Girls in the Boat
at Ridley College

Reviewed on November 5, 2022

Tennyson Linders
Laura Secord
Submitted for publication to St. Catharines Standard

E pluribus unum: Out of many, one. Fighting for an aspiration all alone can be the most difficult thing one can do in their life. But if they have like-minded peers to assist them through it, time passes swiftly and hesitation will cease to exist. This was the idea displayed in Ridley College's production of Girls In The Boat by Alice Austen.

The quirky, ardour-driven play told the story of the first U.S women's Olympic rowing team from 1950-2016 and how the impassioned athletes withstood all obstacles of race and gender. The audience got to view the inner intensity of the indignation the women were feeling throughout their hardships, not just a simplistic history lesson of the events people already knew.

To highlight how rowers need to move simultaneously for success, this show was a true ensemble piece.The annoyance and vexation with the inequality the team felt was beautifully pronounced in Shakeela Vahdat's portrayal of Girl 6. Her witty lines and rational points convinced everyone to feel as passionate as she. Her voice was assured and had all the poise of an actor twice her age. A notable character that was undoubtedly the most unique was Girl 2, played by Charlotte Collins. Her character sprinkled in lines from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and other superbly timed quotes. She showcased the poetry of determination and triumph. Being one of the few male actors on stage, Forest Li transformed himself from a Dad to a Coach and back to Dad throughout the entire play. The ease he felt switching from role to role was translated to the audience. His comforting nature helped his portrayal of the emboldening coach that brought the team to ultimate victory.

The set design also had an incredible role to place the audience in a specific mood. The projection, which was designed by Amy Lu, created a separate world that the audience could enter. There was no simple backdrop, but a sizeable projection screen that displayed photos that represented what was happening. This innovative idea grabbed the viewer's attention with every change of the slide. There were photos of Niagara's own Henley Island which brought more meaning to the play considering this area is known for its rowing. Matthew Hanna, who operated the lighting, used effective strategies for the audience to understand what was happening. During a shocking moment when the character broke her foot, the lights turned to a fiery red which was a successful strategy to represent the abrupt aura of the scene. If this clever approach was used more frequently in the show, it would have made the lighting even more meaningful to the story.

Though all of the characters were distinctly different and came from diverse backgrounds, they seemed to remain as one entity. They all moved together, finished each other's sentences, and had the same vision, summed up in one potent chant: "Together, together, together." Ridley College's one-act production of Girls In The Boat was as quick-paced and energetic as the oars they wielded.

Tennyson Linders
Laura Secord
Submitted for publication to St. Catharines Standard

E pluribus unum: Out of many, one. Fighting for an aspiration all alone can be the most difficult thing one can do in their life. But if they have like-minded peers to assist them through it, time passes swiftly and hesitation will cease to exist. This was the idea displayed in Ridley College's production of Girls In The Boat by Alice Austen.

The quirky, ardour-driven play told the story of the first U.S women's Olympic rowing team from 1950-2016 and how the impassioned athletes withstood all obstacles of race and gender. The audience got to view the inner intensity of the indignation the women were feeling throughout their hardships, not just a simplistic history lesson of the events people already knew.

To highlight how rowers need to move simultaneously for success, this show was a true ensemble piece.The annoyance and vexation with the inequality the team felt was beautifully pronounced in Shakeela Vahdat's portrayal of Girl 6. Her witty lines and rational points convinced everyone to feel as passionate as she. Her voice was assured and had all the poise of an actor twice her age. A notable character that was undoubtedly the most unique was Girl 2, played by Charlotte Collins. Her character sprinkled in lines from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and other superbly timed quotes. She showcased the poetry of determination and triumph. Being one of the few male actors on stage, Forest Li transformed himself from a Dad to a Coach and back to Dad throughout the entire play. The ease he felt switching from role to role was translated to the audience. His comforting nature helped his portrayal of the emboldening coach that brought the team to ultimate victory.

The set design also had an incredible role to place the audience in a specific mood. The projection, which was designed by Amy Lu, created a separate world that the audience could enter. There was no simple backdrop, but a sizeable projection screen that displayed photos that represented what was happening. This innovative idea grabbed the viewer's attention with every change of the slide. There were photos of Niagara's own Henley Island which brought more meaning to the play considering this area is known for its rowing. Matthew Hanna, who operated the lighting, used effective strategies for the audience to understand what was happening. During a shocking moment when the character broke her foot, the lights turned to a fiery red which was a successful strategy to represent the abrupt aura of the scene. If this clever approach was used more frequently in the show, it would have made the lighting even more meaningful to the story.

