Running with the pack

To stereotype communication between women as “girl talk” is usually to dismiss it as frivolous or gossipy. “Guy talk,” on the other hand, is often characterized as serious discussions on topics such as politics, philosophy or sports … that, and poking fun at insecurities and brutally making fun of each other and the opposite sex in the most crude terms possible.

Among the nine members of a girls high-school soccer team in Slow Theatre’s The Wolves—opening tonight (Aug. 2) at the 1078 Gallery—all those stereotypes apply, and are shattered, with the ladies engaged in both girl talk and guy talk throughout the series of pregame warm-ups that make up Sarah DeLappe’s 2017 Pulitzer-nominated play.

I sat in on an early dress rehearsal on Monday (July 30), and even in the play’s less-than-polished state, it is a very moving and engaging production powered by a creative script and incredible, committed ensemble.

Kelly Candelaria directs the teen cast, but the driving force behind getting the play produced locally was Zoe Karch, a recent Inspire School of Arts & Sciences grad who is already a veteran of many local theater productions. Slow Theatre Executive Director Denver Latimer introduced her to the script and she fell in love with it and assembled fellow teen actors—mostly Inspire students—to workshop it. Various players have taken part in table readings for more than a year, with most of them sticking with it all the way to the current production.

The considered approach fits right in with Slow Theatre’s mission, and the extra work really paid off. The nine actors devour DeLappe’s overlapping dialogue, and conversations take place on a patch of artificial turf where the team circles up for stretches and warm-ups before games. There are no adults (until one parent—played by Karch’s mother, Sharon DeMeyer—at the very end), and the girls speak freely, dropping F-bombs with glee, discussing mass genocide in Cambodia in one moment and fading into the merits of tampons over pads in another.

The Wolves team is made up of very distinct characters, but DeLappe has avoided pigeonholing any of them into any of the strict archetypes like “the jock,” “the nerd,” etc. They are all just normal, complex individuals, navigating the social order of high school and dealing with the confusing and often dark realities of life—both in their own families and in the greater world—and they are testing it all out in the group as they go. It’s fascinating to watch as they fumble and fight in search of their identities.

The cast has lived with the characters so long that during the couple of spots where it seemed a line was forgotten, someone would just jump in to keep the conversation flowing as if it was happening organically in the moment. It was simply some of the most fun and emotionally powerful acting I’ve ever seen in Chico, and the entire ensemble—Karch, Cara Agnew, Patrice Berry, Devyn Cusick, Sierra Hall, Emily Hyder, Sydnee Kenny, Mia Naron, and Ilani Welsh-Johnson—deserves kudos.

The Wolves is the 1078’s first event since the gallery was evicted from its 820 Broadway location last year. It’s billed as a soft opening, with still more painting and infrastructure to go, but the basic remodel of the new Park Avenue spot is done. And though it’s much smaller than the old 1078, the long, rectangular, white-walled gallery appears well-suited for the multifunction arts/performance needs of the 37-year-old gallery. This play is a perfect, energetic way to kick things off.