Dean College Presents ‘The Wolves’

Cant of 'The Wolves' Presented by Dean College. Photo Credit: Hannah Pogemiller

The Dean College theatre program is taking the Main Stage with The Wolves, a coming-of-age story by Sarah DeLappe. 

Running from October 15^th to 19th, The Wolves is a contemporary play that follows a girls’ soccer team as they navigate the complexities of growing up, finding their identity, and social dynamics while demonstrating their athletic skills.  

Director Alison Angelone described The Wolves as “an invigorating play, equipped with its own unique directional challenges”. With only five weeks to bring this play to life, Angelone was focused on “creating an honest physical and emotional world onstage”. This “involved precise choreography, strength training, second circle focus and a multitude of patience,” Angelone said.  

Cast member and assistant director Hannah Pogemiller said the physical demands of the show were challenging at first, “When it comes to the rehearsal process, this show was all about practice, practice, practice. We would have rehearsals that only focused on movement to make sure that every cast member was on the same page,” Pogemiller said.  

To work on the authenticity of soccer, the cast invited Dean Women’s soccer players to gain more ball knowledge and skills. Members of the cast bonded by attending women’s soccer games to learn about the physicality and the movements of the game.  

The movements are an integral part of this production, as the director Angelone stressed the importance of “cardio-ography,” meaning all the cast are in sync and powerful. Pogemiller added that “without strength behind our movements, it would have looked underdeveloped, which is not what The Wolves is about.” 

“Forming and trusting our own ‘pack’ was the key to making complex discoveries, unlocking truth in each individual character, and exploring their relationships with one another,” as the director, Angelone, focused on bringing the characters to life. 

Pogemiller has enjoyed the process, adding that some of her favourite memories are when the “cast genuinely laughs on stage”. “There are so many moments where you can see the cast just being girls, which is the core of what this play is about,” Pogemiller said.  

Pogemiller wants the audience to “take away how hard these actors have worked. This is an extremely talented, hardworking, and kind cast that has poured their heart into their characters.” 

As a director’s note, Angelone said, “I am in awe of this cast and crew’s unwavering commitment to such a beautiful and challenging script. As a director, I always hope we do our job well enough to bring awareness to our audiences by evoking empathy, compassion, and critical thinking. I hope this play evokes a series of emotions while they watch these characters learn and grow in unimaginable and complex ways.” 

Angelone said, “Roman Philosopher Seneca once said, ‘Throw me to the wolves and I will return leading the pack.” I am honoured and proud to lead this pack, and I hope audiences will be too.” 

The Wolves is running from October 15th to 19^th at Dean College’s Main stage. Purchase your tickets HERE.