Synopsis
S.E. Hinton, who wrote this modern classic when she was 16 years old, comments: "The Outsiders, like most things I write, is written from a boy's point of view. That's why I'm listed as S.E. Hinton rather than Susan. (I figured most boys would look at the book and think 'What can a chick know about stuff like that!') None of the events are taken from life, but the rest—how kids think and live and feel—is for real. The characters—Dallas, who wasn't tough enough; Sodapop, the happy-go-lucky dropout; Bob, the rich kid whose arrogance cost him his life; Ponyboy, the sensitive, green-eyed Greaser who didn't want to be a hood—they're all real to me. Many of my friends are Greasers, but I'm not. I have friends who are rich, too, but nobody will ever call me a Soc—I've seen what money and too much idle time and parental approval can do to people. Cool people mean nothing to me—they're living behind masks and I'm always wondering "Is there a real person underneath?" This entirely practical stage adaptation deals with real people, seen through the eyes of young Ponyboy, a Greaser on the wrong side of life, caught up in territorial battles between the have-it-made rich kidsthe Socsand his tough, underprivileged "greaser" family and friends. In the midst of urban warfare, somehow Ponyboy can't forget a short poem that speaks of their fragile young lives:
Nature's first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief,
so dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay.
Notes
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Details
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Status
In stock
- Type of Show Full-length Play
- Product Code O41000
- Cast Size 18
- Min. Royalty Rate $110/perf
- Cost $11.95
- Approx. Run Time 120 min
Categories
- Target Audience Middle School | High School | College and Adult
- Performing Group Middle School | High School | College Theatre | Community Theatre | Professional Theatre | TYA
- Genre Drama
- ISBN(13) 9780871292773
Customer Reviews
- "This was definitely the best show I've ever worked on. The story brings the best out of every actor, director, and crew member. With a workable script to make it anything you want there is nothing short of greatness in this script!"
- Review by RJ Palhegyi, Bravo Boro, Murfreesboro, Tenn.
- "This staged version of THE OUTSIDERS is outstanding! The adaptation perfectly captures the personalities and events of Hinton's novel. My students and our audiences were moved to tears by the characters and their stories as they were portrayed on stage."
- Review by Makala Witten, Christianburg High School, Christianburg, Va.
- "From read-through we fell in love with this script. We decided to tell the story through lighting and acting and keep the set minimalistic!! Best decision ever!!!"
- Review by Christa Roberts, New Philadelphia HS, New Philadelphia, Ohio
- "The play, Outsiders, is a great adaptation of the book. The characters are strong and play well by high school aged students. My students loved bringing one of their beloved novels to the stage."
- Review by Melissa Gallip, Massac County High School, Metropolis, Ill.
- "The Outsiders was a versatile and well-written script for my students to perform. They had not performed a stage play in years at my school, and these students were able to learn so much of the basic acting skills from the versatility of the script."
- Review by Alissa Vogelgesang, Carroll County High School, Carrollton, Ky.
- "This piece was beautiful -- in the last days of production and the first time I read it, it brought tears to my eyes. The students enjoyed a story with which they were familiar and a script to which they could truly connect."
- Review by Shannon Mallrich, Triad High School, Troy, IL
- "It went over very well. The drama played well to a wide age range and we had many positive comments. This adaptation represented Hinton's work very well and the action moved quickly."
- Review by Greg Holt, Black Hawk Children's Theatre, Waterloo, IA
- "A beautiful coming of age story that any generation can relate to."
- Review by Laura LaChappelle, Bradshaw Mountain High School, Humboldt, Ariz.
- "I saw the play performed years ago in Texas and knew I'd like to direct it someday. It is faithful to the novel and was written for high school students to be performed in a high school setting. Our school had never done a drama beforeÑour audiences loved it!"
- Review by Jamie Miller, Byng Schools, Ada, Okla.
- "The Outsiders is a great adaptation of S. E. Hinton's novel. It is told through the eyes of Ponyboy, who moves the story along at a good pace. The show moves quickly and is very easy to stage. It is a great show for your young men with a variety of experience!"
- Review by Chris Murphy, Concordia Lutheran High School, Fort Wayne, Ind.
- "Big hit. Our middle school enjoyed it as they were studying the novel. Great opportunity for getting boys interested in theatre."
- Review by Susan Kahn, Norwell High School, Ossian, Ind.
- "Well written and relatable to students. My students loved these roles and were very sad when the production closed. The audience reaction was amazing! A standing ovation at each performance."
- Review by Vance Hays, Pike Central High School, Petersburg, Ind.
