Girls Like That
at Ridley College

Reviewed on November 3, 2018

Diana Karapetyan
Eden High School
Submitted for publication to The St. Catharines Standard

Flash, click, buzz. Just like that, friendships turn to poison.

It is a story we have heard before, and perhaps even lived. It is a mirror exposing the complexity of female relationships, and the darkness of social media. Ridley College's performance of Girls Like That is nothing short of a thought-provoking masterpiece where all aesthetic filters are stripped away in a quest to challenge the audience to see the cold, hard truth.

The production is a seamless one-act play set in a private school with an all-girls ensemble. From pool parties to sleepovers, the close-knit group of friends have been through it all and swear to remain friends forever. Yet, their bond becomes nothing but a sweet dream as one of the girl's nudes goes viral and rumours and drama sweep through the corridors of the school.

Based upon the contemporary piece written by Evan Placey, Girls Like That first made its appearance in 2013. Although some changes were made, Ridley's performance is faithful and authentic to the original by delving deep into the psyche of teenage girls and addressing serious issues such as body image, self-esteem, and cyber-bullying.

From the very beginning, the cast was dazzling with a narrated storyline and student-driven choreography (Abigail Sullivan and Sharon Orkeh). As powerful women's anthems blared from the speakers, the cast rocked from scene to scene with strong choreography and upbeat music by pop icons such as Beyoncé and P!nk.

Time lapses in the play were executed phenomenally due to the collaboration of the lighting operator, Quinten Neudorf, and sound operator, Jason Li. Flashes of blue and purple and the consistent ringing of a school bell transformed the minimalist set into a scenery far greater than what meets the eye.

From childhood to motherhood, the cast was able to portray a strong variety of characters with their phenomenal use of physicality. Body language and expression easily morphed from those of an insecure 11 year old's to the sass and attitude of a young adult.

Exceptional performances by Georgie Murphy, Olivia Reynolds, Abigail Sullivan, and Angela Daudu further enhanced the dynamic in the girl ensemble as well as developing the plot due to the additional responsibility of portraying multiple roles. Paige Peterkin, in the role of Scarlett, portrayed raw emotions in the face of prejudice throughout the play.

Ridley was creative with its use of flashbacks which provided history of time periods where women were treated as far less than men and showed how they triumphed in their separate battles. The scenes were stunning in their originality with the incorporation of dramatic elements such as tableau and historical theatre.

Girls Like That may have been a bold choice as a high school production, but the dedication and passion Ridley College possessed made it clear the story was one they believed in wholeheartedly.

Great theatre is not for entertainment alone, and this production was prosperous in providing a candid eye-opening experience. Its challenge to the audience ventured far outside the theatre walls and left a critical lesson in its wake: "we girls must stick together."

Diana Karapetyan
Eden High School
Submitted for publication to The St. Catharines Standard

Flash, click, buzz. Just like that, friendships turn to poison.

It is a story we have heard before, and perhaps even lived. It is a mirror exposing the complexity of female relationships, and the darkness of social media. Ridley College's performance of Girls Like That is nothing short of a thought-provoking masterpiece where all aesthetic filters are stripped away in a quest to challenge the audience to see the cold, hard truth.

The production is a seamless one-act play set in a private school with an all-girls ensemble. From pool parties to sleepovers, the close-knit group of friends have been through it all and swear to remain friends forever. Yet, their bond becomes nothing but a sweet dream as one of the girl's nudes goes viral and rumours and drama sweep through the corridors of the school.

Based upon the contemporary piece written by Evan Placey, Girls Like That first made its appearance in 2013. Although some changes were made, Ridley's performance is faithful and authentic to the original by delving deep into the psyche of teenage girls and addressing serious issues such as body image, self-esteem, and cyber-bullying.

From the very beginning, the cast was dazzling with a narrated storyline and student-driven choreography (Abigail Sullivan and Sharon Orkeh). As powerful women's anthems blared from the speakers, the cast rocked from scene to scene with strong choreography and upbeat music by pop icons such as Beyoncé and P!nk.

