The Nevada Conservatory Theatre presents Hansol Jung's Wolf Play March 28 - April 6 in the Black Box Theatre. Identity, love, and parenting are explored in this funny, unruly, and provocative theatrical experience. With a wolf and a puppet, the play asks us to consider the question, “What makes a Family?” Kinan Valdez directs.
All seats to Wolf Play are $30. Tickets may be purchased at the UNLV Performing Arts Center box office, online, or by calling 702-895-ARTS (2787). Discounts are available.
In Jung's stirring Wolf Play, a young boy navigates the wilderness of identity when he's "re-homed" through an illegal adoption. Blurring the lines between human and animal, reality and metaphor, this daring production examines what it truly means to find your pack. As the child transforms into the wolf he imagines himself to be, audiences witness a powerful meditation on family bonds, belonging, and the primal instincts that drive us to protect what we love. Nevada Conservatory Theatre proudly presents this thought-provoking work that challenges our understanding of parenthood, connection, and the families we choose.
"We are delighted to have Kinan Valdez make his NCT directorial debut for Wolf Play," said Kirsten Brandt, chair of the department of theatre and NCT executive director. "When I read Wolf Play, I knew I wanted Kinan to direct. His attention to detail and his soulful way of navigating complex stories make him the perfect person to direct this powerful piece."
"We are also excited to have local Las Vegas actor Maythinee Washington join us in the role of Ash."
- “A deeply resonant work from one of the American theater’s most complex new voices.” — Chicago Tribune
- Winner! 2023 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play
NOTE: The April 6, 2 p.m. matinee performance of Wolf Play is a designated sensory-friendly performance.
Content Advisory: physical violence, adoption, foster care, misgendering of a trans or gender non-conforming person
Valdez is a director and ensemble member of El Teatro Campesino, the famed social justice theater company founded by his father Luis Valdez. As a theater-maker, he explores the intersections between the mundane and the mythic by combining elements of epic storytelling, popular music, and choreographic movement to create participatory community-based performance. Over the past three decades, he has directed 50+ productions for theaters across the country, including El Teatro Campesino, Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles Theater Center, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Milagro Theatre (Portland, OR), National Hispanic Cultural Center (New Mexico), Arizona Theatre Company, Stages (Houston), PRTT/Pregones (NYC), and Long Wharf Theatre (CT). Valdez has won several awards for civic engagement, including the TCG/ Peter Zeisler Memorial Award for activism in the theatre field. He has been a lecturer of drama at UC Santa Cruz since 2009.
CAST:
Wolf - Dylan Omori McCombs
Ash - Maythinee Washington
Robin - Kate Critchfield
Ryan - Andrew Scott Bullard
Peter - Andrew Mikhael Caleb Treviño
CREATIVE TEAM:
Playwright - Hansol Jung
Director - Kinan Valdez
Scenic Designer - Cecilia Fisher
Lighting Designer - Andee Robee
Costume Designer - Savie Moore
Technical Directors - Erasmo Salinas and Aya Giardina
Production Stage Manager - Moira Kowalski
Associate Costume Designer - Jocelyn Davis-Coronado
About the UNLV College of Fine Arts
The College of Fine Arts educates, empowers, and engages creative people to become visionary change-makers in the arts through acts of imagination. At UNLV we believe the arts are an essential good for society. We make education relevant and accessible through our programs and outreach. We create new knowledge in the arts. We celebrate independent thought and the power of bringing people together to foster creativity.
