University of New Haven Theater Program to Present ‘The Wolves'

A former Pulitzer Prize finalist for drama, "The Wolves" follows the teenage members of a high school girls soccer team as they explore important questions together. The curtain comes up Wednesday through Saturday, November 13 to 16, at 7:30 p.m. in Bucknall Theater in Dodds Hall.

November 7, 2019

By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications

Samantha Slaza '20, a theater arts major, is not a soccer player, but she plays one on stage. Soccer practice, of sorts, was part of her preparation for her role as #7 – a headstrong teenager – in the University of New Haven theater program's upcoming production of "The Wolves."

"Practicing kicking a soccer ball everyday has been interesting, and it really opened me up to other hobbies," she said. "Turns out, I'm pretty good at kicking a soccer ball! I also enjoyed playing a character who is very different from who I am as a person, as #7 has a much harder and tougher exterior than I do."

The play follows the teenage members of a girls indoor soccer team as they discuss many difficult and relevant topics and navigate important questions together. The curtain comes up Wednesday through Saturday, November 13 to 16, at 7:30 p.m. in Bucknall Theater in Dodds Hall. Tickets can be purchased online.

Written by Sarah DeLappe, "The Wolves" was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for drama in 2017. It is also one of the most produced American plays this year.

"'The Wolves' is a stunning piece of theater that follows how a group of young women, between the ages of 16 and 17, try to come to terms with the turbulent, irrational, and tragic world they've inherited," said Jonathan Yukich, co-coordinator of the University's theater program and the play's director. "It's a beautiful play – funny, heartbreaking, and searingly honest. We are proud to be bringing such a powerful and relevant work to our campus community."

Rose-Emma Lambridis '20 plays Slaza's teammate #00, an anxious and overachieving goalie. Lambridis, who also designed the production's promotional poster, got a kick out of working on the show, and she hopes the campus community will enjoy it.

"It's a beautiful play – funny, heartbreaking, and searingly honest. We are proud to be bringing such a powerful and relevant work to our campus community."Jonathan Yukich

"What I have enjoyed most about working on this production is the wonderful script," she said. "The story is not only relevant, it also pays homage to teenage girls. Although the girls are put through so much for simply enjoying life or being themselves, they find peace within the community they have created as a soccer team."