Looking Behind the Scenes of “The Outsiders”

Looking for some middle school nostalgia? Well, you’re in luck. This year's May Play is a direct adaptation of S. E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders,” which portrays the conflict between the working class and the elite through the Greasers and the opposing Socs’ journey of loyalty, loss, and maturity. A special feature of our school’s May Play is that it is entirely student-run and admission is completely free. Cast member Vivian Skidd explained more, saying that “a lot of hard work went into this year’s show” and that the cast “would love for people to come support.” Skidd also commended the resilience of the show’s director, senior Alex Snyder, who had to secure rehearsal space between award ceremonies and other events as the show’s dates approached. Snyder and the cast “did the best they could to get this show ready,” she said, sometimes even rehearsing in the LGI when performance space was unavailable.

“The Outsiders” is no easy show to pull off, either – finding ways to communicate the show’s relevance to today's audience was always lingering in the director’s mind. For instance, some dialogue in the show is complicated to relate to present-day conversation, so making rhetoric familiar and interesting was a priority of the cast during production. As the show date steadily approaches, the actors continue to do a phenomenal job managing blocking, choreography, and their impressively tough script. “The Outsiders” reveals the complex relationships and feelings teenagers bear, but also demonstrates the beauty in their maturity. This exact sentiment is what the cast is trying to encapsulate, so come out to the Unionville High School auditorium on May 29th and 30th at 7pm; remember, it's free, so show up and show out!