Time lapses in the play were executed phenomenally due to the collaboration of the lighting operator, Quinten Neudorf, and sound operator, Jason Li. Flashes of blue and purple and the consistent ringing of a school bell transformed the minimalist set into a scenery far greater than what meets the eye.

From childhood to motherhood, the cast was able to portray a strong variety of characters with their phenomenal use of physicality. Body language and expression easily morphed from those of an insecure 11 year old's to the sass and attitude of a young adult.

Exceptional performances by Georgie Murphy, Olivia Reynolds, Abigail Sullivan, and Angela Daudu further enhanced the dynamic in the girl ensemble as well as developing the plot due to the additional responsibility of portraying multiple roles. Paige Peterkin, in the role of Scarlett, portrayed raw emotions in the face of prejudice throughout the play.

Ridley was creative with its use of flashbacks which provided history of time periods where women were treated as far less than men and showed how they triumphed in their separate battles. The scenes were stunning in their originality with the incorporation of dramatic elements such as tableau and historical theatre.

Girls Like That may have been a bold choice as a high school production, but the dedication and passion Ridley College possessed made it clear the story was one they believed in wholeheartedly.

Great theatre is not for entertainment alone, and this production was prosperous in providing a candid eye-opening experience. Its challenge to the audience ventured far outside the theatre walls and left a critical lesson in its wake: "we girls must stick together."

Roxana Moise
Governor Simcoe S.S.
Submitted for publication to The St. Catharines Standard

In an ever changing landscape of technology and social media, how do the natures of age-old prejudices shift? Ridley College's performance of Girls Like That proves that while everything has changed in the way people communicate, it can seem like nothing has changed in the way women, especially those who dare to stand out, are treated.

Girls Like That, written by Evan Placey, was originally performed in the United Kingdom in 2013, and only recently had its first show in Canada this past spring. The play, although melodramatic in genre, has all too realistic implications about the struggles women and men face in the digital age, focusing on the social fallout when a naked photo of a teenage girl, Scarlett, is released.

Scarlett begins as one of an exclusive group of girls who were set up to be "friends for life" when they became part of the same kindergarten class at St. Helen's, but as years pass at school, the nature of their clique proves to be devastatingly harmful. When a nude picture of Scarlett is leaked, she becomes an instantaneous social outcast, each and every one of her classmates choosing to remain within the safe anonymity of their group instead of stepping out to defend her from the bullying she is subjected to. Peer pressure, conformity, and double standards between men and women are examined through both the thoughts of the girls and historical flashbacks of powerful women, raising the question about whether times have improved since their days, or whether our digital world exacerbates the problems they faced instead of solving them.

The story is told through an all-female ensemble of unnamed schoolgirls who constantly shift between roles, playing everything from their five-year-old selves to high school boys sharing the photo of Scarlett to partygoers in a roaring twenties flashback. Ridley's actresses, most of whom remained on stage for the almost two-hour duration of the show, deftly handled these changes, keeping up a high level of energy through the fast-paced line delivery and the choreographed dance numbers of the show, and quickly recovering from any missed lines. Standout monologues included, but were not limited to, those of Paige Peterkin as Scarlett in her first and final self-defence against her former friends, and of Georgie Murphy, Angela Daudu, Vega Armstrong, and Laura Rosic as historical women who share their struggles throughout the last century.

A wide, curved staircase made up the set, serving a variety of purposes while still letting the action on stage shine. The simplicity of this set meant that narration, the physicality of the actresses, and technical effects were crucial to bridge the transitions between scenes. Ringing bells and a chalkboard-green wash of light transported the story to a classroom, while cannonballs by springing off of steps and shouts of delight clearly illustrated a swimming pool. The ensemble and technical crew rose to the challenge of keeping the action clear without any physical changes in set, even through jumps in time and point of view, meaning that a united narrative successfully emerged from different fragments and varieties of scenes.

At the end of the night, Ridley College provoked thought and challenged the audience, but managed to bring a potentially controversial topic to light with an equal balance of courage and sensitivity in their performance of Girls Like That.