- "Excellent choice for middle-school audiences; great show to feature talented young performers, particularly males. Material is easy to relate to and show is relatively easy to produce."
- Review by Wayne Marek, Eau Claire Children's Theatre, Eau Claire, Wis.
- "The Outsiders is a classic yet contemporary story. This adaptation allows for a simple set and can accommodate a large cast. Audiences love the characters and so did the actors! I felt the cast really understood the message and brought it to life in this play."
- Review by Rebecca Coons, Dallas Center-Grimes High School, Grimes, Iowa
- "This is a very powerful and timely piece. The characters are clear and believable. The use of memory adds an interesting element to the production. Many of our audience were in tears at the end. It contains a message that is important for our times."
- Review by Rebecca Sartor, Rutland High School, Rutland, Vt.
- "The script is smart, fast-paced and faithful to the original novel. What a wonderful way to introduce a timeless piece of Americana to a new generation."
- Review by Debbie Ragonese, The SEEALL Academy, Brooklyn, N.Y.
- "The Outsiders is very well written and young people just love itÑboth those in the cast and those in the audience. Many good roles to create an excellent ensemble."
- Review by Lorna Stratton, ICHTYHYS, Brantford, Ontario, Canada
- "This is an extremely popular novel studied in many English classes, so performing the play at our school was a great experience for the cast and student audience. It was perfect for schoolwide observance of "Bullying Prevention Week" November 15-19."
- Review by Margo Benedetto, Centralia High School, Centralia, Wash.
- "The Outsiders powerfully presents the problems and issues faced by young people. Kaukauna High School's production with simple area staging and stark lighting focused on the feelings and emotions of the characters."
- Review by Brenda Hostettler, Kaukauna High School, Kaukauna, Wis.
- "The Outsiders is a great play for middle school or high-school students to perform. The kids really care about the characters and the situations in the show."
- Review by Ava Grimm, Molina High School, Dallas, Texas
Hints, Tips, and Tricks
- "This show really works well in a thrust/blackbox theatre. Get the audience up close and personal to the action!"
- Tip by Jonathan Collura, Bishop Hartley High School, Columbus, Ohio
- "A minimum of scenery and props are needed as the characters carry the story so well."
- Tip by Melissa Gallip, Massac County High School, Metropolis, Ill.
- "We were able to use a very basic stage set & only 2 spot lights with this show easily. Considering that is all we have in this program, we were very thankful."
- Tip by Alissa Vogelgesang, Carroll County High School, Carrollton, Ky.
- "Creative lighting is a godsend for this show, making scenes that challenge "realistic" staging into something artful and riveting."
- Tip by Joshua Kauffman, Winfield City High School, Winfield, Ala.
- "Use a real fence to crawl under for the drive-in. Also, when Ponyboy goes into soliloquy, we recorded those at a studio and played them as voice overs."
- Tip by Jamie Miller, Byng Schools, Ada, Okla.
- "Keep the set as simple as possible. Lighting makes this show... use "specials" to focus on the different areas of action."
- Tip by Mike Chappell, Huntsville High School, Huntsville, Ala.
- "It takes imagination and work, but adapt the staging for surround-theatre. Seat the audience facing a wide centre aisle and stage the rumble right there. Wow! Create a "cheer" for Greasers and Socs and get the audience to participate."
- Tip by Lorna Stratton, ICHTHYS Theatre Productions, Brantford, Ontario, Canada
- "For the fire scene, you can accomplish a lot with very little. Blackout completely with the exception of red, yellow and orange lights filtering offstage. Add a fog machine and a few crackling sound effects and you are in great shape!"
- Tip by Crystal Braeuner, Gibbs High School, Corryton, Tenn.
- "Everyone on stage froze while Pony was speaking."
- Tip by Rebecca Sartor, Rutland High School, Rutland, Vt.
