Campus Life

TheatreXtra delves into social rebellion, loss of innocence

Girls! Girls! Girls!, written by Greg MacArthur, is an adaptation based on the tragic losses of Reena Virk and the students of Columbine. The play explores the human face of social rebellion as it is centered on the lives of young teenage girls. Taking place after a gymnastics competition, MacArthur focuses on the brutal revenge sought by the girl who lost.

Shelby Carlson (foreground), with Cait McFarland, Kelsea Lind and Clark Mustard (behind), bring an adaptation of the Columbine school shooting to life on the TheatreXtra stage.

Jay Northcott, a third-year BFA Dramatic arts major, was introduced to this play by professor Richie Wilcox. After working with the play in his directing fundamentals class, Northcott knew he needed to direct it. Northcott is excited to work on this production as it is a way to develop his skills further as an artist.

“If you’re not intrigued in the first five minutes, I did something wrong,” he says.

Girls! Girls! Girls! breaks down and reconstructs the idea of childhood loss of innocence. The play deals with a mature subject matter, focusing on the impact that violence has on today’s youth.

"Violence is not an isolated action that threatens societal norms but rather the very condition by which characters understand and define themselves,” says MacArthur.

Inspired by the events of the Columbine shootings, the play approaches not only the lives of the victims but the unrecognizable struggles of the killers.

TheatreXtra’s third production, Girls! Girls! Girls!, plays Jan. 23-25 at 8 p.m. nightly, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Jan. 25  in the David Spinks Theatre.

Tickets are available at the University Box Office (Monday to Friday 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., or by calling 403-329-2616).  Individual tickets are $12 regular, $10 seniors/alumni and $8 students.

Purchase regular tickets online at uleth.ca/tickets.