Roxana Moise
Governor Simcoe S.S.
Submitted for publication to The St. Catharines Standard

In an ever changing landscape of technology and social media, how do the natures of age-old prejudices shift? Ridley College's performance of Girls Like That proves that while everything has changed in the way people communicate, it can seem like nothing has changed in the way women, especially those who dare to stand out, are treated.

Girls Like That, written by Evan Placey, was originally performed in the United Kingdom in 2013, and only recently had its first show in Canada this past spring. The play, although melodramatic in genre, has all too realistic implications about the struggles women and men face in the digital age, focusing on the social fallout when a naked photo of a teenage girl, Scarlett, is released.

Scarlett begins as one of an exclusive group of girls who were set up to be "friends for life" when they became part of the same kindergarten class at St. Helen's, but as years pass at school, the nature of their clique proves to be devastatingly harmful. When a nude picture of Scarlett is leaked, she becomes an instantaneous social outcast, each and every one of her classmates choosing to remain within the safe anonymity of their group instead of stepping out to defend her from the bullying she is subjected to. Peer pressure, conformity, and double standards between men and women are examined through both the thoughts of the girls and historical flashbacks of powerful women, raising the question about whether times have improved since their days, or whether our digital world exacerbates the problems they faced instead of solving them.

The story is told through an all-female ensemble of unnamed schoolgirls who constantly shift between roles, playing everything from their five-year-old selves to high school boys sharing the photo of Scarlett to partygoers in a roaring twenties flashback. Ridley's actresses, most of whom remained on stage for the almost two-hour duration of the show, deftly handled these changes, keeping up a high level of energy through the fast-paced line delivery and the choreographed dance numbers of the show, and quickly recovering from any missed lines. Standout monologues included, but were not limited to, those of Paige Peterkin as Scarlett in her first and final self-defence against her former friends, and of Georgie Murphy, Angela Daudu, Vega Armstrong, and Laura Rosic as historical women who share their struggles throughout the last century.

A wide, curved staircase made up the set, serving a variety of purposes while still letting the action on stage shine. The simplicity of this set meant that narration, the physicality of the actresses, and technical effects were crucial to bridge the transitions between scenes. Ringing bells and a chalkboard-green wash of light transported the story to a classroom, while cannonballs by springing off of steps and shouts of delight clearly illustrated a swimming pool. The ensemble and technical crew rose to the challenge of keeping the action clear without any physical changes in set, even through jumps in time and point of view, meaning that a united narrative successfully emerged from different fragments and varieties of scenes.

At the end of the night, Ridley College provoked thought and challenged the audience, but managed to bring a potentially controversial topic to light with an equal balance of courage and sensitivity in their performance of Girls Like That.

Emma Kacur
Greater Fort Erie Secondary School
Submitted for publication to The St. Catharines Standard

Buzz. Click. Pop. A photo is taken. Buzz. It is sent out to everyone. Pop. It will never be erased from the internet.

This is exactly what occurs in Girls Like That by Evan Placey, a controversial ensemble play Ridley College tasked themselves with bringing to life this year. Scarlett, a teenage girl, attends a private school with eighteen of her closest ‘frenemies' she has known since kindergarten. When one day, a photo of her naked is sent around the school, these very girls turn on her, bullying her relentlessly. However, when a naked photo of a popular boy is sent around, he is celebrated for it.

This melodramatic play explores themes such as double standards between genders as well as girls turning on girls. When it first premiered in 2013 in Britain, it was both celebrated as well as critically acclaimed, due to its highly controversial and at times offensive content.

The play's innovative concept of the storyline being narrated as well as established by the ensemble, which included the entire cast, made for a simple, yet energetic and engaging production, anchored in the talent and unity of the ensemble. Various impersonations and scenes were performed with an infectious energy, with ensemble members finishing each other's sentences and moving around the stage effortlessly, ultimately creating a smooth, virtually flawless production.

Memorable performances included Olivia Reynold's portrayal of a shallow schoolgirl with an exceptionally brutal take on life, as well as Vega Armstrong who flounced across the stage flipping her hair as she delivered yet another biting insult. Every single step and movement was perfectly choreographed and rehearsed, as actresses took their places onstage in a classroom, a changeroom, and a kindergarten class, where they delivered their lines clearly and with an exceptional degree of enthusiasm. While some lines throughout the performance were stumbled over, composure was regained quickly and it did not at all impact the show or create any sort of hesitation amongst the actresses to continue.

