Every show begins with Idea Week, where we explore the show’s concept and look for inspiration. During this phase, we watch videos, explore visual concepts, and we do a lot of reading. Playwright Liz Neerland did a lot of research to prepare for creating the show. First, she explored the history of wolves in North America: from efforts to eradicate them; their near-extinction before researchers and conservationists led studies to understand who they really were; and, once we understood more, to re-establish the wolf in the United States:
Tales of the Wolf: Fifty-One Stories of Wolf Encounters in the Wild by Denis Casey and Tim W. Clark, a collection of fifty-one stories of wolf encounters in the wild.
Never Cry Wolf : Amazing True Story of Life Among Arctic Wolves by Farley Mowat, an amazing story of a researcher sent to the Canadian Artic to study wolf predation of Caribou, only to discover that it wasn’t the wolves that were the problem.
Wolfer: A Memior by Carter Niemeyer, about a trapper turned wolf advocate who helped pave the way for the reintroduction of wolves into the Northern Rocky Mountains.
Wolf Country by Ewan Clarckson, an early account of wolves on Isle Royale in Lake Superior, at a time when it was one of the last places in the United States where wolves had not been eradicated.
Runes of the North by Sigurd F. Olson, a classic memoir of the northern wilderness.
The Ninemile Wolves by Rick Bass, a personal tale of natural history and the re-introduction of wolves into Montana.
Of Wolves and Men by Barry Holstun Lopez, a National Book Award–shortlisted study of the science and mythology of the wolf.
The Wolves of Isle Royale: A Broken Balance by Rolf Peterson, an award-winning account of the 20 year study of wolves on the world’s largest island that was a driving force for conservation efforts to save the species.
Return of the Wolf: Conflict and Coexistance by Paula Wild an account of the wolf’s return to the United States.
Wolves of Minong by Durwood L. Allen, another account of the Isle Royale wolves, with a focus on how they impact and strengthen the ecosystems they are apart of.
Next, she read about the history and origin myths and mythology, with a special focus on the lore of the wolf:
A Short History of Myth by Karen Armstrong, a concise history of myth that Neerland stopped reading in frustration.
Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes: A No-Bullshit Guide to World Mythology by Cory O’Brien, a irreverent guide to the forgotten dirty details of world mythology.
Primitive Mythology by Joseph Campbell, the first book in the author’s influential series The Masks of the God.
The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm translated by Jack Zipes.
The Hungry Coat: Fables from the North Shore of Minnesota by by Marlais Olmstead Brand and illustrated by Noah Prinsen, a fantastic collection of short fiction set on Minnesota’s fabled North Shore of Lake Superior.
Other People’s Myths by Wendy Doniger Doniger O'Flaherty, a study of how mythology, both ancient and modern, define and add value to our lives.
The Girl and the Wolf by Katherena Vermette and illustrated by Julie Flett, a children’s book about a wolf and a young girl.
The Singing Bones by Shaun Tan, a gorgeous collection of art and language that is a distillation and celebration of the stories of the Brothers Grimm.
Want to follow along as Neerland and the cast create the show? Feel free to pick up a book and follow along, and then come see the show! We love to talk about our process and how and what inspiration made its way into the final production.