Linfield Theatre Program’s fall production of “The Wolves,” a 2017 Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie award–winning play by Sarah DeLappe, will open Oct. 26, with performances through Nov. 5. The play follows nine teenage girls on an indoor soccer team as they navigate daily life while doing soccer warm–ups and preparing for games.
The New York Times called the play “a nine–headed hydra, rushing at you on a stream of exploding hormones,” as the girls’ rapid–fire chatter covers the mundane and the intense issues high schoolers confront while maturing into young adults. During all these interactions, various identities surface and intertwine to provide a fascinating portrait of young women as their friendships, priorities, minds and bodies evolve — both in expected and unexpected ways.
“The Wolves’ has an intense heartbeat, generated by the rhythm of the stretches and soccer passes, and the angst and solace these players exchange,” said director Lindsey Mantoan, associate professor and Lacroute Chair in Theatre Studies. “It examines the clash of the banal preoccupations of adolescence with the vital challenge of learning how to care about and for other people. I’m so proud of the work these actors have done to both develop these characters and also hone their soccer skills.”
The student cast includes Chloe Brady, Madeline Chandler, Kaitlin Harwood, Zoe Hertlein, Lucy Ingham, Katie Jones, Brielle Kromer, Sydney Monroe and Bella Rigutto, with DeAndre Williams as the soccer mom. The lighting design is by senior Nikos Rictor. Scenic design is by Assistant Professor Derek Lane; costume, hair and makeup design are by Instructional Associate Laurel Peterson, with assistant design by senior Katie Jones and sound design by Instructional Associate Jesse Klug. Senior Robert Turner is serving as the production’s stage manager.
Performances: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26-28 and Nov. 2-4; 2 p.m. Nov. 5 in the Marshall Theatre in Ford Hall. There will be wine and light refreshments following the opening night performance on Thursday, Oct. 26. On Thursday, Nov. 2, a post-performance discussion entitled “Gender, Sport, and Health” will be open to the public. Panelists include the director Lindsey Mantoan, Associate Professor Sarah Coste, and Professor Laura Kenow, both from the Department of Health, Human Performance and Athletics, and Associate Professor Hillary Crane from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Tickets: Tickets are $12 for full price; $10 for seniors (62+) and Linfield employees (two tickets per ID); and $8 for students 13+ (any school, one ticket per ID). Online tickets will go on sale Oct. 11 and the box office will open Oct. 24. Seating is reserved. Please call 503-883-2292 for more information. This play may not be suitable for all audiences due to mature themes and language. Recommended for ages 13 and older.
About the playwright: “The Wolves” is Sarah DeLappe’s debut play. She is a playwright and screenwriter based in New York and has been a resident artist at the Sitka Fellows Program and SPACE on Ryder Farm. She wrote the screenplay for the 2022 film “Bodies, Bodies, Bodies” and is currently working on adapting and producing the film Cassandra at the Wedding and is a writer on the upcoming HBO miniseries The Regime. She received her MFA at Brooklyn College.
Sponsorship: This production is sponsored by the Linfield Theatre Program and is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. (www.concordtheatricals.com).
Directions: To reach Kenneth W. Ford Hall from Hwy. 99W in south McMinnville, turn east on Keck Drive at Albertson’s. Take Keck Drive to Lever Street and turn right. Take the next immediate right at Ford Drive into the theatre parking lot. Ford Hall is located at the west end of the parking lot.
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