The production made do entirely without props and the simple set was a wide staircase located at the back of the stage, which doubled as a high school corridor and a swimming pool as needed.

Costumes were equally straightforward and effective, with all eighteen girls starting off in the same rigorous grey school uniform and only three actresses changing into other period accurate clothes to represent past versions of women at various times throughout the play. Said costume changes were executed remarkably smoothly and hardly noticeable at all to the audience. It is notable that the costume changes did not take place for every change of character, for example when certain girls acted as the boys throughout the play they maintained their skirts and pigtails.

While lights and sound effects (Quinten Neudorf and Jason Li, respectively) were minimal, the cues were well timed and enhanced the scene changes and time jumps peppered in throughout the play.

Ridley College truly did the creative narration style and controversial theme of Girls Like That justice, as they presented a play full of contagious energy, harsh social commentary and the upsetting dynamics teenage cliques can enforce. The well-rehearsed blocking, enhanced by light and sound effects and the simplicity of the set, all came together to allow for a smooth and captivating performance that certainly deserved the staggering round of applause it received!

Emma Kacur
Greater Fort Erie Secondary School
Submitted for publication to The St. Catharines Standard

Buzz. Click. Pop. A photo is taken. Buzz. It is sent out to everyone. Pop. It will never be erased from the internet.

This is exactly what occurs in Girls Like That by Evan Placey, a controversial ensemble play Ridley College tasked themselves with bringing to life this year. Scarlett, a teenage girl, attends a private school with eighteen of her closest ‘frenemies' she has known since kindergarten. When one day, a photo of her naked is sent around the school, these very girls turn on her, bullying her relentlessly. However, when a naked photo of a popular boy is sent around, he is celebrated for it.

This melodramatic play explores themes such as double standards between genders as well as girls turning on girls. When it first premiered in 2013 in Britain, it was both celebrated as well as critically acclaimed, due to its highly controversial and at times offensive content.

The play's innovative concept of the storyline being narrated as well as established by the ensemble, which included the entire cast, made for a simple, yet energetic and engaging production, anchored in the talent and unity of the ensemble. Various impersonations and scenes were performed with an infectious energy, with ensemble members finishing each other's sentences and moving around the stage effortlessly, ultimately creating a smooth, virtually flawless production.

Memorable performances included Olivia Reynold's portrayal of a shallow schoolgirl with an exceptionally brutal take on life, as well as Vega Armstrong who flounced across the stage flipping her hair as she delivered yet another biting insult. Every single step and movement was perfectly choreographed and rehearsed, as actresses took their places onstage in a classroom, a changeroom, and a kindergarten class, where they delivered their lines clearly and with an exceptional degree of enthusiasm. While some lines throughout the performance were stumbled over, composure was regained quickly and it did not at all impact the show or create any sort of hesitation amongst the actresses to continue.

The production made do entirely without props and the simple set was a wide staircase located at the back of the stage, which doubled as a high school corridor and a swimming pool as needed.

Costumes were equally straightforward and effective, with all eighteen girls starting off in the same rigorous grey school uniform and only three actresses changing into other period accurate clothes to represent past versions of women at various times throughout the play. Said costume changes were executed remarkably smoothly and hardly noticeable at all to the audience. It is notable that the costume changes did not take place for every change of character, for example when certain girls acted as the boys throughout the play they maintained their skirts and pigtails.

While lights and sound effects (Quinten Neudorf and Jason Li, respectively) were minimal, the cues were well timed and enhanced the scene changes and time jumps peppered in throughout the play.

Ridley College truly did the creative narration style and controversial theme of Girls Like That justice, as they presented a play full of contagious energy, harsh social commentary and the upsetting dynamics teenage cliques can enforce. The well-rehearsed blocking, enhanced by light and sound effects and the simplicity of the set, all came together to allow for a smooth and captivating performance that certainly deserved the staggering round of applause it received!