A few years ago, I wrote an opinion piece for my college paper titled “Friends Aren’t Forever and That’s Okay.” Reflecting on the fleeting nature of high school friendships, I realized that even though those friendships didn’t last, they meant a great deal, and shaped me in ways I couldn’t fully understand at the time.
I’ve graduated college now, but couldn’t help but think of these friendships while watching ||: Girls :|| ||: Chance :|| ||: Music :||, a new play by Eisa Davis at ACT’s Strand Theater in San Francisco. Davis, raised in the Bay Area and inspired by her time in UC Berkeley’s Young Musicians Program, clearly understands the bonds of girlhood. Directed by outgoing ACT Artistic Director Pam MacKinnon, the play captures the essence of being a teenage girl amongst other teenage girls: a combination of ego and uncertainty, with small moments feeling magnified and personal.
In ||: Girls :|| ||: Chance :|| ||: Music :||, we’re introduced to four high school girls at a prestigious summer music program in Berkeley who’ve been assigned to rehearse and perform together as a group. Aside from their love for music, they seem to have nothing in common.
Fax (Hillary Fisher), the group’s vocalist, is anxious, hyper-prepared and constantly overthinking, a perfectionist prone to rambling. In contrast, Margot (Naomi Latta), the group’s drummer, is laid-back and carefree. She proclaims that “words are so not [her] vibe,” yet her playing reveals an intensity beneath the surface.
Riles (Yeena Sung), the pianist, is vibrant and unapologetically expressive, with multicolored hair, a wardrobe filled with fun prints and Labubus hanging from their backpack. Then there’s the more reticent Clementine (Gianna DiGregorio Rivera), often in the background, who effortlessly plays multiple instruments and offers comic relief.