THE WOLVES: An Outdoor
Theatre-in-the-Round Performance
We Are the Wolves | Spring 2021 Mainstage Production
CUPS is proud to announce our spring 2021 mainstage production of The Wolves, written by Sarah DeLappe and directed by Jessie Darrell Jarbadan. A gripping contemporary drama depicting the joy, trauma, and sisterhood of a girl’s suburban soccer team, The Wolves will feature an all female-identifying/femme cast and is to be performed outdoors for a socially distant audience at President’s Field on Charlotte Street, from May 6th-May 9th.
Virtual auditions for The Wolves will be held on Thursday, March 11th, from 5:00-10:00 pm - sign up now for an audition slot, or apply to join the production team by Friday, March 5th to join us on the production team!
PRODUCTION PROTOCOLS & SAFETY
Like our fall production of Macbeth, The Wolves will be a completely open-air, outdoor experience, a story presented in the daylight and warmth of the early spring. DeLappe’s drama unfolds entirely over an athletic season and is set at an ambiguous soccer field; our set design will feature everything from aluminum sports benches to soccer nets, turf paint to water coolers, soccer balls to Gatorade bottles.
Audience members will be required to register for performances ahead of the show and will be assigned a specific spot on the field from which to watch. We encourage folks to bring picnic blankets, fold-out chairs, and whatever else you may need to feel comfortable while enjoying the show. Based on the current state of affairs regarding the pandemic and its impact in Worcester and on campus, double-masking and social distancing will be required of the cast, production team, and all audience members.
In cooperation with the Clark Commitment's strict embargo on any guests visiting Clark's campus and subsequent property, CUPS regretfully must limit any and all audience members to current Clark University students, staff, and faculty. We apologize profusely to any community members, alumni, and families that are hurt by this unfortunate but necessary precaution. Please note that there are plans for increasing accessibility to the production virtually - please read on to learn more about these proposals.
GETTING INVOLVED
Auditions for The Wolves will be held on Thursday, March 11th, from 5:00-10:00 pm. In accordance with guidelines issued by Student Leadership & Programming, we will be deferring to a virtual format for our auditions process, conducted over Zoom, though we want to emphasize that most rehearsals, as well as the performances themselves, will occur in-person.
Callbacks will be facilitated by the CUPS Executive Board and director Jessie Darrell Jarbadan if they are found to be necessary. Callbacks will take place virtually, as well. We expect a cast list to be assembled shortly after auditions and/or callbacks are concluded..
Production team applications for The Wolves are available now and applicants will be accepted on a rolling basis. When filling out the form, we encourage students to be transparent and honest about their comfort level in being involved - we acknowledge there is still an ongoing pandemic, and that will, understandably, affect our in-person production and those wishing to get involved.
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In the event of a positive test amongst the cast, the directing team has expressed a desire to cast swing roles in addition to the principal cast list. To increase safety, any rehearsal prior to tech week will take place with no more than 10 persons on-site at the Arboretum, including any members of the directing or production team. These numbers are subject to change as necessary during tech week, and performances are exempt.
ENDORSEMENTS & SUPPORT
At CUPS, we understand that theatrical productions are always a team effort, from the director, right down to the ushers. Now more than ever, our circumstances in facilitating student performance opportunities require the support, feedback, and occasional criticism from a plethora of fellow campus departments and institutions. We are proud to have the consent and encouragement of the following persons and their respective affiliations in pursuing our plans for our production of Macbeth:
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Facilities Management Director Daniel Roderick
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Sustainable Clark Director Jenny Isler
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Student Leadership & Programming Dir. Allie Shilling
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Theatre Arts Dept. Chair Gino DiIorio
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Theatre Arts Dept. Technical Director Kevin McGerigle
YOU'VE HEARD FROM US...
Now, we want to hear from you.
When Provost Baird first lent his support to CUPS in our in-person performing arts endeavors last semester, he reminded us of the ever-changing landscape of the pandemic and encouraged us to be ready for anything and everything during our production process. Consequently, we understand these plans do not, and cannot, address the full scope of creating live theatre amidst a pandemic. We encourage students, families, and faculty to reach out to us with any further concerns, comments, and questions that were not addressed here.
We would also like to extend an invitation to a virtual Q&A forum with the CUPS Executive Board on Monday, March 2nd, at 7:30 pm. This forum will take place over Zoom and will be accessible for any Clark students, families, and community members that want to learn more about CUPS' upcoming spring semester.