With the breakout acclaim of its recent musical adaptation, a goldmine has been made of the classic American story “The Outsiders.”
As fate would have it, a non-musical play adaptation by local theater group Home Creative Co. began production parallel to the Broadway hit of the same name, matching its content but focusing on the script over the songs. Directed and produced by Jonathan James, this play adaptation uses the 1990 script written by Christopher Sergel and is currently showing at the Athenaeum Theater in Lakeview.
“The Outsiders” is an age-old story of the clash between social stratas and breaking away from classist stereotypes. Written by S. E. Hinton in 1967, it tells the coming-of-age story of Ponyboy, a teenager caught in a cycle of familial gang violence and social warfare. The story follows Ponyboy and his friend Johnny as they circumnavigate the death of an upper class Soc at the hands of them and their fellow greasers. They avoid the law and build toward hashing things out with the ones who have rigged the game against them.
Home Creative Co.’s version of “The Outsiders” contains appropriately gritty production design, selling Ponyboy’s perspective of Tulsa, Oklahoma — a greasy and unforgiving street environment. The standout set is a purposeful bundle of telephone wires running above the audience and to the back stage left wall. Those wires travel alongside the soft lighting over layers of artificial fog, giving the illusion of an elliptic fairy tale.
Ponyboy Curtis (portrayed by Liam Pietrzyk) is a starry-eyed dreamer looking to get out of the environment he was born into while not abandoning the people who are there with him. Characters like Johnny and Dallas ( portrayed by Julian Rus and Brick Zurek) pull off a convincing dynamic of a scared little boy and unhinged manchild, respectively.
Instead of limiting the message to a core code of conduct, the theme of “staying gold” delves into at least two central readings, both equally valid in their interpretation. Typically, a stage play of this variety could contain a message that is one-sided or even forced upon the audience, but the interpretive side of “The Outsiders” and its conclusion is a welcome change. The idea of “staying gold” appears spontaneously throughout the story, subtly portrayed through bright lighting and joyous acting beats.
One reading of the theme is the value of childhood over innocence. The character Cherry (portrayed by DePaul alum Jamie McCallister) symbolizes remaining childlike and wondrous in the face of maturity — not necessarily remaining innocent, but not turning to violence or bloodshed like Dallas or Bobby. Innocence doesn’t have to define a character. Instead, what defines them is how they remain a child at heart, to stay gold and to not lose sight of what makes life worth living.
A second reading is the wealth found within expression and art and how important it can be to someone just trying to get through life. Ponyboy constantly wonders if art is really worth it, but resolves to continue down a creative path, which is what his friends — his family — want for him. By staying gold and finding the sense of love and youth still inside all of us, life can be magical once again.
Whichever reading you subscribe to, the thematic message of “The Outsiders” is near universal and is still being felt over 50 years later. This very American story packs a rusty punch, highlighting traditional themes of found family and personal discovery, with a side of fight choreography, effective use of lighting, and detailed characterization.
For any fans of the recent musical or the classic story, this show has this journalist’s recommendation. “The Outsiders” is at the Athenaeum Theater in Lakeview until Oct. 13.
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