hungry like the wolf
By Sandra Struthers
Let's go!
Practice Button
Welcome
Welcome! This is your interactive dramaturgy packet — an inside look at what to expect when you come see Hungry Like the Wolf. Before we get started, here’s what you need to know: This is INTERACTIVE. You can explore in any order and go down whatever rabbit hole sparks your curiosity. Click as much (or as little) as you’d like. Anything that bounces is clickable — and will take you to a new fact, deeper context, or a sneak peek at something you’ll encounter in the play. There’s no wrong way to explore. Follow your curiosity.
Back
Enter the world of the play
The World of The Play
Hungry Like the Wolf is a fast-paced historical social commentary slapstick comedy following the women who led...
The first American bank strike!!!
The first american bank strike
Eight ambitious women working as bank employees in Willmar, MN went on strike in 1977 to protest gender discrimination at Citizens National Bank. After being passed over for opportunities in favor of less-qualified men, they walked out to fight for equal pay, fair promotions, and an end to workplace inequities that kept women in lower-paying positions while men advanced. The strike lasted nearly two years and became a national symbol in the fight for workplace equality, drawing attention from labor unions, feminist organizations, and the broader women’s rights movement.
Who were these women?
Willmar 8
Doris Boshart
Sylvia Erickson Koll
Sandi Treml
Click the cards to flip them over
Shirley Solyntjes
Irene Wallin
Jane Harguth Groothuis
Teren Novotny
Glennis Ter Wisscha
More info
A thread to follow
About Glennis
The youngest member of the Willmar 8, we watch Glennis grow from a shy bank teller struggling to find her voice into an influential activist and professional advocate for workers’ rights. Throughout the play, we move between several versions of Glennis:
- Version 1 – The historical figure
- Version 2 – The cheesy made-for-TV movie
- Version 3 – Sandra’s imagined role model
As you watch Hungry Like The Wolf, think about why Sandra latches onto each of these versions. What does each one give her? What feels true, and what feels constructed?
Back
How to Watch This Play
The pacing of this play is quick, with a lot of moving parts. Think of those parts as threads in a complex tapestry — nonlinear plots, shifting characters, and abstract versions of people, places, and things that may feel unrelated at first. Don’t worry if you don’t catch everything! Hold onto whatever resonates, feels important, or simply catches your attention. Afterward, share with others which moments or images are sticking with you. That’s when you may start to see how all those threads are deeply woven together.
How Many Threads?
A note from the playwright
A note from Sandra
This script has sharp, abrupt shifts, and production should allow these to happen without trying to “smooth,” transitions or make energy “flow” moment to moment.
The ideas are shared like an ADHD person shares information--quick changes in topic that eventually lead back to connecting seemingly disparate ideas. Simpsons or Family Guy level shifts. Embrace the randomness!
Back
This many threads
Wolves
Dive deeper into the world of the play—click and discover more about each thread
Sandra's celebrity crush
Protest songs
The made-for-tv movie about the Willmar Eight
Sandra's mom
A bookshelf
The director of the made-for-tv move and documentary about the Willmar Eight
The documentary about the Willmar Eight
Game shows
A thread to follow
A Matter of Sex
This made-for-TV movie portrayed the Willmar 8 story through a more melodramatic, soap-opera lens. Like Sandra, director Lee Grant zooms in on Glennis—played by her real-life daughter, Dinah Manoff—portraying her as the quiet, rising leader of the group. The film follows Glennis as she struggles to settle into her marriage with Tobe, balancing the public, professional, and private sacrifices demanded by the strike. In Hungry Like the Wolf, Sandra reenacts scenes from this film, leaning into its 1980s after-school-special stylization. We follow Glennis’s journey toward becoming an activist while also watching her fight to survive her marriage. As you watch the play, consider why Sandra is intrigued by Lee Grant’s collaboration with her daughter. What does she believe their relationship carries? What does she value in it?
Back
A thread to follow
The Rosary
In Hungry Like the Wolf, Sandra shares a lot about her life. In a Moth Radio Hour styled monologues, she shares about her relationship with her mother, religion, and how that's affected the way she navigates the world. As you watch the play, pay attention to the rosary hanging from the bookcase. How is it connected to her mother, and how does it lead her to lip-sync a Duran Duran song for a talent show?
What's The Moth?
Back
A thread to follow
The Willmar 8 Documentary
This documentary was Lee Grant’s first time directing in this format. After making it, she was inspired to turn the story into a made-for-TV movie called A Matter of Sex. In Hungry Like the Wolf, Sandra explores why Lee Grant was so drawn to these women and how she upholds the same values as the Willmar 8. The making of this documentary speaks to the boldness and tenacity Grant has carried throughout her career—after being blacklisted for 12 years. As you watch the play, consider why Sandra is so intrigued by Lee Grant and her career as an artist. Why does Sandra see her as a hero? What qualities do they share? What qualities does Sandra hope to embody in her own life as a feminist?
