life's intricacies come to light. Only in high school soccer is the drama more intense on the sidelines than the scoreboard, and the nine young women who embodied this in NKU's production of The Wolves gave the story its heart, and might have shattered it a little too. This Pulitzer-nominated play feels so natural and lived-in but packs a punch bigger than any kick.

Premiering off-Broadway in 2016, Sarah DeLappe's The Wolves is a zippy one-act play that follows the triumphs and behind-the-ball drama of an elite teenage girls soccer team. With numbers instead of names and soccer balls in lieu of any vanity mirror, the arrival of a new player, #46, splits open the close-knit team as their problems, mostly unrelated to soccer, bubble to the surface. Through sharp and high-school-accurate dialogue, the naïvete coupled with near or full trauma creates a uniquely touching look at adolescence and competition.

Performing at the Fifth Third Theatre in the Aronoff Center, director Nicole Perrone sets the stage up akin to a stadium, with a large stretch of turf separating the two sides of audiences. The immersion continues through creative use of the small space and a boldness to bring out the script's ingenuity--often times, the girls spoke over each other and topics bounced around faster than the ball, which felt very true to life. It's clear Perrone has a vivid understanding of this age and this stage of life, and the authenticity is stellar.

They say a wolf is only as strong as its pack, but there is no worry in that statement with this incredibly dynamic group of performers. Led by the closeted and protective captain #25, played stoicly by Kate Sexton, this team had rich chemistry which made the dialogue even more punching. For the show's tender heart, Emma Kollstedt as newcomer #46 tells an entire story with her eyes, and her shy demeanor's clear contrast to the group made her narrative jump off the stage. Her character's inability to tell a good joke is hilariously managed by Kollstedt's awkward and endearing comedic timing. The back-and-forth hashing between Kiley Ernst's #14 and Audrey Dant's #7 electrifies the stage, and foreshadows the two's stories.

The show's characters bunt heads frequently, and often involved is Ella Prather's audacious #13. As bold as she is big-mouthed, her character was gritty and lewd but also pulls the strings of Yolee Louis' quiet #8 to bring a moment of emotional resonance. Each number has their own moments that slowly constellate into a bigger picture, with allusions to anxiety, eating disorders, and prejudice. #00, the goalie played by Hades Whalen, has a blood-curdling scream that encompasses so much of the show's core narrative by letting out a teenage rage-filled cry as if to excrete their own problems. There is no weak link in this talented ensemble.

The aforementioned turf not only formed a field, but crawled up the side of the stage, almost like a page turning but stuck in limbo. Maybe I read too much into that, but the scenic design of Rob Kerby practically begs for it with its sharp simplicity. So much of Saturday soccer games was represented by the show's props, designed by Eric Barker. Monogrammed backpacks and sticker-clad Nalgenes felt right on the nose, fitting for a show filled with modern references. Modern shows can be less glorifying for designers, but the clear care of the design team was note-worthy.

If you've ever smiled with an orange in your mouth or had to run laps for running your mouth at a childhood soccer game, there's surely a treasure trove for you waiting in The Wolves. As searing and quick-paced as a real sporting event, this play writes its characters with humanity and concise dialogue. But it's truly the performers, clearly mastering teamwork, that turned my applause into a howl.

Tickets are available for The Wolves at the Fifth Third Theatre at the Aronoff Center now at https://www.nku.edu/academics/artsci/about/SchoolOfTheArts/news-events/tickets.html. Don't miss this bold and beautiful piece of theatre by some very talented students!