Photo provided by Mark Creter.
The Tech Players will debut their production of “The Wolves” on Feb. 3 at the Backdoor Playhouse.
Directed by Joe Clark, “The Wolves” features an all-female cast and follows the lives of a soccer team as they prepare for their matches. The characters, who are all referred to by their team numbers, are the main focus for the play.
According to artistic director Mark Creter, “[The premise] is the conversation that happens when these team players are warming up for a game. It’s very human. It’s about their concerns and all of the things that are going on in the lives of the women in this soccer team.”
The production introduces controversial and relevant topics such as racism, genocide, and the border. “Through their conversation, you sort of learn more about them as the play goes on. You learn about their own traumas and their own issues and complications they deal with … The show is not really about soccer, it is about them,” Clark said.
For the actresses, the conversations are reminiscent of those they had in high school. “I think that because the show is so real and human it can be a little uncomfortable, and I think I like that,” said Harley Dodson, who portrays #11. “I want you to feel a little squirmy about it.”
“There are moments where something [the characters] say might make you cringe, or something they went through is something you could go through or have been through,” Alanah Smithson, who plays #7, said. “You can’t escape these real people and this real-life thing that is going on. I think it’s really cool that you are just immersed in their world.”
Compared to other shows Clark has directed, he believes the actresses were given more freedom to be involved and come up with ideas. “They know their characters really well, and so I want them to be able to feel like they can make this show their own,” Clark said. “I can guide them, but they can really do the steering.”
Smithson said that although it can be difficult to notice the chemistry between the individual actors in some plays, it wouldn’t be an issue for this production. “We all get along super well. I can’t think of a better cast to have for this show,” Smithson said.
The cast is comprised of Kennedy Campbell (#00), Elise Hilpert (#2), Alanah Smithson (#7), Lex Edwards (#8), Harley Dodson (#11), Miranda Davis (#13), Lilly Cunningham (#14), Emily Graham (#25), Ashley Hale (#46) and Emily Amonett (Soccer Mom).
Tickets are $15 for general admission, $12 for senior citizens and $5 for all students.
Performances will run from Feb. 3 to Feb. 12 at varying dates and times. For more information about the production, visit https://www.tntech.edu/bdph/