For years, The Outsiders has remained an important part of our school’s curriculum. Not only did eighth and ninth graders get to read the novel, but they got to experience it live at the Dr. Philips Center, seeing the words on pages to come alive- hearing the meaningful music.
Written by S.E. Hinton when she was 15 to 17 years old and published at 18, The Outsiders draws attention to the raw and ruthless moments of life in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The story is told in POV of Ponyboy Curtis a greaser, navigating through, survival, family life, loyalty, and loss. Greasers are like hoods, grease to slick back their hair, busted up cars, and gang fights in the lot. Socs, short for the socials, are wealthy, preppy, and “cool to the point of not feeling anything”.
Now, The Outsiders is portrayed in multiple ways, the novel, the musical, and the play. Each version offering a different outlook on the same plot.
“I was first introduced to ‘The Outsiders’ by S. E Hinton in Ms. Tiansay’s 8th grade class,” 10th-grader Taylor Thomas said. “This cleverly written book quickly became one of my favorites due to the interesting plot, complex characters, and heart-wrenching plot twist. The characters quickly caught my interest because of their shared familial trauma, their close-knit bond, and their brotherly love for each other. Hinton perfectly captures the essence of a broken family and utilizes that to specifically shape the characters of Johnny and Dally. Overall, ‘The Outsiders’ is an emotionally moving piece of literature that everyone deserves to read.”
The book goes deeper into details of the darker themes such as violence and loss, more inner thoughts, and motivations. Theres something compelling about how personal the book is, you reflect more after you read. You get the chance to understand the internal struggles Ponyboy goes through.
Similarly, the play, grips your attention, pulling you from a scene of banter and bliss, to making you want to stand up for characters. From iconic lines coming alive, to emotional moments you thought only the book would make you cry over. Theres an intensity that can hold you tight, then leave you stunned after you blink.
Unlike the novel, the musical, expresses the emotion through catchy phrases. Lyrics are packed with harsh but honest words that take the tone of a bright late spring day. The way the lights move in the audience and the choreography of dances as fights, tell the story in a unique way. While the powerful songs are emotionally authentic, catching the reality for the audience to engross in.
“What I liked about ‘The Outsiders’ musical was that they made the story come to life,” eighth-grader Arianna Ortiz said. “Not everything was correct about my book, but it was so much better with the songs and the dancing and even like, doing stuff with the audience as well, and it was just really fun.
Seeing the musical also helped the cast prepare for their own upcoming rendition of the story.
“Watching the show alongside the cast of our school’s ‘The Outsiders’ straight play allowed us to closely observe the stage combat, scene transitions, and character development,” actor Charlotte Drake said. “We were able to delve deeper into our own roles by studying the perspectives and choices made by the professional actors, which directly influenced how we approached our work during rehearsals.” Charlotte Drake, 11th grade.
While the novel, stage play, and musical are different, they all follow the same idea, there’s still hope.
Why is this important? It opens up the curtains to see social groups, the intensity of the inferno the Greasers and Socs have for each other. The bonds that were created and lost. More importantly it shows hope, that wherever you are in life there’s always something to look forward to.
“Stay gold, Ponyboy” – Johnny Cade
“The Outsiders” will open on February 13 at 7:00 p.m., with additional performances on February 14 at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Purchase your tickets here.
