Wolf Players perform student-directed show- “Stories in Rep”

As the Wesleyan Wolf Players performed “Stores in Rep: 2 One-Acts,” they had their audience roaring with laughter, yet also possibly jotting down a few notes of literary insight. The student-directed show featured two brief one-act plays: “Romeo and Juliet: A Tale of Two Balconies,” and “Every Novel You’ve Read in High School in 25 Minutes or Less.”
 
Senior Davis Olds directed “Romeo and Juliet” which parallels the traditional tale of star-crossed lovers with modern humor complete with selfies and letterman jackets. The original, Shakespearean play unfolds on one side of the stage, and on the other side, the modern version offers a translation; however, as the dividing line gets blurred, the stories do cross paths.

"I first read 'Romeo and Juliet' when I was in eighth grade, and it is my personal favorite of all Shakespeare's works," shared Olds. "But I fear that many people misinterpret the true meaning of the play. 'Romeo and Juliet' is not a story about the beauty of love. Instead, it's a story about love's corrupted, bitter twin, lust."

"In directing 'Romeo and Juliet: A Tale of Two Balconies,' I wanted to show the tale of 'Romeo and Juliet' not as a romantic love story that people should aspire to, but rather to remind people of how dangerous the behavior that these Shakespearean characters engage in really is," explained Olds.
 
Senior Brenna McConnell directed the second one-act. In “Every Novel You’ve Ever Read in High School in 25 Minutes or Less,” the enthusiastic theater troop at Bellum High seeks to engage their classmates in the literary classics. With wit and speed, the troop races through ten of the most widely read novels- from “Moby Dick” to “the Scarlet Letter.”

As McConnell reflected on the production, she articulated how "we rarely find time to see things- such as long novels- through. We want the lesson without the learning, the moral without the story."

"But what I've learned through the process of directing this show is that the things that matter take time," shared McConnell. 
 
Bravo to the cast and crew!
 
If you’d like to catch the next production, mark your calendar for the Wolf Jr. Players’ presentation of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” April 28-30 in Powell Theater. Tickets will go on sale on April 13.
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