Renaissance Theaterworks Teams With First Stage Young Company To Produce THE WOLVES

Renaissance Theaterworks is continuing their 31st season with THE WOLVES by Sarah DeLappe, January 21 - February 11th with preview performances on January 19th and 20th, at the Theater on 255 S Water Street in Milwaukee's Harbor District. Tickets are available at r-t-w.com 24 hours-a-day, by phone at 414-278-0765 or in person at the box office, 255 S. Water St., from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily and 2 hours before performances.* Full list of performance dates, times and special shows below.

*The Ticket Office will be closed from December 23 through January 1 for the holidays.

THE WOLVES will  mark Elyse Edelman's RTW directing debut.  A First Stage Young Company alumna herself, Elyse will direct a cast of Young Company Actors and RTW veteran actor Marcella Kearns in this fierce, funny and intense play.

Play Synopsis 

Left quad, right quad, lunge. A girls high school soccer team warms up. From the safety of their suburban soccer field the team navigates big questions and wages small battles with all the vigor of a pack of warriors. THE WOLVES is a triumph of insight and energy into what it takes for young women to come of age.  A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for drama, THE WOLVES is one of the most talked about off-Broadway plays of the last 20 years.

An Exciting Partnership Highlighting the Best of Milwaukee

THE WOLVES has been a long time coming for RTW. “We've had our eye on THE WOLVES for a while” says Artistic Director Suzan Fete. “This play does such a fantastic job of capturing the trials and tribulations of being a teenage girl. It fits right in with what we do here at Renaissance.”  And who better to portray the team than actual teenage girls? “Early on, we knew we wanted to work with young performers on this production.” says Fete “And luckily we happen to have one of the best young professional training programs in our backyard!” First Stage is beloved in Milwaukee for their family friendly programing, and is also one of the most acclaimed children's theaters in the nation. But not everyone knows about their stellar education programs like Young Company (FSYC), a college-level training program for advanced high school actors.

Coming Full Circle

THE WOLVES director Elyse Edelman is also a talented actor, well known to Wisconsin theater-goers.  She is an alumna of FSYC, as well as a core faculty member for 5 years.   Elyse fell in love with acting at a young age, after First Stage she attended the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program.Then, after 15 years acting throughout the country, she moved back to Milwaukee.  Being close to family and success with working with almost every professional theater in the state, makes for both a rich personal and artistic life.

Now, her own Young Company experience makes her the perfect choice for directing THE WOLVES, as it is cast with nine high school-aged performers in the current class of Young Company.  Elyse describes THE WOLVES characters in an interview with MKE Lifetyle…“The way they warm up, it's like they're going to war,” she says. “To win is to be a warrior. You need a competitive spirit but you also have to support each other. That's what makes a warrior: support and competitiveness. It's not just about the ups and the downs of the sport. It's the ups and downs of their lives. For them, waking up every day and needing to live their lives as a young girl is like going to war.”

