By Ulku Simsek
The department of Theatre Arts premiered “For the Love of (or the Roller Derby play),” directed by Amanda McRaven, on Oct. 19 at the Studio Theater. Written by Gina Femia, the Roller Derby play uses locker room conversations between a roller derby team to ask, what are you willing to sacrifice for your passions and happiness?
The play is about the Brooklyn Scallywags, a roller derby team consisting of nine women. The new transfer, Joy Ride, is introduced to team life. As she gets closer to the team’s star player Lizzy Lightning, Joy Ride drifts apart from her long-term partner Michelle, which causes some complications.
“You get to follow Joy, the main character as she joins the team and starts to discover her own power and strength,” McRaven said.
“We also get to follow all the other women on the team, what they go through in their daily lives and how they come together.”
The play does not go into detail about what roller derby is — a rough, fast-paced roller skating contact sport with a lengthy history — but provides enough information right off the start to follow along.
Femia’s play starts with Tiara Estupinian playing Lizzy Lightning, the captain of the team, a tattoo aficionado and the jammer – a designated scorer -recounting the rules of the game. The lights, music and colorful set design combined with Lizzy’s competitive spirit are early indicators of a fun and exciting gameplay.
“It is about empowering women, the importance of community and taking care of each other and finding the thing that makes you powerful in your life,” McRaven said.
Although the play is about a roller derby team, there are no rollerblades included in this play. The set design created the illusion of a roller derby track and primarily used blue and pink colors. The game scene choreographies were crafted in detail and carefully executed by the cast, which made the absence of roller skates hardly noticeable.
As we navigate a season through games with short announcer intros portrayed by Gissele Navarro, there are dramatic scenes in between that immerse the audience into the lives of the characters. These movie-like transitions go back and forth between a locker room, a tattoo parlor, an intimate bedroom, a dance club and a graveyard.
Keiona Chang, a senior theatre and performance art student, plays the character Prosecute-Her. Prosecute-Her is a law school student, cramping for her exams in between her derby practices.
“She is one of the Asian characters written in the script. Which is really nice. I am glad to have such a diverse cast,” Chang said.
Chang said the similarities between her character and herself made it easier to prepare for the role.
“She is kind of like me. Always gets stressed over things, and I see myself a lot in this character,” Chang said.
“Sometimes life is hard and you need an outlet. My character’s outlet is roller derby.”
Prosecute-Her is one of the youngest members of the derby team and is often made fun of for her studious character during practices. Her passion for roller derby hinders her academic success but she never quits either of them. As someone who understands the meaning of teamwork, Prosecute-Her does not shy away from speaking her truth.
“When everyone finally sees the show they will understand how she can finally let go of the pressure of Asian families and Asian trauma. I relate to that pressure too,” Chang said.
“Sometimes you don’t need to be good, you just need to be your best self. You don’t need to force yourself to be better than who you are today.”
The Roller Derby play will be live at the Studio Theater from Oct. 19 through Oct. 28. Tickets can be purchased online. The play is intended for mature audiences. This performance includes bright, flashing lights that may affect photosensitive viewers.
