Goodman Theatre cast brings A game to soccer-centered 'The Wolves'

“The Wolves” - ★ ★ ★ ½

For an instant, as Goodman Theatre's Chicago premiere of Sarah DeLappe's “The Wolves” was about to begin, I felt a sense of déjà vu.

The theater went black. Strobe lights swirled. Music pulsated. And I couldn't help but recall the United Center's heart-pounding, pregame introductions of the Chicago Bulls, which were especially exciting during the team's 1990s championship runs.

Back then, you had the feeling something big was about to happen. I got that same feeling Tuesday during Goodman's winning production of DeLappe's perceptive, wholly authentic play about teen female soccer players.

The music's different. Beyonce's hip-hop substitutes for The Alan Parsons Project prog-rock. But the impression remains: The athletes we're about to meet are exceptional. They are talented, driven and - as an NCAA commercial from several years ago pointed out - most of them will pursue a career in something other than soccer.

In “The Wolves,” soccer serves as a backdrop for what is essentially a story about life: triumph, failure, dedication, insecurity, friendship, strength, compassion and teamwork.

Although we never actually see the Wolves compete, we encounter nine players - identified only by numbers - during their pregame warmups and team drills, which are accompanied by conversations on topics ranging from the profound to the inane.

Their talk swings between soccer and sleepovers, morality, immigration, menstrual cycles, Harry Potter and the proper pronunciation of Khmer Rouge. Some of the teens are longtime friends. Others are newcomers. They gossip behind each other's backs. But they are teammates, and they have each other's backs.

DeLappe's realistic, overlapping dialogue makes it impossible to grasp every conversation. But we comprehend enough to sense who these young people are and who they might become.

That they are immediately recognizable helps. There's the overachiever suffering from social anxiety disorder, the home-schooled outsider new to the team, the jokester, the no-nonsense team captain, the cool girl and her best friend, the sweet girl, the brainy girl and the girl struggling over the loss of her mom.

In that sense, this 2017 Pulitzer Prize finalist and off-Broadway hit echoes similar tales. DeLappe's not subtle about foreshadowing and she includes an incident that - while it unfolds in a profound, moving way - has become something of a convention in these coming-of-age tales.

While incomplete (there's a lot more “becoming” in store for these young women), “The Wolves” is special.

DeLappe writes with warmth and humor. Her jargon is on target and her richly drawn characters are more than their labels suggest. Best of all, they are expertly and compassionately conjured by Division I-caliber actor-athletes whose performances are as seamless as their play.

Angela Alise, Isa Arciniegas, Taylor Blim, Aurora Real De Asua, Natalie Joyce, Cydney Moody, Erin O'Shea, Sarah Price and Mary Tilden play the Wolves. Meighan Gerachis delivers a brief, affecting cameo as a soccer mom. To single out one would be wrong. Suffice to say, they are all superb.

Katie Berkopec, assistant women's soccer coach for Loyola University Chicago, deserves credit for their athletic prowess. For their performances, credit the impressive, deliberate direction of Vanessa Stalling.

One of the best things about her direction is the time she allows for scenes to unfold. At 90 marvelous minutes, “The Wolves” is brisk, but this production never felt hurried. A pall descends, realization dawns and recovery begins, and there's enough time for all of it.

Even more important, perhaps, Stalling gives the cast space to occupy and define the characters. That's not easy in a play with nine principles. And DeLappe's characters take up a lot of space.

Good for them. Good for all of us.

<b>Location:</b> Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago, (312) 443-3800 or goodmantheatre.org

<b>Showtimes:</b> 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday; through March 11. Also 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27. No 7:30 p.m. performance Feb. 25 or March 11

<b>Tickets:</b> $10-$47

<b>Running time:</b> About 90 minutes, no intermission

<b>Parking:</b> $22 with Goodman validation at the Government Self Park at Lake and Clark streets

<b>Rating:</b> For teens and older