Blood, sweat, tears, insane dialogue and a great time. That sums up the play “The Wolves” taking place at the Vonnie Borden Theatre in D Vickers Hall, according to assistant director DeJuan “DJ” James.

James explained the plot of the show, which includes an all-female cast.

“The show is about the experiences of a girls’ soccer team through their weekly morning pre-game warmup routines,” explained James. “As the play progresses, we learn more and more about each of the characters and how they interact with each other and the world they live in.”

He then elaborated on the intended message and how it can change according to the viewer’s perspective.

“For me, the message has changed constantly throughout this whole process so, at the moment, I think it’s that we’re all human beings and, no matter what we do, we all just want something: to fit in, to be ourselves and to feel love — among other things,” expressed James. “I think audiences should see this simply because the story is one that I think not enough people know about: seeing these athletes as people who are not any different from you and me.”

Director Anna-Liese Fox believes that the message is different for all viewers.

“There is no moral,” shared Fox. “What you gain is insight on the complexity of identity.”

Fox is a new director at the university, and she is grateful that the university has been open to letting her run the show and allowing students to view as well as participate in live theatre.

“Professional theatre, like Broadway, is going to be shut down indefinitely,” explained Fox. “They have an obligation to make money and pack the houses. As an educational theatre program, our goal is to give opportunities for our designers, stage managers and actors to practice their craft. Just to make the distinction that our purpose is about serving our student artists and giving them an opportunity to grow as artists through live performance.”

Fox stated that young teenage girls are represented terribly in the media, and she finds that a lot of negative stereotypes surround them. “The Wolves” presents a new viewpoint in terms of teenage girls in their element.

In terms of COVID-19, freshman cast member Lanie LeFranc explained that she is both nervous and excited to perform during a pandemic.

“It’s worrisome,” expressed LeFranc when asked about how COVID-19 affects her relationships with her fellow cast and crew. “It makes me want to be more cautious. I’m trying to not get them sick and myself sick from them.”

Freshman cast member Chloe Williams also agreed that COVID-19 has made it slightly difficult to make friends while in the play due to the mask and social distancing restrictions.

“It has definitely affected me more than past shows,” explained Williams. “We [cast and crew] try to bond as much as we can during rehearsals, but I definitely wish we had more time out of rehearsals to do so.”

COVID-19 may have stunted their social lives, but the ever-changing message of the show resonates so well with the cast members that they can still bond over its importance.

“I feel as though the message is about a realistic approach of young girls sticking together no matter what hardships come toward them,” expressed Williams.

With the show being set in a COVID-19 world, viewers will be sure to connect with the cast and crew in the play.

“The Wolves” will take place on Nov. 10-14. General admission is $20, while seniors and non-SELU students are $15. University students get in free with their student ID.