Though all of the characters were distinctly different and came from diverse backgrounds, they seemed to remain as one entity. They all moved together, finished each other's sentences, and had the same vision, summed up in one potent chant: "Together, together, together." Ridley College's one-act production of Girls In The Boat was as quick-paced and energetic as the oars they wielded.

Ambar Foster
Sir Winston Churchill
Submitted for publication to St. Catharines Standard

Teamwork makes the dream work: Not only a quote to remember, but also one of many messages communicated through Ridley College's informative and engaging play "Girls in the Boat." Inspired by the history of women's sport, and the fight women had to endure to be able to represent their gender in athletics, the show spans from 1950 until 2016, bringing to light the first U.S. Olympic women's rowing team and their experiences.

Ridley College brought youthful acting to the stage to let the audience know about this important story. The production showcased these events through a modern and creative format, having one flowing act instead of different scenes, and having the actors play more than one character to help move the story along from decade to decade. Almost every single actor stayed on stage the entire night, displaying their ability to have consistent energy despite the drain of the physical movement of rowing throughout.

The ensemble of the girls in the boat brought forward the message of working as a team and understanding where others come from. All actors delivered their lines confidently and communicated their messages as one with chants such as "Win!" which brought them together and made their messages powerful. Although there were a few stumbles and lines forgotten, the cast easily made up for it with their confidence. Everyone embodied their roles and gave the audience not only characters, but a concept, especially Shakeela Vahdat, who plays Girl 6. With her stage presence, Shakeela conveyed emotion through each line, and didn't pause before grabbing your attention. Throughout the night, the play brought humor through jokes mostly made by the Coxswain, played by Faith Sauntry, who constantly left the audience laughing. The actors brought their all to the stage, and their non-verbal communication expressed their emotions, such as in their winning scene, and also the "Moscow Boycott" scene where the U.S. boycotted the Moscow Olympics and crushed the dreams of these American rowers.

The story was easy to follow and discussed the topic of unity, teamwork and women in sport which fit the Ridley College ethos and St. Catharines itself with its long history of rowing. It also educated anyone about the history of the sport.

Even though there was not much lighting or sound effects, the projections of water, rowers and a bus in the background gave the audience clear indicators of the setting. The stage production was minimal since the costumes were the same the entire night, and there was only one major prop used: the functional rowing boat that was front and center on stage, which delivered a massive surprise to the already intriguing production.

Although this play is about women and their experiences in rowing, it is a moving story that everyone can appreciate. This production was enjoyable with a powerful plot, and a captivating cast. It brought sadness, empathy, frustration, and happiness all together; just like the cast spoke together, worked together, and moved together, as the girls in the boat.

Ambar Foster
Sir Winston Churchill
Submitted for publication to St. Catharines Standard

Teamwork makes the dream work: Not only a quote to remember, but also one of many messages communicated through Ridley College's informative and engaging play "Girls in the Boat." Inspired by the history of women's sport, and the fight women had to endure to be able to represent their gender in athletics, the show spans from 1950 until 2016, bringing to light the first U.S. Olympic women's rowing team and their experiences.

Ridley College brought youthful acting to the stage to let the audience know about this important story. The production showcased these events through a modern and creative format, having one flowing act instead of different scenes, and having the actors play more than one character to help move the story along from decade to decade. Almost every single actor stayed on stage the entire night, displaying their ability to have consistent energy despite the drain of the physical movement of rowing throughout.

The ensemble of the girls in the boat brought forward the message of working as a team and understanding where others come from. All actors delivered their lines confidently and communicated their messages as one with chants such as "Win!" which brought them together and made their messages powerful. Although there were a few stumbles and lines forgotten, the cast easily made up for it with their confidence. Everyone embodied their roles and gave the audience not only characters, but a concept, especially Shakeela Vahdat, who plays Girl 6. With her stage presence, Shakeela conveyed emotion through each line, and didn't pause before grabbing your attention. Throughout the night, the play brought humor through jokes mostly made by the Coxswain, played by Faith Sauntry, who constantly left the audience laughing. The actors brought their all to the stage, and their non-verbal communication expressed their emotions, such as in their winning scene, and also the "Moscow Boycott" scene where the U.S. boycotted the Moscow Olympics and crushed the dreams of these American rowers.

The story was easy to follow and discussed the topic of unity, teamwork and women in sport which fit the Ridley College ethos and St. Catharines itself with its long history of rowing. It also educated anyone about the history of the sport.

Even though there was not much lighting or sound effects, the projections of water, rowers and a bus in the background gave the audience clear indicators of the setting. The stage production was minimal since the costumes were the same the entire night, and there was only one major prop used: the functional rowing boat that was front and center on stage, which delivered a massive surprise to the already intriguing production.