Back
Lee Grant thread
A thread to follow
Lee Grant
The myth. The badass. The legend. With an artistic career spanning more than eight decades, Lee Grant has done it all. She won an Academy Award for her role in Shampoo, earned Emmy Awards (including for Columbo), received a Directors Guild of America Award, and earned multiple Golden Globe nominations. She survived the Hollywood blacklist and endured plenty of misogynistic commentary from men throughout her career. In Hungry Like the Wolf, Sandra is captivated by Grant’s fearless artistry and unapologetic grit. She aspires to that same badassery, setting her on a mission to meet Grant in real life. As you watch the play, see if you can catch references to the following:
Back to Threads
The Blacklist
Shampoo
Columbo
About Shampoo
On election day in Beverly Hills, a charming ladies’ man of a hairdresser tries to juggle his clients and love affairs—chaos ensues when his mistress’s husband starts an affair with the hairdresser’s ex-lover.
Lee Grant plays Felicia, the woman the hairdresser has an affair with—whose husband also starts seeing the hairdresser’s ex. She’s fun, witty, and shows what it means for a woman to take charge of her own love and sex life.
Back
About Columbo
Classic American detective series following a clever and persistent LAPD detective who always catches his culprit.
In the episode “Ransom for a Dead Man,” Lee Grant guest stars as a sharp and witty “lady lawyer” who tries to cover up murdering her husband—until Columbo starts putting the pieces together.
Back
The McCarthy Era
The McCarthy era, beginning in the early 1950s, was a time in the U.S. when fear of communism fueled suspicion and accusations that ruined the careers and lives of prominent figures in Hollywood, government, and other high-profile industries. Many well-known artists, including Charlie Chaplin, Zero Mostel, and Dorothy Parker, were blacklisted.
During this period, Lee Grant was blacklisted for 12 years after refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. That experience shaped her bold, fearless approach to storytelling and the kinds of stories she chose to tell once she was off the blacklist.
Back
THE WORLD CAN’T GIVE IT, THE WORLD CAN’T TAKE IT AWAY!
Protest Songs
During the strike, protest songs became a powerful way for the women to build solidarity, stay focused, stay warm, and lift their spirits.
Singing together on the picket line turned frustration into positive collective energy, reminding everyone they weren’t alone. The music gave strength to the movement, transforming protest into community.
Back
A thread to follow
Game Shows
In Hungry Like the Wolf, game shows like Wheel of Fortune and Bingo appear in the play. As you watch the play, notice what launches us into game shows. Why does the story shift form here? Pay attention to the prizes, they’re breadcrumbs leading to other important threads.
Back
A thread to follow
Wolves
Wolf packs travel in lines. One of the fiercest leads, then the more-vulnerable go in the middle, and the strongest follows at the end. And as the wolves get sick or injured, or as the babies grow up, they change positions in the line over time.
While watching Hungry Like the Wolf, notice where the women of the Willmar 8 and Sandra fall in their “pack.” How do we care for one another in times of strength and success, as well as in moments of tragedy and weakness—recognizing that both can be vulnerable experiences?
Back
A thread to follow
Bookshelf
The Girl is mine
While watching Hungry Like the Wolf, pay attention to when we see the bookshelf. It holds memories and artifacts that thrust us back into the bedroom of teen Sandra in the ’80s—a Duran Duran poster, a Walkman, a trophy, and more. What is the significance of these items throughout the play? Why are they kept here? Most importantly, why is this where the entire show begins? Also, notice that Duran Duran aren’t the only ’80s music references woven throughout the play.
Back
A thread to follow
Simon Le Bon
Simon Le Bon is the lead singer of the iconic ’80s British band Duran Duran, known for their new wave and synth-pop sound. Their biggest hits include Hungry Like the Wolf and Rio. Simon was Sandra’s #1 crush in the ’80s. Like other characters in Hungry Like the Wolf, there are different versions of him, all seen through the lens of Sandra’s imagination. While watching the play, notice how Simon evolves. When and where does he appear? What does Sandra learn from him? And why is he worthy of being her #1 crush? Also, see if you can catch all of the visual references to the music videos sprinkled throughout the performance.
Back
Rio
Hunry Like the Wolf
thank you
Hope this quick overview sparks your curiosity and inspires you to keep exploring. Here are more resources to dive deeper.
Resource List
See you at the show!!
