LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. — Behind the towering white walls of Los Alamitos High School’s Performing Arts Center sits a stage flooded with blue light and scraped by constantly moving set pieces. From Jan. 23-25, the play that will grace the PAC’s darkening stage is “The Outsiders,” a familiar story (not just to those who read it in middle school) thanks to its relatable tale about teenagers.
“Every element was designed and implemented by students, with adults overseeing it,” Sarah Roundabush, the Assistant Director and Publicity Designer, said.
During the months of rehearsals and tech the week of Jan. 13, the play’s actors communicated with one another about their roles, set designers prepared to move around the intricate set pieces and everyone worked together to ensure each complex element of the play — from lighting to costumes — fit together.
“What we’re doing here is something very creative, and it’s visually striking,” Timm Junge, who plays Mr. Syme, said.
For the cast and crew members, this play holds a special significance because it’s a chance for their sets to be nominated for the Cappies. Considered by some to be on par with the Tonys but for high school plays, the Cappies are a competition hosted by journalists from all over America who watch and judge high school plays. The cast and crew of “The Outsiders” hope this play will meet and exceed far their standards.
“I’m really excited about this set. As somebody who’s a Cappies member, I go to a lot of other schools and look at what they do,” Junge said.
Each piece of the set builds on each other to create the junkyard vide of “The Outsiders,” whether it be the tall, wooden structure in the middle or the gates surrounding the stage. Every element of the set has a purpose, and complementing the set are the unique costume designs, created by the talented students MJ Canning and Kasey Chu.
“I made Cherry’s costume, who is one of the main Soc girls. I made a dress and a coat for her, and I really love it. It has vintage patterns and historical fashion, so that was fun for me,” Canning said.
The cast and crew of these plays have strived to be as close to a professional production as possible. They poured in countless hours, hoping to convey the original message of S.E. Hinton, the author of “The Outsiders” book.
“I reread the book a couple of times, and I really wanted to ensure I was capturing Cherry’s essence in full,” Addie Schumacher, who plays Cherry, said.
After rereading the book, watching the movie or skimming SparkNotes, the actors have come to understand the core meaning of the novel and how each character plays a part in the message.
“The characters do not overcome (hardships) through the power of friendship but through learning and improving,” Junge said.
This play presents a realistic outlook on life, displaying teenagers’ hardships. While other plays focus on black-and-white solutions and conflicts, “The Outsiders” confronts stereotypes of teenagers, stereotypes which generalize us as underdeveloped adults.
“(This story) isn’t just about the ‘Greasers’ and the ‘Soc’s.’ It’s about any minority and the dissolving of stereotypes,” Destry Smith, another actor, said. “(This) makes (the play) relatable.”
The cast and crew of “The Outsiders” hope that students at LAHS and other high schools share and learn from this story. Not just because of the similarities the story shares with our lives but because of the diversity of the characters and their Greaser/Soc upbringings.
“We’re all the same, even if we feel we’re different,” Canning said.
The stage is going dark, the seats are filling and the curtains are ready to be pulled back. Our story is about to be told.
Buy tickets now at losal.booktix.com!
