Review: WE ARE THE TIGERS at The Barbershop Theater

What would happen if Scream and Bring It On had a baby? You’d get a little musical called We Are The Tigers. Written and composed by Preston Max Allen, this killer piece focuses on a high school cheerleading squad that may or may not be getting hunted down at a slumber party. It might sound like an unusual premise for a musical, but it feels right at home with Street Theatre Company. Currently in its twentieth season, this theatre company isn’t afraid to produce untraditional shows like Thankskilling The Musical, which I had the pleasure of viewing while taking shots. However, their current production at the Barbershop Theatre is more than just an “untraditional show”; it’s a coming-of-age story that centers on the pressures of perfection. With themes ranging from fading friendships to wanting to be accepted, it’s something that plenty of audience members could relate to. Thanks to a stellar cast and terrific direction, We Are The Tigers is yet another show by Street Theatre Company that is worthy to cheer about. 

As soon as I learned about the show’s premise, I immediately had a flashback to a little movie called The Slumber Party Massacre. Funnily enough, it has a sequel with musical numbers. While I don’t know for sure if the director of We Are The Tigers has seen any of the movies in the franchise, Leslie Marberry has given us the closest thing we will ever get to a Slumber Party Massacre musical. Although the musical takes place in the present day, it feels like a throwback to classic eighties slashers, as well as nineties classics like Scream. Marberry transports us into one of those movies so effortlessly, which isn’t surprising given her reasoning for wanting to do this project. According to her Director’s Note, “This show has been so exciting for me to direct because it lives in a space where glitter meets dread and bloodstains, and I’ve really enjoyed the camp, the chaos, and the complicated feelings underneath all the sparkle. I hope that you all do as well.” Yes, yes I did. You’ve certainly brought the camp without losing the heart of it all. Bravo.

In order for Marberry’s sparkly and bloody vision to be brought to life, she needs a killer team. Garner Harsh’s terrific scenic design (with Phoebe Countryman as Scenic Apprentice) is full of details and surprises, none of which I will spoil here. Nearly every location feels like it was ripped straight out of a Scream movie, although the kitchen set gave me Halloween vibes. The lights shining through the window had me thinking that Michael Myers would walk by at any minute, and I can thank Kristen Dubois for that. Her lighting design added to the chills and campy vibes, as did Jacob Allen’s sound design. I appreciated how Joi Ware incorporated cheerleading moves into the choreography, and Taryn Pray’s attention to detail with props was admired by both myself and fellow audience members. Given that this was far from my first STC show, I was once again entertained by the talented Randy Craft, who is both the Music Director of the show and the Executive Artistic Director of the company. Oh, and those costumes. Again, I know the show is set in the present day, but I couldn't help but get nineties or early two-thousands vibes thanks to Melissa Durmon. I even went as far as to inform Coco Bella, who plays Annleigh, that her entire look reminded me of Buffy Gilmore from Scary Movie. She was very pleased with the comparison. 

Speaking of the cast, let’s move on down to them. Ready? Ok! Leading the Tigers is Victoria Lourdes as Team Captain Riley, who just wants everything to be perfect. We all have met at least one person who tries to keep everything together when it’s so close to falling apart, and Victoria nailed it perfectly. Cairo, the co-captain and Riley’s Best Friend, is played by Jianna Isabel. Even when she’s just sitting in the background, she steals the spotlight with just her body language. I’ve already mentioned Coco Bella as Annleigh, and she nearly stole the show for me. Granted, everyone is a scene stealer, but Coco’s comedic and vocal chops were nearly enough to turn this into a one-woman show. If she hasn’t done one yet, then she totally should. I also enjoyed some scenes involving Madison Nguyen as Kate and Mely Berdian as Chess, two friends who have something very personal going on between them. Their song “Skype Tomorrow”, which is about friends drifting apart, almost made me cry. Ella Haganman gave a relatable performance as Reese, the school mascot who just wants to fit in. Dee Pace may not get the most stage time as Farrah, but she made those moments count with her humor and relatability. Ella Vignon undoubtedly grabbed the audience’s heartstrings as Mattie, a freshman who has just joined the squad. Whenever something happened to her, good or bad, the audience had an audible reaction. And how could they not? Ella is just adorable in the role. Julia LaFreniere plays Eva, a member of a rival squad. She performs “Shut Up And Cheer”, which is quite possibly my favorite song of the show. Her vocals stand out in the chaos. Last, but not least, is Tristan Valdez as Annleigh’s boyfriend, Clark. I’m no stranger to Tristan’s previous appearances at STC, so I wasn’t surprised by his talent.