Ever since I saw New York Stage and Film’s electric workshop production of The Wolves in 2016, I’ve been head over heels for this play. I was captivated by its velocity, its physicality, and its razor-sharp sense of what it means to be a teenage girl.

In 2021, I got the chance to stage it myself — on an actual soccer field, with a cast of actual teenagers. Every rehearsal began with at least an hour of soccer practice. The cast laced up their cleats, strapped on their shin guards, and started passing. I hadn’t played soccer since elementary school, but suddenly I was guiding a team to game day.

They performed in ninety-degree heat, falling darkness, and pouring rain. And the soccer, of course, was only the half of it. These actors — kids who remarked to me that they had never gotten the chance to play characters who spoke just like them — brought their full selves to the field, and it was a privilege to learn and play alongside them.

PRODUCTION TEAM

Director: Nina Goodheart
Stage Manager: Becca Gracey
Costume Designer: Christopher Metzger
Scenic Designer: Ryan Goff
Props Designer: Nat Toledo
Production Manager: Gillian Gold
Technical Director: Sydney Raine Garick
Photographers: Nina Goodheart and Marc Garlasco