Resources
Watch
- The Willmar 8 Documentary
- Labor History Film: The Willmar 8 by East Side Freedom Library
Read
Listen
- A Matter of Sex - Documentary/Drama
- Minnesota Historical Society
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Transcript
hungry like the wolf
By Sandra Struthers
Let's go!
Practice Button
Welcome
Welcome! This is your interactive dramaturgy packet — an inside look at what to expect when you come see Hungry Like the Wolf. Before we get started, here’s what you need to know: This is INTERACTIVE. You can explore in any order and go down whatever rabbit hole sparks your curiosity. Click as much (or as little) as you’d like. Anything that bounces is clickable — and will take you to a new fact, deeper context, or a sneak peek at something you’ll encounter in the play. There’s no wrong way to explore. Follow your curiosity.
Back
Enter the world of the play
The World of The Play
Hungry Like the Wolf is a fast-paced historical social commentary slapstick comedy following the women who led...
The first American bank strike!!!
The first american bank strike
Eight ambitious women working as bank employees in Willmar, MN went on strike in 1977 to protest gender discrimination at Citizens National Bank. After being passed over for opportunities in favor of less-qualified men, they walked out to fight for equal pay, fair promotions, and an end to workplace inequities that kept women in lower-paying positions while men advanced. The strike lasted nearly two years and became a national symbol in the fight for workplace equality, drawing attention from labor unions, feminist organizations, and the broader women’s rights movement.
Who were these women?
Willmar 8
Doris Boshart
Sylvia Erickson Koll
Sandi Treml
Click the cards to flip them over
Shirley Solyntjes
Irene Wallin
Jane Harguth Groothuis
Teren Novotny
Glennis Ter Wisscha
More info
A thread to follow
About Glennis
The youngest member of the Willmar 8, we watch Glennis grow from a shy bank teller struggling to find her voice into an influential activist and professional advocate for workers’ rights. Throughout the play, we move between several versions of Glennis:
- Version 1 – The historical figure
- Version 2 – The cheesy made-for-TV movie
- Version 3 – Sandra’s imagined role model
As you watch Hungry Like The Wolf, think about why Sandra latches onto each of these versions. What does each one give her? What feels true, and what feels constructed?Back
How to Watch This Play
The pacing of this play is quick, with a lot of moving parts. Think of those parts as threads in a complex tapestry — nonlinear plots, shifting characters, and abstract versions of people, places, and things that may feel unrelated at first. Don’t worry if you don’t catch everything! Hold onto whatever resonates, feels important, or simply catches your attention. Afterward, share with others which moments or images are sticking with you. That’s when you may start to see how all those threads are deeply woven together.
How Many Threads?
A note from the playwright
A note from Sandra
This script has sharp, abrupt shifts, and production should allow these to happen without trying to “smooth,” transitions or make energy “flow” moment to moment.
The ideas are shared like an ADHD person shares information--quick changes in topic that eventually lead back to connecting seemingly disparate ideas. Simpsons or Family Guy level shifts. Embrace the randomness!
Back
This many threads
Wolves
Dive deeper into the world of the play—click and discover more about each thread
Sandra's celebrity crush
Protest songs
The made-for-tv movie about the Willmar Eight
Sandra's mom
A bookshelf
The director of the made-for-tv move and documentary about the Willmar Eight
The documentary about the Willmar Eight
Game shows
A thread to follow
A Matter of Sex
This made-for-TV movie portrayed the Willmar 8 story through a more melodramatic, soap-opera lens. Like Sandra, director Lee Grant zooms in on Glennis—played by her real-life daughter, Dinah Manoff—portraying her as the quiet, rising leader of the group. The film follows Glennis as she struggles to settle into her marriage with Tobe, balancing the public, professional, and private sacrifices demanded by the strike. In Hungry Like the Wolf, Sandra reenacts scenes from this film, leaning into its 1980s after-school-special stylization. We follow Glennis’s journey toward becoming an activist while also watching her fight to survive her marriage. As you watch the play, consider why Sandra is intrigued by Lee Grant’s collaboration with her daughter. What does she believe their relationship carries? What does she value in it?
Back
A thread to follow
The Rosary
In Hungry Like the Wolf, Sandra shares a lot about her life. In a Moth Radio Hour styled monologues, she shares about her relationship with her mother, religion, and how that's affected the way she navigates the world. As you watch the play, pay attention to the rosary hanging from the bookcase. How is it connected to her mother, and how does it lead her to lip-sync a Duran Duran song for a talent show?
What's The Moth?
