October 22th, 2022

It is not often that I attend a live performance. This doesn’t come from a lack of desire to see performances on the stage or a lack of appreciation. In fact, I find theater to be extremely impressive, versatile, and interesting. Specifically how live performances differ from on-screen actors. However, my inexperience and lack of awareness of where live theater occurs have limited my exposure to the medium. So, when Merrimack College announced they would be doing a live performance titled The Wolves in the Roger Center For The Arts, I took the opportunity to engage with my community and support my fellow colleagues as they showcased their talents and love for theater. 

The Wolves follows a female soccer team, facing and dealing with personal struggles that they faced throughout their life and how, even despite their differences, cohesive behavior and bonds through sport can be used as support. Throughout the play, I was enamored with the environment that both the onstage and backstage crew provided. While watching the play, I was completely immersed in the story and setting in which every set piece was brought. In addition, I found that the acting ability of my colleagues and the power of this play resonated with me the most. However, it was the end of the play that brought this performance from simply impressive to remarkably memorable. While the play is concluding, one of the Wolves’ teammates loses her life in a car accident. The dread and weight that the performers brought at this moment were remarkable. For example, the facial features, body language, and tone of voice of the actors turned a theatrical play into a realistic event. Instantly, I was able to connect my own emotions and personal experiences with the actors on stage. To ensure that an audience expels a distinct feeling, the live performance must be perfect and executed with mastery.

Ultimately, my experience with The Wolves was remarkably impressive and reminded me of how important theater is to storytelling. The theater is unique in the fact that it solely is responsible for creating the environment in which the audience resides. As for this experience, in particular, the Roger Center was extremely special and at a large scale. The introduction music immersed those attending the event instantly, and progressively heightened the stakes and consequences of the story being told. When the presentation ended, the audience and I found ourselves connecting The Wolves’ themes to several contemporary ways of thinking such as the focus on the importance and equality of women’s athletics, effective understanding and approach to mental health, and addressing the unfortunate trend of high school and college students losing their life due to disastrous consequences.