The Wolves
Written by Sarah DeLappe
Directed by Elyse Edelman
Renaissance TheatreWorks
Next Act Theatre
January 21st - February 11th, 2024
Production Team:
Scenic Design: Doug Dion
Costume Design: Jason Orlenko
Lighting Design: Colin Gawnronski
Sound Design & Original Music: Brandon Reed
About The Play
Undefeated, fierce, goofy, and occasionally vulgar, The Wolves are a top soccer team in the age 16-18 indoor league. Eight of the nine girls are accustomed to autumns and summers spent on travel teams, competing against other elite high school players across the Midwest and the country. The ninth girl, #46, is new to the area, but pulled a stellar try-out that got her onto the team.
We are introduced to the delightful and jagged dynamics of #46’s teammates as she discovers them. They bond over homework assignments, menstrual cycle discussions, birthday plans, a cold that makes its way through the team, and the uselessness of their coach.
Through the wandering conversations, jabs, and jokes, The Wolves run drills with an agility and precision they hope will lead to bigger wins on the horizon: a trip to Nationals in Miami and opportunities to play for college recruiters. But as a shot at both prizes approaches, the game that united these strong, disciplined young women begins to isolate them. Though it’s nothing new to say sixteen is a hard age, The Wolves lives in the poignant intersection of growing pains and the difficult truths we begin to face in high school—and grapple with the rest of our lives.
This transition is similar the previous ones, but different rhythm and chord progression of the ambient tone. I used more group chants when the scenery was moved around and accented.
Photos taken courtesy of Ross Zenter
In my conversations with Elyse, it was a desire to really help the audience connect with the girls and feel the fire and energy that they do. She described them as having the same tenacity and fire as actual Wolves and how they are their own tribe. To help with this she cast actors who were the same age as the ones in the script, she pulled from a local performing arts school, which made the things they talked about onstage more authentic and heartfelt. We wanted the audience to really felt like we were going to war with these girls every Saturday.
Based off these conversations, it made me think of tribal music of many different ethnicity. But the common thread was that they felt like they were going to war. I decided to create my own war drums with the help of Native Instrument’s “Action Strikes,” sample library. With this I got the tempo and energy, but I needed the audience to connect emotionally with the piece more. I layered these all with tonal ambient layers to help add an emotional layer. Lastly, so that we didn’t just start with random drums out of nowhere, I tied us into the music using whistle blows into sonic whooshes that went right into the music. To further make these more impactful and tied to the girls and their fire, we recorded the actors after designer run doing various group shouts and chants. I layered these and timed them with the action choreographed with the music during rehearsals. All of this together created a sound design and music that not only deeply tied to the girls, but really added energy, ferocity, rage, and really made us feel like we were at war with them.
Top Of Show
From the moment the curtain speech ends, we immediately launch into high energy music that gets us fired up and into the same mood as the girls. We hear a coach’s whistle ring as we whoosh into war drums and an ambient tone that gives a darker and more serious mood. Once the girls are finished with their choreography, a group chant of “HA” buttons us into the first scene.
The Sound Design
Transition: Week 2
We hear a coach’s whistle and a whoosh take us into another tribal war drum sequence. This one is lower tempo, but still gives us the same energy and ferocity as the girls. This sequence involved dramatic movement of setting up scenic pieces. When each piece got to it’s dedicate spot on stage, the girls slapped or did a gesture on top of them, accompanied by a group chant. Once we are finished a final hit of the drum buttons us into the next scene.
Transition: Week 4
Time Out
Later in the play, we learn one of the players #14 has died in a car accident. What follows is a sequence where the girls let out all their angst, grief, and fury in a very cathartic moment. To get into the sequence an exhale of breath is heard and we go into an ambient tone that gives a mood of worry and uneasiness. We see #00 slowly kick balls against the scenery. Eventually she grows in fury and anger as the ambient tone shifts to a darker and serious mood. Drums come in and slowly build as she continues to grow in fury. Finally she lets out a primal scream that is excruciating and is eventually taken over by a voiceover that echos throughout the space as the rest of the team runs in and screams on top of her. As lights come up, the ambient tones fade away leaving us feeling empty.