From gang fights to break ups, Cretin-Derham Hall’s production of The Outsiders had it all! This multifaceted play, based on the award winning novel by S.E. Hinton ran from February 20 to March 1. It featured the two rival gangs, the Socs and the Greasers. Their rivalry and the story’s growth is told from the perspective of Ponyboy Curtis, who was portrayed by Matthew Ek ’28. He and the whole cast did a spectacular job. Additionally, the technical aspect was way beyond anything I expected. They definitely put in the hard work, but it was well balanced with having fun and bonding with other cast members.
When asked about the rehearsals leading up to the show, Natalia Wallace’ 27 said, “I have been so lucky in getting to meet and become friends with so many new people… Me and the cast have gotten to know each other so well and grown so much closer than I expected.”
Many other cast members had similar things to say, with Alexis Bohland ’28 stating, “I genuinely liked those rehearsals so much, getting to talk with everyone, try on customers, and do fun stuff with my friends was something really nice to have.”
All performances went amazing, especially closing night, which always leaves a bittersweet feeling for everyone involved. People completely new to theater, and people who are theater veterans share that same feeling every time when the curtain closes for the last time. The response from Evelyn McKiel’ 27 when asked about how her first closing night felt was, “It’s more sad then I expected it to be, mostly because I didn’t expect to have as much fun as I did, but I will definitely look back at this with fondness.”
CDH’s production of The Outsiders was something truly special and the amazing productions show no sign of stopping. Now that the Outsiders is officially over, Cretin-Derham Hall theater is moving onto the Little Mermaid. Many cast members from the outsiders will be making a reappearance for it, so if you want to watch more of them on stage be sure to get your tickets for the Little Mermaid!
