The Wolves cast; photo via Facebook.

Presented by Hive Theatre Company
By Sarah DeLappe
Directed by Margaret McFadden

Oct. 17 – 19, 2025
BCA Plaza Black Box Theatre
539 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02116

Critique by Kitty Drexel

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes with ONE intermission

Content Warning: The Wolves contains strong language, discussions of sexual content, and references to mental health struggles, eating disorders, and mentions of death and grief.

BOSTON — If William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies were adapted for a modern teenage girls’ soccer team, it would be The Wolves. In Golding’s novel, prepubescent boys are stranded on an island without adults. Unmitigated chaos ensues. In The Wolves, an indoor girls’ soccer team, also with negligible adult oversight, adapts much better to their ogled but unsupervised soccer practices. Earlier this month, we saw the Hive Theatre Company’s Wolves ensemble stretch, bully their peers, and embrace their challenges for the newest generation of theatre makers. 

The Wolves is a microcosm of the teenage girl’s experience navigating life’s big and small questions. Playwright Sarah DeLappe captures the demands of modern living in her script; her characters tackle topics like the historical evils of the Khmer Rouge amidst conversations about kissable boys. They stretch their lithe bodies before a home game while discussing the teen version of “having it all.” Through the lens of the pregame routine, DeLappe looks under the superficial facade of the cutesy teen stereotype to show us their personhood. 

Director Margaret McFadden magnifies DeLappe’s examination of the teen girl psyche with preternatural wisdom. She stages the cast’s athletic grace with realistic choreography that utilises the cast’s skills and is easy to follow. McFadden makes it look easy, too. The cast uses every inch of the Plaza Black Box Theatre, passing balls, jogging, and goofing around on the clever astroturf set by Danielle Ibrahim without bumping into walls or the nearby audience. Not an easy feat in such a small space.   

The ensemble work by the cast is some of the best we’ve seen this season. They work together as a tight-knit unit, bouncing lively energy and quirky dialogue off each other while they run kicking drills. (Many folks can’t even walk and chew gum.) It was refreshing to watch this young cast tackle this complex play with a fresh perspective. Their characters aren’t jaded; they are confused and ready to understand the world they live in if only their adult guardians would let them.  

The Wolves was last played in Boston at the Lyric Theatre in 2019. Hive Theatre’s version had performances through October 19. If you didn’t catch this production, you can keep your eyes peeled for their next. Their production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee goes up in January 2026. 

If you enjoyed this article, please consider making a donation. Every cent earned goes towards the upkeep and continuation of the New England Theatre Geek.