Cast

#11 MIDFIELD…………………………………. Maya Thomure

#25 DEFENSE, CAPTAIN………………...….. Alice Rivera

#13 MIDFIELD……………………………….… Josie Van Slyke

#46 BENCH………………………..…………... Reiley Fitzsimmons

#2 DEFENSE…………………………………… Madison Jones

#7 STRIKER……………………………………. Ryan Bennett

#24 MIDFIELD…………………………………. Lorelei Wesselowski

#8 DEFENSE……………………………………Natalie Ottman

#00 GOALIE……………………………………..Elena Marking

SOCCER MOM………………………………….Marcella Kearns*

Production Team

DIRECTOR………………………………………………Elyse Edelman

PRODUCTION MANAGER & STAGE MANAGER.…Bailey Wegner*

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR………………………………Tony Lyons

LIGHTING DESIGN…………………………...………..Colin Gawronski

SCENIC DESIGN…………………………………...…..Doug Dion

SOUND DESIGN………………………………………..Brandon Reed**

COSTUME DESIGN……………………………………Jason Orlenko**

PROP DESIGN………………………………………….Jim Guy

MOVEMENT DESIGN………………………………… Jayne Regan Pink

SOCCER COACH…..…………………………………. Laila Eslami

SHOW MASCOT………………………………………..Rapinoe The Wolf

*Member of Actors' Equity Association

** Member of the United Scenic Artists of America

Playwright/Director/Cast Biographies

Sarah DeLappe PLAYWRIGHT 

Sarah DeLappe's play The Wolves (Pulitzer Prize finalist; Lortel, Outer Critics Circle nominations for Best Play/Emerging Playwright; Relentless Award, Sky Cooper New American Play Prize; Susan Smith Blackburn and Yale Prize finalist) premiered at The Playwrights Realm, following an engagement with New York Stage and Film, and development with Clubbed Thumb. Fellowships and developmental support include The MacDowell Colony, The Ground Floor, LCT3 Playwright in Residence, Ars Nova Play Group, Page One Fellowship at The Playwrights Realm, SPACE on Ryder Farm, and Sitka Fellows Program. MFA: Brooklyn College.

Elyse Edelman DIRECTOR

Elyse is thrilled to return to Renaissance Theaterworks to direct THE WOLVES by Sarah DeLappe. Working for such a mission-driven company brings her great fulfillment. Previous credits at RTW include THE DROWNING GIRLS (Bessie), TOP GIRLS (Angie), and THE HOW AND THE WHY (Rachel). Wisconsin theater credits include multiple productions with Forward Theater Company, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Third Avenue PlayWorks, First Stage, In Tandem Theatre, American Players Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, and Door Shakespeare. Some other regional acting credits include productions with The Guthrie, Park Square Theatre, People's Centre Theatre (Minneapolis/St. Paul), Utah Shakespeare Festival (Cedar City), Chicago Children's Theatre, The Accidents (Chicago), and Riverside Theatre (Iowa City), among others. Elyse is also an educator and develops curriculum for a number of professional theaters, schools, and youth correctional facilities. She is on core faculty of the First Stage Young Company and also serves on the Advisory Company at Forward Theater in Madison, Wisconsin. Training: University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor's Training Program. Website: http://www.elyseedelman.com

Maya Thomure #11 MIDFIELD

Maya is ecstatic to be involved in this production of The Wolves! She is a junior at Whitefish Bay High School, and in her third year in First Stage's Young Company. Favorite performing credits include HENRY IV; PART I (Prince Hal), MACBETH (Witch Three), LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET (Ensemble), and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (Peter Quince). Outside of theater, Maya plays the cello as a member of the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra. She is extremely grateful for her wonderful director Elyse Edelman, the entire team at Renaissance Theaterworks, and her fellow cast members for this lovely experience. AHWOO!

Alice Rivera #25 DEFENSE, CAPTAIN

Alice is thrilled to be a part of THE WOLVES! Alice is a sophomore at Golda Meir High School. Some of her past credits include: LITTLE WOMEN (First Stage), A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (First Stage), GRETEL! (First Stage) and NEWSIES (Skylight Music Theatre). Alice is a part of First Stage's Young Company and a member of The Rep's Teen Council. She also enjoys dancing and crocheting. Alice is ecstatic to be working on this show with Renaissance Theaterworks and would like to thank her friends and family for their continued support.

Josie Van Slyke #13 MIDFIELD

Josie Van Slyke (she/her/hers) is a junior at Golda Meir School and a member of the National Honor Society. Her previous credits include LITTLE WOMEN (Jo), A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (Puck), THE LEGEND OF ROCK, PAPER SCISSORS (Ensemble), THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR SHOW (Artist), and THE CAT IN THE HAT (Sally). Josie feels very grateful to be working with all these awesome ladies in her first production with Renaissance. She would like to thank her friends and family for their constant support and the teams at First Stage and Renaissance for this opportunity! AWHOO!

Reiley Fitzsimmons #46 BENCH/STRIKER)

Reiley is a sophomore at the University School of Milwaukee and a 2nd-year at First

Stage Young Company acting program. She is the Vice President of her school's

Thespian society and also has been a student of classical voice instructor Victoria

Brasser-Vos for the last 9 years.  Recent credits include THE LARAMIE

PROJECT(USM), LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS(USM), THE BIRDS(USM), and THE GRACIOUS SISTERS(First Stage/YC). She wants to thank her director, Elyse Edelman, Young Company, and Renaissance Theaterworks for this opportunity.