Production Map
Location | City | State | Opens | Closes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Stained Glass Theatre of Mid-Missouri | Jefferson City | Missouri | 10/19/2023 | 10/28/2023 |
St Charles Community College | Cottleville | Missouri | 3/7/2024 | 3/10/2024 |
Fremont-Mills High School Auditorium | Tabor | Iowa | 11/10/2023 | 11/10/2023 |
University of South Carolina Lancaster | Lancaster | South Carolina | 10/27/2023 | 10/29/2023 |
Denfeld High School | Duluth | Minnesota | 5/16/2024 | 5/18/2024 |
Desoto Central High | Southaven | Mississippi | 10/12/2023 | 10/15/2023 |
Shawnee High School | MEDFORD | New Jersey | 11/2/2023 | 11/4/2023 |
Butler High School | Butler | New Jersey | 12/15/2023 | 12/16/2023 |
Wes-del Middle/senior High School | Gaston | Indiana | 11/3/2023 | 11/5/2023 |
Bryant High School | BRYANT | Arkansas | 11/9/2023 | 11/11/2023 |
South Baldwin Community Theatre | Gulf Shores | Alabama | 11/10/2023 | 11/19/2023 |
Chaminade College Preparatory High School | West Hills | California | 11/10/2023 | 11/18/2023 |
Meadowcreek High School | Norcross | Georgia | 3/21/2024 | 3/22/2024 |
C.d. Hylton High | Woodbridge | Virginia | 11/2/2023 | 11/3/2023 |
Bishop Hendricken High School | Warwick | Rhode Island | 4/5/2024 | 4/7/2024 |
South Park High School | South Park | Pennsylvania | 10/26/2023 | 10/29/2023 |
Cumberland Regional High School | Bridgeton | New Jersey | 11/30/2023 | 12/2/2023 |
Waterville Central School | Waterville | New York | 10/27/2023 | 10/28/2023 |
Butler High School | Butler | New Jersey | 12/15/2023 | 12/16/2023 |
Rye Neck High School | Mamaroneck | New York | 10/27/2023 | 10/28/2023 |
Mingus Union High School | Cottonwood | Arizona | 10/20/2023 | 10/29/2023 |
Tonbridge School | Tonbridge | 11/21/2023 | 11/24/2023 | |
Capilano University - Arbutus Studio | North Vancouver | British Columbia | 12/12/2023 | 12/16/2023 |
Nashua High School South | Nashua | New Hampshire | 11/3/2023 | 11/5/2023 |
Kenston High School | Chagrin Falls | Ohio | 11/9/2023 | 11/11/2023 |
Canandaigua Academy | Canandaigua | New York | 11/3/2023 | 11/5/2023 |
Ujima Theater, Inc | Buffalo | New York | 10/19/2023 | 10/21/2023 |
West Vigo High School | W Terre Haute | Indiana | 10/26/2023 | 10/26/2023 |
White County Middle School | Cleveland | Georgia | 10/27/2023 | 10/27/2023 |
Western Carolina University | Cullowhee | North Carolina | 11/2/2023 | 11/2/2023 |
Winslow Township High School | Atco | New Jersey | 11/16/2023 | 11/18/2023 |
High Point Regional HS | Sussex | New Jersey | 11/3/2023 | 11/5/2023 |
Young Americans Performing Arts Theatre | Conyers | Georgia | 10/9/2023 | 10/12/2023 |
Elmwood High School | Elmwood | Illinois | 11/10/2023 | 11/12/2023 |
Creston High School | Creston | Iowa | 3/22/2024 | 3/24/2024 |
Fair Grove High | Fair Grove | Missouri | 11/2/2023 | 11/5/2023 |
Del Sol High School | Las Vegas | Nevada | 2/15/2024 | 2/17/2024 |
Rachel Carson Middle School | Herndon | Virginia | 11/9/2023 | 11/10/2023 |
Pike County High School | Zebulon | Georgia | 10/20/2023 | 10/21/2023 |
Theatre of Gadsden, Inc. | Gadsden | Alabama | 3/15/2024 | 3/24/2024 |
Blue Valley West High | Overland Park | Kansas | 11/10/2023 | 11/11/2023 |
Southwest High School | Fort Worth | Texas | 3/7/2024 | 5/10/2024 |
Lindblom Math and Science Academy | Chicago | Illinois | 11/2/2023 | 11/4/2023 |
South Park High School | South Park | Pennsylvania | 10/25/2023 | 10/29/2023 |
The Lucille Ball Little Theatre of Jamestown | Jamestown | New York | 2/9/2024 | 2/18/2024 |
Lodi High | Lodi | California | 12/4/2023 | 12/22/2023 |
Lansdowne High School | Lansdowne | Maryland | 11/17/2023 | 11/18/2023 |
East High School | Waterloo | Iowa | 11/3/2023 | 11/4/2023 |
Lake Washington High | Kirkland | Washington | 12/1/2023 | 12/9/2023 |
Prairie View Middle School | Henderson | Colorado | 12/6/2023 | 12/7/2023 |
Johnston Heights Secondary | Surrey | British Columbia | 5/28/2024 | 5/31/2024 |
Kearsley High School | Flint | Michigan | 2/16/2024 | 2/17/2024 |
Mira Monte High School | Bakersfield | California | 4/25/2024 | 4/26/2024 |
Thomas Jefferson Middle School | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | 11/16/2023 | 11/17/2023 |
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