The Gangs Of Monomoy: High School Drama Club Tackles ‘The Outsiders’

Since the middle of September, a collection of Monomoy Regional High School students have convened in the school’s auditorium nearly every day, spending countless hours together in an effort toward a common goal: to produce the fall play. Now, as their opening date approaches, they said they are excited to announce their latest production.

From Nov. 13 through 15, the Monomoy High School Drama department will perform “The Outsiders,” based on the 1967 book by S.E. Hinton about a group of kids growing up in Tulsa, Okla. in the late ‘60s. Monomoy student Romani Thomas explained the premise for the play. 

“Many kids of our age group have read the book at least at one point in their life,” he said. “It’s based on a group, or I suppose a gang, back in the 1960s in the Midwest. It’s more of a story about self-acceptance.”

Specifically, according to a press release, the narrative focuses on the teenage rivalry between the Greasers and the Socs. The story focuses on a young Greaser, Ponyboy Curtis, in his struggles with his family, hardship and violence. Ponyboy and his best friend Johnny Cade manage to find themselves in trouble with the law after a run in with the Socs.

The lead character of Ponyboy Curtis is played by Monomoy junior Wellington Holmes. Holmes took a moment to describe his character.

“I’m this passionate, word-loving kid,” said Holmes. “A little corny, for sure. I’m such an observer. I’m 14 and I’m frustrated. 

“I have some issues with my brothers,” he continued. “My parents are dead and my oldest brother is a pain in my rear. I’ve got a lot of conflicts between my family and being a Greaser. He sees Greasers as kind of negative. We get in gang fights, we steal things. He’s one of them, but even then he sees ‘us’ as sort of a negative.” 

Monomoy junior Boden Mabile plays Johnny Cade and gave insight into his role and the work the drama program does.

“I’m kind of the depressed kid,” he said. “He’s the one who has the famous line ‘Stay Gold.’ He’s scared of the world and feels like no one is there for him. He kind of feels like the people that do care about him don’t really care about him. He doesn’t really go home to sleep or anything. He tries to keep his head down, but he’s also sad and not emotionally well.”

At a recent rehearsal, the cast members said that the majority of the drama program at Monomoy is extracurricular. They said they took pride in the fact that students do nearly all of the work on the play, noting that most high schools bring in professionals or have adults in positions within the crew or performing the music. Aside from their director and a few others, the program is student-run, especially during the production.

“Basically, everyone who is here, they want to be here, and, to speak for myself, I care about this department very very much. I love everyone here and I think that is kind of a universal theme,” said Monomoy senior Emory Hines, who is in her fifth year with the program and experiencing her final opening of the year. “It’s very surreal. Especially since we were little baby eighth graders in this high school watching that senior class do it and then the next one and the next one and they become some of your closest friends and you wave goodbye, they go to college, and now…that’s us.”

On the other end of the class spectrum, Monomoy freshman Isabelle Ferron said how much she has loved working with the group.

“Everyone here is so nice. It’s really fun to be a part of something like this and be able to say I helped make this happen,” said Ferron.

Opening night for the production is Thursday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. in the Monomoy Regional High School Auditorium at 75 Oak St. in Harwich. Ticket prices are $5 for students and $10 for the general public, and tickets will be available at the door.

Holmes provided a fitting, final reason why people should attend.

“A lot of people have read this book,” he said. “It would just be awesome to see it in person.”