“The Wolves” was created by Sarah DeLappe and is directed by FGCU’s Barry Cavin. It is a coming-of-age story about young women who share the goal of being the region's best high school soccer team.
It is being presented at FGCU's TheatreLab through April 27.
Cavin, a director for more than 30 years, was drawn to “The Wolves” due to the enthusiasm the students had for the play and the learning opportunities it offered the cast and crew.
“Each year we invite a student representative to poll the majors to see which show they'd like to see in our season,” Cavin said. “'The Wolves' is one of their picks.”
The plot of “The Wolves” is simple but touches on complex topics, such as growing up, womanhood, and working as a team. In it, a high school women’s soccer team learns how to cope with working together, even if it isn’t easy.
The director said, “I think this show is about growing up, leaning on friends in tough times, and the importance of building a community to help make sense of the world.”
Cavin said this show is good preparation for the roles his students might expect to get once they leave FGCU. It is close to the students in terms of age and its time setting.
“The language is contemporary vernacular and the situation is realistic. So this gives our actors opportunities to dive deeply into realistic character development and to perform those characters in an intimate setting.”
Cavin especially liked the contrasting bits of humor and serious drama that were woven throughout the script.
“It's different from the plays I typically direct because it's a commercial play along the lines of what you might expect to see in any commercial or professional theater,” Cavin said.
Jada Collier, an actress in “The Wolves” who plays No. 11, has been acting for four years. However, this is her first time performing in a play. Being a junior at FGCU, Collier said she was looking to get more involved. That’s when Cavin introduced her to “The Wolves,” leading her to audition for a role.
Reflecting on her experience, Collier enjoyed this show because it allowed her to bond with all her cast members and challenge herself athletically.
“I’ve always grown up doing some type of physical activity,” she said. “It was really fun and really cool to challenge myself in a new way, especially with soccer, because that’s not even hand-eye coordination. It’s a whole different ball game.”
The camaraderie Collier shared with the actresses went a long way in making her job easier.
“I really would say that I made a lot of friends in the theater program just from this play alone,” she said. “I would say the sisterhood, in a sense, that I’ve gained from just the rehearsal process and performing has been something that’s really special for me.”
What stood out to Collier the most about “The Wolves” was the unique and challenging aspects of the ensemble cast. Because the actresses played a group of tightly knit young women, there was a frequent overlap in their dialogue.
“It took a long time to get down,” Collier said. “I think that’s kind of one of the main things that makes the show what it is and so special. It’s chaotic in the most fun, kind of organized way. Like organized chaos.”
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