The Wolves
By Sarah DaLappe
Directed by Ericka Ratcliff
November 2-5, 2023 | 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Logan Center, Theater West
SYNOPSIS: Left quad. Right quad. Lunge. A girls indoor soccer team warms up. From the safety of their suburban stretch circle, the team navigates big questions and wages tiny battles with all the vim and vigor of a pack of adolescent warriors. A portrait of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for nine American girls who just want to score some goals.
Cast
#11 Tatiana Jackson-Saitz
Tatiana Jackson-Saitz (#11) is a fourth year English Language & Literature and Environmental & Urban Studies major. The Wolves is the first show she's worked on in college.
#25 Gertie Zwick-Schachte
Gertie Zwick-Schachter (#25) is a third year Fundamentals, Creative Writing, and Human Rights major. She is a playwright and dancer as well as an actress. She has previously performed in Let the Right One In (Eli), Stupid Fucking Bird (Nina), Cinderella (Dance Ensemble), As You Like It (Rosalind), The Miracle Worker (Helen), Rabbit Hole (Becca), and Leaves (Poppy).
#13 Laura Mahaniah
Laura Tutondele Mahaniah (#13) is an actor, dancer, dramaturg and student of Theater and Performance Studies and Linguistics at the University of Chicago. She has worked on a variety of TAPS, University Theater, Cup of Theater, Dance Council, and Hyde Park Community Player productions. Some of her favorite credits include The Physicists on Silks (Director/production manager), Marian or the True Tale of Robin Hood (Will Scarlett/Fight Captain), and the 2022-23 TAPS Dance Showcase (performer). Laura Tutondele imagines this production is as close as she’ll be getting to fulfilling her father’s dream of raising a professional soccer player. You can find her on instagram at @lauratutondele
#46 Tanima Sharma
Tanima acts and devises theatre with a special interest in clowning, street theatre, and choir. Recent performances include TAPS’ production of Laika’s Coffin (puppeteer), Bawdy Talk (actor, deviser) at the Chicago Physical Theatre Festival’s Scratch Night, and Little Amal Drifts Off To Sleep (puppeteer) with the Chicago International Puppet Theatre Festival. In any spare time that exists Tanima finishes up a PhD in Anthropology.
#2 Taiz Rodriguez
Taiz Rodriguez (#2) is a fourth year Theater and Performance Studies and Media Arts and Design double major with a minor in Architectural Studies. She has previously worked on Laramie Project (Amanda Gronich) and the Spring 2023 Pro Show Laika's Coffin. She is excited to be a part of an empowered all-female cast with amazing people and is excited to sport a jersey for the first time. Go Wolves!
#7 Gwen Laub
Gwendolyn Laub (#7) is a third-year TAPS and GNSE major! At the University she has previously been seen in Be More Chill (Chloe, UT), Leeching (Hailey, Fire Escape FIlms), Ghost Story (Amy, Fire Escape Films), and a variety of Off-Off Campus shows! Coming up you can catch Gwen in Open Wide an original musical put on by Off-Off Campus premiering next Friday and Otherworld (Maislie, Fire Escape Films) premiering in the winter. Gwen would like to thank her friends and family for always supporting her and the cast and crew for making this show a wonderful experience! She would also like to blame this team for getting her to think maybe she should give soccer another try (watch out Intramural League)! Email: gwendolyn.laub@gmail.com Instagram: @gwendolyn.michelle
#14 Clara Bennett
Clara Bennett is a first year TAPS major from Oregon, and she is very excited to be playing #14 in The Wolves. She was involved with the Teen Musical Theater of Oregon for six years, acting in shows such as Into the Woods (Stepmother), Footloose (Ethel McKormick), and The Drowsy Chaperone (dance ensemble and Drowsy understudy). She participated in Northwestern University’s NHSI program “Cherubs” where she acted in The Resistible Rise of Arturo UI (Arturo UI). She hopes you enjoy the show! Ah-RoooOOoooOOo!
#8 Jo Selmeczy
Jo Selmeczy (#8) is a second year TAPS/Comparative Human Development double major. They are incredibly excited to be a part of their first pro-show! Some of their past roles with University Theater include Romeo (Romeo and Juliet), Actor 6 (The Laramie Project), and Sebastian (Twelfth Night). They are currently the Education Chair on the Dean’s Men board. Outside of University Theater, they are involved with the Organization of LGBTQ+ Students and enjoy playing guitar and rock climbing.
#00 Emma Linderman
Emma Linderman (#00) is a fourth year in the college, where she is studying TAPS and CMST. Previous UT, TAPS, and regional credits include Amazons and Their Men (The Extra), Yivdak (Zahara), Scientific Method (Makayla), Marian or the True Tale of Robin Hood (Alanna Dale), The Laramie Project, At Your Own Risk, and Out Here (Josie).
Soccer Mom Rachel Linton
Rachel Linton (Soccer Mom) is a 2L at the Law School. This is her first show at UChicago. Her past credits include the Hyde Park Community Players: Macbeth (First Murderer, Fight Captain); Georgetown University: Fandom for Robots (Playwright), Speech and Debate (Producer), Hookman (Stage Manager), Victimology (Playwright), and Cyrano (Assistant Stage Manager).
Production Team
Director Ericka Ratcliff
Assistant Director/ Sophie Pope McCright
Dramaturg
Sophie Pope McCright (ASSISTANT DIRECTOR) is a third year Cinema & Media Studies and Political Science major. She has stage managed for University Theater's Dead Fun Society and Cup of Theater's Arms and the Man, and has really enjoyed trying out assistant directing!
Scenic Designer Lauren Nichols
Costumes Designer Janelle Smith
Costume Assistant Belle Nahoom
Belle Nahoom (Assistant Costume Designer) is a third-year Theater and Performance Studies and Data Science major. Her previous theatre credits at the University include The Heirs (ASM), Marian (ASM), The Intruder Workshop (Costume Designer), Scientific Method (Costume Designer), Macbeth in Space (Hair & Makeup), Queen of Spades Workshop (SM & PM), The Laramie Project (SM Collective™), the B.A. Thesis, Yivdak (Jared), 12th Night (Hair & Makeup), Be More Chill (Costume Designer), as well as the upcoming production (Winter Quarter)of Falsettos (Costume Designer). She is also capocomico of the Commedia Dell’Arte improv troupe on campus.
Lighting Designer Quinn Chisenhall
Properties Designer Jenny Pinson
Sound Designer D Etti Williams
Movement Director Devon de Mayo
Movement Assistant Camille Cypher
Stage Manager Olivia Ash
Olivia Ash (Stage Manager) is a Chicago-based theatre artist and recent graduate of Loyola University Chicago where she studied theatre. Currently, Olivia is the Development Events Coordinator at The Goodman Theatre. Her most recent credits include Miss Holmes Returns at Lifeline Theatre (ASM) Somewhere Over the Border at Teatro Vista (ASM Swing), as well as onstage in Into the Woods (Witch), and Radium Girls (Stage Manager). Olivia is thankful to her parents, friends, and boyfriend for their unending love and support and to the cast and crew for sharing their passion for live theatre.
Production Manager Jake Snell
Technical Director Ben Caracello
Associate Master Emily Curran
Electrician
Light Board Operator Aman Olgun