The Outsiders, a popular novel published in 1967 and written by S.E. Hinton when she was only 16, will be performed at Carson High School this weekend. Adapted by Christopher Sergel, the drama is about the Greasers and the Socs (socials), whose rival gangs seem to hate each other. The class warfare gets serious when a couple of younger boys, Ponyboy and Johnny, get caught in the middle of the feud.
The show features a cast of nearly 40 students who bring this novel to life. Sophomore Dillon Stevens – who has an incredible acting resume after playing the title character’s best friend in the Chicago production of “Billy Elliot” – does a remarkable job as the storyteller through the lens of his final English assignment, a “semester theme” about something that is important to him. He begins with the line: “When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home.”
Thursday and Friday of this week middle school students from around the county will be coming to see the show, said director Alex Reynolds, who added that the book is required reading in most middle schools.
“The collaborative effort to bring the students a show that is relevant to their curriculum has been a joy,” he said.
“The Outsiders” will be performed Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $5, with general admission at the door.