In a world awash with anxiety, restricted freedoms and ubiquitous social media, there's arguably been no harder time to be an adolescent, and particularly a teenage girl.
Despite the inspiring leadership shown by young women such as Nobel Peace Laureate Malala Yousafzai, the survivor of a 2012 Taliban execution attempt, and climate activist Greta Thunberg, and the rise of the #MeToo movement, we don't hear enough about, or from, this generation.
So, when a drama comes along such as The Wolves, which director Phoebe Turnbull says "drops you right in the middle" of the concerns and dreams of nine teenage girls who play for the titular indoor football (soccer) team, it's a rare opportunity for Newcastle theatre audiences to gain insight into this misunderstood demographic.
Written by American playwright Sarah DeLappe, The Wolves premiered off-Broadway in 2016 and was a finalist in the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for its gritty depiction of the confusion and companionship among this group of female and non-binary under-17s, warming up for games each week, as if for battle.
It covers a gamut of issues, from initial conversations about the Cambodian genocide and others about life in refugee camps on the US/Mexican border, to teenage pregnancy, social anxiety and notions of belonging.
"The play deals with big topics 'but super carefully," director Phoebe Turnbull says.
"Every character goes through questioning whether they belong, the relationships between you and other teenagers are constantly in flux."
Relocated to an identifiable Australian milieu by assistant director Alana McGaughey, and with an energetic and passionate all-female ensemble drawing on their own lives, The Wolves feels highly relevant and disarmingly potent. The emotion in the piece develops imperceptibly as we follow the team through their season's ups and downs, and they become united in response to tragedy.
The characters, identified primarily by their team numbers, are candidly drawn, occasionally grumpy and unkind, sometimes competitive and both fierce and vulnerable. They are like nine different musical instruments in an orchestra, their conversations initially overlapping and discordant, but building toward a collective primal howl that resonates well beyond the theatre.
"The play is like a score," Turnbull says, and choreographed dance moves add physical synergy to the rhythm of The Wolves, showing that, for all of the rivalries and pettiness among the group, "teamwork makes the dream work", as their captain, number 25, puts it.
Both Turnbull and McGaughey see parallels between sport and theatre, and the value of team and community in both arenas. The importance of inclusion is particularly pertinent in an ensemble piece like this, at a time when perceptions of gender are increasingly nuanced, and when many young people are reconstructing identity and confidence after a bewildering few years.
"School after COVID is a stressful social setting," drama teacher McGaughey says. "Brains weren't built to look at phones all day."
"Teenage-hood is tumultuous," Turnbull agrees."Teenagers are so socially based, you are forming who you are, relationally. Teenage years are like rehearsal runs for big adversities."
As we navigate our brave new world, unsure of whether we'll ever fully conquer the pandemic or save our planet from climate change, the voices of the younger generations, emerging into adulthood, are all the more important, especially when, as Turnbull says, "historically girls and women are not listened to".
The Wolves is a compelling and entertaining account of how a group of disparate young women begin to find themselves and their collective power, through being part of a team.
"It is a celebration of camaraderie and friendship . . . about the importance of being accepted and belonging," Turnbull says.
If the director has a hope for the production, part of the Newcastle Theatre Company's progressive Indie season, it is that people will "pay more attention to the wisdom of teenagers" or "listen to your teenage self".
The Wolves is not only essential viewing for young Novocastrians trying to make sense of today's turbulent world, but for parents who are seeking insights into the concerns of the next generation.
The Wolves opens at Newcastle Theatre Company, in DeVitre Street, Lambton, on Wednesday September 7, with performances on Friday September 8, Saturday September 9, and Wednesday September 14, Friday September 16 and Saturday September 17. All performances at 8pm, tickets $25 from newcastletheatrecompany.com.au or 4952 4958.
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