Erica Shi | Staff Illustrator

On Friday, Feb. 21, WashU’s Performing Arts Department (PAD) opened its production of “The Wolves,” a Pulitzer-nominated play by American playwright Sarah DeLappe, at Edison Theater. Directed by PAD professor Annamaria Pileggi, “The Wolves” is a dive into adolescence that dares the audience to look away. 

Throughout the play’s 90 minutes, a girls soccer team warms up for six of their fall-season games with long sets of drills. The team is caught up in its self-imposed hierarchy, fraught relationships, and petty rumors, all while each of the nine girls face a coming-of-age. Yet, the play is deeper than the typical cutthroat high school drama (ahem, ‘Riverdale’). Its emotional core lies in each girl’s search for belonging, identity, and peace of mind, despite the odds. While the girls’ actions are occasionally misguided, their journeys are fueled by moments of undeniable sincerity as well as laugh-out-loud humor, and the audience cannot help but cheer the team on as they finally find community amongst themselves. 

“It was really challenging, in the best sense of the word … I couldn’t be prouder of this company,” Pileggi said when asked about directing such an innovative play. She cites how challenging it was for the cast: “Having nine people on stage, almost all the time” with “no furniture” — not to mention the fact that “none of the actresses is a dedicated soccer player” — made the play uniquely difficult. 

While Edison Theater normally seats over six hundred, Pileggi opted for a more intimate setting. The stage is cut in half: A blanket of turf marks the actors’ space, while the other half lays out a set of bleachers for the audience. The front row is inches away from the team, allowing the audience to notice the subtle nuances of each player — their physical, verbal, and social mannerisms that characterize their place on the team. 

Pileggi praised the cast’s dedication. “They have really done the work,” she said. 

At the core of “The Wolves” are the 10 featured actors, each of whom bring exceptional personality, presence, and humor to the stage. Seniors Ella Sherlock, Taylor Miller, and Danielle Bryden are thoughtful #11, precocious #25, and awkward #46; first-years Parker Lesher and Coco Jones are sarcastic #7 and insecure #14; sophomore Talia Vinson is childlike #8; first-years Raquel Elle Brouwer, Charlotte Bartels, and Leo Young are stoner #13, perfectionist #00, and innocent #2, respectively; and PhD student Frauke Thielecke is the lone adult, Soccer Mom. These 10 actors are firing on all cylinders throughout the show. The ensemble piece demands a monumental effort from each actor, and the success of the play is a testament to their talent and hard work. The actors bring to life the team’s antics and show what it means to be human: triumphs, failures, and everything in between.

Speaking to what she hoped audiences would take away from “The Wolves,” Pileggi said that the play’s message is simply “how hard it is to grow up, especially in our current moment … The 21st century offers unique challenges that I certainly didn’t have to ruffle with growing up in the mid to late 20th century. I think this play communicates that in a very poignant way.” 

“The Wolves” continues to run this weekend: Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 2 at 2 p.m..