On December 9-10, the Encinal Drama Department put on its anticipated production of The Wolves, a play following a girls soccer team through a single season, and the various successes and hardships they experience along the way. The two showings, held in the school’s cafeteria, were unique performances. Instead of using a stage, the actors performed on a small spotlighted turf field with the audience surrounding them. Both shows sold out.

The blend of the simple set and the raw, true-to-life acting, created an intensely immersive experience for the audience. I, for one, felt as though I was not watching a theater performance, but instead eavesdropping on the conversations of a real soccer team.

The entirety of the play takes place over five consecutive pre-game warm ups, and the storyline is built solely through the conversations the nine players have with each other. This simplicity was a welcome change from the usual action-packed, dramatized theater, and still allowed for conflicts, complexities, and other life challenges to be addressed in the story. The audience was captivated from the start.

“The energy in the room was electrifying! I spoke with many of the patrons after the play of all ages who told me they felt connected to at least one of the characters, which was definitely the goal,” said theater director Lachelle Morris.

The play is a tearjerker as well. As tragedy strikes near the end of the performance, the audience is able to see the very authentic ways each character is affected and tries to cope. I know I wasn’t the only one to feel emotional as the final act came to a close.

“I think it’s so amazing when a performance is able to move people that way,” said sophomore Inky Arneson, who played both #14 and “Soccer Mom” in the show. “It really shows the power of live theater and how important it is, not just for the school, but everywhere.”

Overall, the play was filled with talent and hard work, and there were many elated faces as the cast and crew convened after the performance.                                                                                                                                                                                 

“I’m just glad that students have the opportunity once again to share their talents in the form of a play,” said Morris.