The University of Lethbridge student theatre company Theatre XTra explores the extreme side of bullying in their production of Greg MacArthur’s 1998 play ‘Girls,Girls,Girls,’ which runs at the David Spinks Theatre, Jan. 23-25.
“ It’s like a really dark Mean Girls (the Tina Fey movie about bullying girls) to the extreme. It’s Mean Girls for adults for psychopaths,” said director Jay Northcott as cast members Shelby Carlson, Victoria Hill and Clark Mustard nodded in agreement.
Cait McFarland and Kelsea Lind round out the cast of the play which was inspired by the Columbine massacre and the murder of Victoria girl Reena Virk.
“It takes place in the early 2000s or late’90s when a boy sets out to capture a red ribbon a girl won at a gymnastics competitions,” he outlined.
He noted the play really examines the dark side of humans and the extremes they will go to to get what they want.
Splitz believes she deserved to win the vaulting horse event of a gymnastics competition and thinks Missy stole first place. It is set in the cutthroat world of high school gymnastics as the action follows the Friday-night exploits of four teenage friends as they seek revenge for the loss. It is told in a hypnotic, rap-meets-nursery-rhymes style which inspired by A Clockwork Orange and the Columbine massacre. It is brutally violent as it explores what happens when emptiness becomes the norm.
The competition has already happened before the play, so it explores the extent these 14-year-olds will go to get it.
“ They are 14-years old, so it is a gymnastics competition which is something pretty small to anyone over the age of 18. They are just teenagers, but they are doing adult things. They are not that much younger than we are,” Northcott continued.
The story revolves around best friends Puss and Jam who bully Missy for her red ribbon. Behind the scenes is Bucky, who is doing his best to control events.
Northcott was inspired to direct the play when he studied it in his teacher Richie Wilcox’s class.
“ I had to put it on. I couldn’t put it down. I read it three or four times. The imagery in it is so powerful and it gets the point across.” Northcott said, adding it spoke to him as he remembered being bullied in junior high and high school.
Shelby Carlson, who plays queen bee and ringleader Splitz, identified with the character because she was a gymnast as well.
“I was a gymnast, but my sister was also a gymnast and she was always better, so, like Splitz, I always felt like I needed to try to be just as good,” she said.
Victoria Hill, who plays Jam, also identified with her character’s need to please parents and friends.
“Jam is Spitz’s minion. She is the lowest on the totem pole out of all of the girls,” she said adding she felt like she was in the same boat as these characters as her parents never quite understood Hill’s artistic side.
“ I guess I was always the black sheep in my family,” she said.
“I fell in love with this play as soon as I read it. It is beautifully written play,” Hill continued.
Clark Mustard is enjoying exploring the many levels of his character Bucky.
“He‘s a very controlling person. He likes to control people, but when he loses that control, he doesn’t know what to do. He’s got no direction but at the same time he has direction he’s a very calculating person.”
Carlson noted the play allowed the cast members including herself to exorcise a few personal demons on stage.
“ I’ve had to relive some very painful memories to get into the mindset of this character, which gets depressing, but getting it all out on stage makes me feel better,” Carlson said.
They are all excited about the audience’s reception to this very dark and disturbing play based on real events.
“The best part about it is I get to sit in the audience. I don’t think I’ll even watch the play, I’ll just watch the audience,” said Northcott. They have been rehearsing for the past four weeks to put this production on stage.
“ None of these characters are good people except one who is forced to be,” he said.
Girls, Girls, Girls runs Jan. 23-15 at 8 p.m. each night plus a 2 p.m. matinee on Jan. 25 in the David Spinks Theatre.
Tickets are available at the University of Lethbridge box office for $12 regular, $10 seniors and alumni and $8 for students.
