Cappies Issues Review of 'The Outsiders' Performance

From The Cappies: When the way things used to be is gold, how do you combat the struggles of growing old? The answer isn't easily found, but The New School of Northern Virginia's production of "The Outsiders" certainly stakes a claim to it. Their production excellently portrayed the themes of growing older and wiser, with outstanding use of space, sound, and combat.

Based on the acclaimed novel by S.E. Hinton, "The Outsiders" tells the story of Ponyboy, a brainy teen from the wrong side of town. The show takes place over the course of about a week, where Ponyboy weaves a narrative of how a fight between his gang- the "Greasers"- and their rivals- the "Soc's"- changed his life for good. The novel was adapted to stage by Christopher Sergel, and is often performed by high school companies, since the message is directed at those in their teens.

As the young and intelligent Ponyboy, Harry Sheikerz developed the fully fledged character of a young boy struggling with the stress of schoolwork and expectations, as well as violence and the harm that comes to his friends. Sheikerz's control of the narrative was exemplified in his soliloquies to the audience, where he explained exactly what each moment meant to him.

Throughout the show, Ponyboy relied on his fellow "Greasers" and they always had his back. As the wisecracking, carjacking Two-Bit, Celia Martyn provided excellent comic relief whenever the show felt a bit too tense, ready with a smirk and a witty remark. In fact, all of Martyn's facial expressions were perfectly timed with the scenes around her. Johnny, played by Joe Neff, was the opposite of Martyn in mannerisms, but her equal in presence. Neff's nervous ticks and characteristic stammering helped to portray a young man on the verge of a breakdown.

Bob, played by Theo Testa, demonstrated how the other half lives as a menacing "Soc" who just wanted someone to tell him "no." And as Ponyboy's controlling older sibling, Darry, Maggie Duncan added complexity to the role, dominating the scene when necessary, and straying from the limelight when not. As a whole, the "Greaser" family- biological or not- was endearing to watch, with all the characters playing off each other to create an authentic family dynamic.

Tech for the show was simple and helped heighten the emotion throughout. The sound was transporting, with convincing sound effects for the realistic scenes- like cars pulling up and intercom noises- and symbolic noises for the ones with a more dreamlike quality, such as the music during an intense fight scene, or an audible heartbeat that added tension to a grave scene at a hospital. The lighting made excellent use of the intimate setting, and the versatile set lent itself to a multitude of scenes.

A compelling story, backed by accomplished tech and superb acting, The New School's production of "The Outsiders" is a call to all those lost in adolescence - "You are not alone."

by Julia Luigs of McLean High School

Photo by John Potter: (from left to right) Sam Howard, Harry Sheikerz, Joe Neff