Back
A thread to follow
The Willmar 8 Documentary
This documentary was Lee Grant’s first time directing in this format. After making it, she was inspired to turn the story into a made-for-TV movie called A Matter of Sex. In Hungry Like the Wolf, Sandra explores why Lee Grant was so drawn to these women and how she upholds the same values as the Willmar 8. The making of this documentary speaks to the boldness and tenacity Grant has carried throughout her career—after being blacklisted for 12 years. As you watch the play, consider why Sandra is so intrigued by Lee Grant and her career as an artist. Why does Sandra see her as a hero? What qualities do they share? What qualities does Sandra hope to embody in her own life as a feminist?
Back
Lee Grant thread
A thread to follow
Lee Grant
The myth. The badass. The legend. With an artistic career spanning more than eight decades, Lee Grant has done it all. She won an Academy Award for her role in Shampoo, earned Emmy Awards (including for Columbo), received a Directors Guild of America Award, and earned multiple Golden Globe nominations. She survived the Hollywood blacklist and endured plenty of misogynistic commentary from men throughout her career. In Hungry Like the Wolf, Sandra is captivated by Grant’s fearless artistry and unapologetic grit. She aspires to that same badassery, setting her on a mission to meet Grant in real life. As you watch the play, see if you can catch references to the following:
Back to Threads
The Blacklist
Shampoo
Columbo
About Shampoo
On election day in Beverly Hills, a charming ladies’ man of a hairdresser tries to juggle his clients and love affairs—chaos ensues when his mistress’s husband starts an affair with the hairdresser’s ex-lover.
Lee Grant plays Felicia, the woman the hairdresser has an affair with—whose husband also starts seeing the hairdresser’s ex. She’s fun, witty, and shows what it means for a woman to take charge of her own love and sex life.
Back
About Columbo
Classic American detective series following a clever and persistent LAPD detective who always catches his culprit.
In the episode “Ransom for a Dead Man,” Lee Grant guest stars as a sharp and witty “lady lawyer” who tries to cover up murdering her husband—until Columbo starts putting the pieces together.
Back
The McCarthy Era
The McCarthy era, beginning in the early 1950s, was a time in the U.S. when fear of communism fueled suspicion and accusations that ruined the careers and lives of prominent figures in Hollywood, government, and other high-profile industries. Many well-known artists, including Charlie Chaplin, Zero Mostel, and Dorothy Parker, were blacklisted.
During this period, Lee Grant was blacklisted for 12 years after refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. That experience shaped her bold, fearless approach to storytelling and the kinds of stories she chose to tell once she was off the blacklist.
Back
THE WORLD CAN’T GIVE IT, THE WORLD CAN’T TAKE IT AWAY!
Protest Songs
During the strike, protest songs became a powerful way for the women to build solidarity, stay focused, stay warm, and lift their spirits.
Singing together on the picket line turned frustration into positive collective energy, reminding everyone they weren’t alone. The music gave strength to the movement, transforming protest into community.
Back
A thread to follow
Game Shows
In Hungry Like the Wolf, game shows like Wheel of Fortune and Bingo appear in the play. As you watch the play, notice what launches us into game shows. Why does the story shift form here? Pay attention to the prizes, they’re breadcrumbs leading to other important threads.
Back
A thread to follow
Wolves
Wolf packs travel in lines. One of the fiercest leads, then the more-vulnerable go in the middle, and the strongest follows at the end. And as the wolves get sick or injured, or as the babies grow up, they change positions in the line over time.
While watching Hungry Like the Wolf, notice where the women of the Willmar 8 and Sandra fall in their “pack.” How do we care for one another in times of strength and success, as well as in moments of tragedy and weakness—recognizing that both can be vulnerable experiences?
Back
A thread to follow
Bookshelf
The Girl is mine
While watching Hungry Like the Wolf, pay attention to when we see the bookshelf. It holds memories and artifacts that thrust us back into the bedroom of teen Sandra in the ’80s—a Duran Duran poster, a Walkman, a trophy, and more. What is the significance of these items throughout the play? Why are they kept here? Most importantly, why is this where the entire show begins? Also, notice that Duran Duran aren’t the only ’80s music references woven throughout the play.
Back
A thread to follow
Simon Le Bon
Simon Le Bon is the lead singer of the iconic ’80s British band Duran Duran, known for their new wave and synth-pop sound. Their biggest hits include Hungry Like the Wolf and Rio. Simon was Sandra’s #1 crush in the ’80s. Like other characters in Hungry Like the Wolf, there are different versions of him, all seen through the lens of Sandra’s imagination. While watching the play, notice how Simon evolves. When and where does he appear? What does Sandra learn from him? And why is he worthy of being her #1 crush? Also, see if you can catch all of the visual references to the music videos sprinkled throughout the performance.
Back
Rio
Hunry Like the Wolf
thank you
Hope this quick overview sparks your curiosity and inspires you to keep exploring. Here are more resources to dive deeper.
Resource List
See you at the show!!
Resources
Watch
Read
Listen