The Wolves: A Review

The latest theater production wowed audiences with captivating acting and irreverent language: join Nik as he evaluates the show.

The Wolves, a 50-minute production directed by Dennis Canty and Patti Lonergan, was a riveting display for onlookers. On both nights of the play, the cast and crew garnered support from Middlesex students and faculty alike, the Fortmiller Theater’s intimate structure creating an immersive experience for the audience. The cast blended humor with melancholy as the characters developed and the plot unfolded. 

The play portrayed the growth of a semi-dysfunctional soccer team as they attempted to win a prestigious tournament. The wide variety of races, classes, and personalities led to exciting dynamics between loathsome and lovable characters, an entertaining mix of audacity and kindness. One cast member, Charlotte Davis-Jeffers, played the mother of the best soccer player on the team and loved the cast's camaraderie. She used that affinity for her fellow actresses to perform her character’s heart-wrenching speech after the untimely death of her daughter: DJ perfectly captures the mother’s struggles to articulate her disorderly thoughts, frantically cataloging her qualms of being a mother and her undying love for her daughter. 

When I watched the play, one scene that struck me profoundly was when Madi Brobbey’s character, struggling with her internal problems, took her intense anger out on the field by shooting penalty kicks, too shy to reveal her struggles to her team. The conflicts between the players seemed natural, as the emotion of the lines was fine-tuned through intensive rehearsal that brought the cast closer together. 

I admire that, even when the actresses were conversing, the play still held our attention, as we were so deeply invested in the volatile plot. Despite their character being insulted, the actors kept composure and feigned sadness or anger as if it were real. The few scene changes highlighted the actors’ versatility in utilizing their consistent surroundings. The undeniably insufferability of some of the characters strengthened the hatred of the audience, prompting one invested onlooker to say, as DJ recounts hearing, "She's such a b****,” attesting to the actress' impressive acting ability. 

The actresses appeared immersed in their roles in part because of the parallels between their real-life personas and their characters in the play, as both are teenage girls with teenage girl problems. Many audience members shared this perspective; however, to many, this play provided a window into the experiences and journeys of people of different ages or genders than their own, thus demonstrating the unique interpretations for all audience members. Ultimately, this play was a worthwhile experience for all––cast, crew, and audience––and future productions will certainly enchant the Middlesex community in the coming months.

Nik Rizvi