Madison Jones #2 DEFENSE

Madison Jones (she/her) is a junior at Pius Xi High School. She is involved in the theater and dance departments at school, and has founded the school's Young Writer's Club. Past credits include: SIX: TEEN EDITION (Pius), 13: THE MUSICAL (Pius), THE FORGOTTEN GIRL (First Stage), LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET (First Stage), MATILDA: THE MUSICAL (First Stage). Madison enjoys playwriting and crafting with friends. Huge thanks to Young Company for making this possible. Enjoy the show! 

Ryan Bennett #7 STRIKER

Ryan is a senior at Homestead High School (HHS). She is an active member of the Homestead Theater program, starring in many productions, and acting as co-president this year.  She is also a member of both the International Thespian Society and National Honor Society. Past performing credits include: HELLO DOLLY (Homestead High School), CINDERELLA (Homestead High School), THE LOTTERY (Homestead High School) ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD (Homestead High school and First Stage) THE LARAMIE PROJECT (First Stage)  THE LEGEND OF ROCK PAPER SCISSORS (First Stage) and SHE KILLS MONSTERS (Homestead High School)  In her spare time Ryan plays piano and guitar, sings, writes songs and poetry, and reads the classics.

Lorelei Wesselowski #24 MIDFIELD

Lorelei is excited to make her debut performance with Renaissance Theaterworks in THE WOLVES. Most recently she was seen at First Stage as Imogene Herdman in THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER: THE MUSICAL. Previous credits include THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES with First Stage (2023), CARMINA BURANA with Skylight Music Theatre and Milwaukee Opera Theatre (2019) and July in ANNIE with Skylight (2017). Lorelei is a fifth year member of the Danceworks Youth Performance Company and she plays steel pans with MYSO. As a senior at Milwaukee School of Languages, she's a fluent French speaker and she plays flute and bass guitar. She thanks her friends and family for their endless support.

Natalie Ottman #8 DEFENSE

Natalie is ecstatic to be working on the Wolves, a show that is a radical and realistic representation of female adolescence. Natalie is a freshman at DSHA where she enjoys running with her cross country teammates after school. Favorite past credits include HAMLET and LITTLE WOMEN with First Stage and Milwaukee Rep's A CHRISTMAS CAROL in 2021 and 2022. You can see Natalie this spring in First Stage's ESCAPE FROM PELIGRO ISLAND. Finally Natalie would like to thank her friends and family for their continued love and support.

Elena Marking #00 GOALIE

Elena is incredibly excited to be a part of THE WOLVES! She is a junior at Franklin High School and part of the Young Company at First Stage. Recent credits include, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM(First Stage), LITTLE WOMEN(First Stage), THE GRACIOUS SISTERS(First Stage), and HENRY IV PART 1. She sends her love to her family, friends, and teachers who have provided unconditional support.

Marcella Kearns SOCCER MOM

Marcella is honored to return to Renaissance for this collaboration after BR!NK's RUNNING WITH COFFEE. Artistic Associate of Forward Theater and core faculty of Young Company, Marcella is also a member of Actors' Equity Association, a former Fulbright Fellow, and a 2008 TCG Observership recipient. She holds an MFA in Acting from the University of South Carolina. Selected Wisconsin credits include Mrs. Hudson in SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE BAKER STREET IRREGULARS (First Stage), Frankie in FRANKIE AND JOHNNY IN THE CLAIR DE LUNE and Berthe in BOEING BOEING (MCT), Pickles in LIFE SUCKS (Forward Theater), and Mildred in GORGONS (RTW).

Performance Schedule & Special Events

Week 1

Friday, January 19, 2024 7:30 p.m. Preview & Pay-what-you-choose

Saturday, January 20 4:00 p.m. Preview & Open Captioning

Sunday, January 21 5:00 p.m. Opening Night & Reception

Week 2

Wednesday, January 24 7:30 p.m. Wine Wednesday

Thursday, January 25 7:30 p.m. SheLeads, Women in Business Networking Night

Friday, January 26 7:30 p.m. PRIDE Night & Talkback

Saturday, January 27 4:00 p.m. Open Captioning

Sunday, January 28 2:00 p.m. Play Club

Week 3

Wednesday, January 31 1:30 p.m. Matinee & Talkback

Wednesday, January 31 7:30 p.m. Wine Wednesday

Thursday, February 1 7:30 p.m.  Open Captioning

Friday, February 2 7:30 p.m. Pre-show talk @6:45

Saturday, February 3 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, February 4