Although this play is about women and their experiences in rowing, it is a moving story that everyone can appreciate. This production was enjoyable with a powerful plot, and a captivating cast. It brought sadness, empathy, frustration, and happiness all together; just like the cast spoke together, worked together, and moved together, as the girls in the boat.

Lexy George
AN Myer Secondary School
Submitted for publication to St. Catharines Standard

Ridley College's Girls in the Boat is a smoothly-paced, engaging performance that brings the history of women's rowing to life.

The show portrays women's role in sport, more specifically rowing, and how it has evolved over the years. Through the injustices of sexism in athletics, the introduction of Title IX and the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, Girls in the Boat captures the important pieces of history from the 1950s to 2016 that shaped women's rowing into what it is today.

The audience did not need to have a prior understanding of rowing to be able to get invested in this story. The use of humour added another layer of depth to the play without losing its emotion and purpose. Every element of the piece, from the props to the projection were included for a reason that was clear to the audience at all times. The transitions were so smooth that the whole play felt like one continuous scene that ebbed and flowed as the play progressed. It was easy to see that all involved in this piece had a clear understanding of the history, physics, and execution of rowing.

Although there were a few moments where actors broke character, the actors gained confidence as the play progressed, and any stumbles were covered up quickly and effectively. With a small cast of eleven, this ensemble play wonderfully highlighted each rower's life in some way. While juggling multiple roles, each actor showed a deep understanding of their characters. The entire cast worked extremely well together, uplifting each character and their story. Sydney Charlton gave a stellar performance, portraying the arrogance and haughty attitude of the Stroke.Particularly memorable was the performance of Shakeela Vahdat (Girl 6), who approached her character with such passion and drive, emphasizing the determination of all the rowers to not just succeed, but to win. The supporting male roles bolstered the overarching theme of the play without stealing the spotlight of the women.

Girls in the Boat made use of a single, central prop--a functioning boat. This drew the attention of the audience towards the action at all times and held their focus throughout. Although the moving parts made it a little bit difficult to hear the actors at times, the boat emphasized the importance of rowing in the characters' lives and was an important element of the play. As this piece often jumps around between time periods, the clever use of projection helped establish the setting. The careful selection of images for the main screen as well as the two side screens contributed to the wow factor of this play. The subtle use of lighting and music helped erase the feeling of transition and truly created the feeling of a single scene.

Overall, Girls in the Boat was a purposeful performance that brought the history of women's rowing to life with humour, emotion, and creativity to be enjoyed by audiences of all ages.

Lexy George
AN Myer Secondary School
Submitted for publication to St. Catharines Standard

Ridley College's Girls in the Boat is a smoothly-paced, engaging performance that brings the history of women's rowing to life.

The show portrays women's role in sport, more specifically rowing, and how it has evolved over the years. Through the injustices of sexism in athletics, the introduction of Title IX and the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, Girls in the Boat captures the important pieces of history from the 1950s to 2016 that shaped women's rowing into what it is today.

The audience did not need to have a prior understanding of rowing to be able to get invested in this story. The use of humour added another layer of depth to the play without losing its emotion and purpose. Every element of the piece, from the props to the projection were included for a reason that was clear to the audience at all times. The transitions were so smooth that the whole play felt like one continuous scene that ebbed and flowed as the play progressed. It was easy to see that all involved in this piece had a clear understanding of the history, physics, and execution of rowing.

Although there were a few moments where actors broke character, the actors gained confidence as the play progressed, and any stumbles were covered up quickly and effectively. With a small cast of eleven, this ensemble play wonderfully highlighted each rower's life in some way. While juggling multiple roles, each actor showed a deep understanding of their characters. The entire cast worked extremely well together, uplifting each character and their story. Sydney Charlton gave a stellar performance, portraying the arrogance and haughty attitude of the Stroke.Particularly memorable was the performance of Shakeela Vahdat (Girl 6), who approached her character with such passion and drive, emphasizing the determination of all the rowers to not just succeed, but to win. The supporting male roles bolstered the overarching theme of the play without stealing the spotlight of the women.

Girls in the Boat made use of a single, central prop--a functioning boat. This drew the attention of the audience towards the action at all times and held their focus throughout. Although the moving parts made it a little bit difficult to hear the actors at times, the boat emphasized the importance of rowing in the characters' lives and was an important element of the play. As this piece often jumps around between time periods, the clever use of projection helped establish the setting. The careful selection of images for the main screen as well as the two side screens contributed to the wow factor of this play. The subtle use of lighting and music helped erase the feeling of transition and truly created the feeling of a single scene.

Overall, Girls in the Boat was a purposeful performance that brought the history of women's rowing to life with humour, emotion, and creativity to be enjoyed by audiences of all ages.