"The Wolves:" Interview with Cast Member Kyla Thomas

“The Wolves” by Sarah DeLappe is the first production of our 2025-26 season, opening October 3-5 at UB Center for the Arts! Tickets are $10-$25: https://www.ticketmaster.com/search?q=The+Wolves+Black+Box+Theatre

The play centers around an all-female suburban high school soccer team over six weeks as they prepare for games, discussing and joking about intimate and trivial topics, boys, and world politics, among other subjects. It’s a triumph of insight and energy into what it takes for young women to come of age. Junior theatre major Jo Yanko portrays a character referred to as “#00” in the script. 

What made you want to be an actor? What do you love about it?

I have loved musical movies since birth, but I first decided I wanted to be an actor in elementary school when I saw one of the local middle schools do an excerpt of the show Oklahoma! during an assembly. My absolute favorite thing about acting is the storytelling. I love getting to take the given information in a script and add a whole background and life to whatever character I'm playing. This allows me to be creative and fully immerse myself into playing a different person.

You play a character referred to as “#00” in the script, and all the female soccer players in the play are known only by their numbers. Why do you think the playwright Sarah Delappe decided to present the characters this way?

I think that Sarah DeLappe chose to refer to each character as their number to make it easier for audiences to see themselves in each one. This play is very conversational and shows relatable, human, reactions to common troubles in life such as global issues, politics, and loss. Referring to a character as a number can make the audience feel as if each character is an archetype or canvas that they can project themselves onto.

Without divulging too much plot, what are the main challenges and / or triumphs for your character? What is her journey and / or how does it tie in with what the other characters experience?

My character's main struggle is her mind. #00 has Social Anxiety Disorder so this prevents her from fully being involved with her team. Instead of engaging in conversation, she keeps all of her feelings inside. Bottling up these emotions leads to a very impactful and emotional scene which creates a shift in her personality and interactions with the team afterwords.

What’s been the most important thing you’ve learned, either about yourself, or about acting, (or both), from participating in this production?

One of the most important things I've learned about acting throughout this process is how big of an impact a small physical shift can make. As my character has anxiety, she holds a lot of tension in her body. By just walking with tension and direct intention during rehearsals, I am able to fully become #00.

What makes “The Wolves” unique and / or important, in your opinion, if this is how you feel about it.

"The Wolves" is unique because it includes many overlapping conversations. Even the script is outlined in a way where multiple conversations are listed side-by-side to show overlap. Talking over each other really creates the energy of classic high school girl gossip time. It has been a challenge working this in rehearsal, but it teaches us as actors to listen to each other and find a rhythm. While it may seem intimidating for the audience, we as a cast have found a flow so that our audiences can hear everything they need. Additionally, because of the overlap, you'll never be bored as something is always going on!