“falcon girls” at Yale Repertory Theatre by Zander Opper

“falcon girls”

Yale Repertory Theatre

“falcon girls,” the world premiere play by Hilary Bettis, is currently being given a highly professional production by Yale Repertory Theatre.  Focusing on a group of junior high school students, mostly female, who are taking an equine performance class in Falcon, Colorado in the mid-1990s, this new works examines the students’ journey to possibly winning the top prize at the FFA horse judging contest.  This is perhaps not the most compelling subject for a new play, but Bettis certainly knows these characters very well, especially the way they talk and interact with each other and the play does feel very authentic. 

Truth be told, by the end of the first act, I questioned the real urgency of this new play, but, by the second half, “falcon girls” definitely won me over.  There is something very endearing about how these girls grow to really bond together and the playwright has certainly written some very amusing scenes for these characters. And, near the end of the play, there is even a deeply touching moment between a mother and daughter.  More work definitely needs to be done to fine tune this show, but “falcon girls” at Yale Repertory Theatre is certainly a promising new play.

Director May Adrales has staged the show extremely well and the cast is very good.  One thing the playwright gets absolutely right is the way the students treat each other and how they react to a new student, named Hilary (and wonderfully played by Gabrielle Policano), joining the equine performance class halfway through the school year.  The appropriate use of music from the 1990s in between the scenes certainly helps to set the stage of “falcon girls” and the playwright does the rest.  Believably, Hilary is initially held at a distance and made fun of in the class (especially about her wardrobe), but, as the play goes on, real friendships are forged and all of this develops in a way that feels completely real.

The other students in the class include Mary (Anna Roman), who is deeply religious; Carly (Alyssa Marek), who has a really big secret to hide; April (Alexa Lopez), who is perhaps the most outspoken character in the show; and Rebecca (Annie Abramczyk), who, like her classmates, is gossipy and turns out to be a lot of fun.  All of these young actresses give exemplary performances and, at the opening night performance I attended, an understudy went on: Gabriela Veciana played the part of Jasmine and it is high praise that she was so good that it would be hard to know that she didn’t regularly play the role.  Also in the cast is the teacher, Mr. K (given a sturdy performance by Teddy Canez, in a part that could almost be considered fatherly), and the one boy in the class, Dan, who is played charmingly by Juan Sebastian Cruz.  In addition to being amusing in the comedic scenes, Cruz is also capable of some amazing flips.

Outside of the classroom is the character of Beverlee, well played by Liza Fernandez, who is Hilary’s mother and who does her best to be there for her daughter, not always successfully.  Not to give too much away, but there are various secrets and reasons why Beverlee and Hilary had to move to a new town in the middle of the school year which could be expanded upon. Also, there is much talk about a serial killer, who is still on the loose and is prone to target teenage girls.  Examining “falcon girls” as a whole, one would like to have some resolution in the plot to why this serial killer is mentioned in the play and what this really adds to the show.  This part of the play feels unfinished.

Still, the playwright has constructed a new work which takes a little while to fully take hold, but, once it does, the show is capable of being both very funny and deeply affecting.  The set design by Beowulf Boritt is terrific and the costumes, designed by Micah Ohno, truly help to mold and categorize each character.  The lighting design by Kyle Stamm is expert and the sound design and original music by Joyce Ciesil add much to the show.

The playwright has a great ear for dialogue and there is one especially funny scene in a hotel room where the students have a kind of slumber party that is winningly set forth.  Still, the moment in “falcon girls” which stays with me the most is right near the conclusion of the play.  The scene features Hilary and her mother having a heartfelt talk that helps the two to truly understand each other.  Looking forward to a future for “falcon girls” beyond Yale Repertory Theatre, it may be recommended to have more genuinely moving scenes like this.  Still, “falcon girls,” even in its present state, does have its share of virtues and one hopes that that the playwright continues to work on the play to make it even stronger.

“falcon girls” runs through November 2, 2024, at Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel St., New Haven CT. For tickets and information, please call 203-432-1234 or visit yalerep.org. 

Photo: Gabrielle Policano and Alyssa Marek

Photo by Joan Marcus