Emily Smith
A view of the marquee for 'The Outsiders' at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater, where students had the opportunity see a Broadway show
On September 17th, a group of Somerville High School’s actors, musicians, and artists set off on two charter buses headed towards New York City. Their destination: the Bernards B. Jacobs Theater, where they would be seeing The Outsiders on Broadway.
Based on the 1967 S.E. Hinton novel of the same name, The Outsiders follows two opposing groups of teenagers in Tulsa, Oklahoma: the Socs and the Greasers.
This Broadway excursion was the result of diligent planning by the Drama Club’s new director, Ms. Meghan Sullivan, who is also the teacher of the theater courses at the high school. The trip began as part of the curriculum for her theater students, but in quick time, was also offered to members of the drama club free of charge.
For Ms. Sullivan, this accessibility was key, allowing students to fully experience the joys of live theater without having to worry about external factors such as cost.
“New Jersey and Pennsylvania offer a bunch of great theaters that I would’ve been happy to take our students to, but Broadway is such a dream for some of our students,” Ms. Sullivan said. “For students who listen to the soundtracks or watch the Tonys, but maybe aren’t able to see the shows, I wanted to give them that chance.”
And take this chance, they did.
“The show was really nice,” junior theater student Camila Navarro said. “They did a really good job of executing every aspect of the play, and it was really cool because it was a lot of our first times on Broadway.”
No matter whether they were first-timers or regular theater-goers, many students gave high praise to The Outsiders, commending it for its impressive visuals and storytelling.
“I really liked it because I’ve always loved the book, and I felt like it was really accurate to the story,” freshman theater student Addison Swinsburg said. “I liked the lighting and how the characters really came to life.”
With its young cast and thrilling plot, The Outsiders made for an incredibly timely and relevant viewing experience for SHS students, often touching on familiar themes and social-dynamics.
In one case, the play even accomplished what may arguably be one of the greatest feats of all…
changing an audience member’s view of musicals as a whole.
“That was so cool,” said senior tech crew member Tabitha Debraski after the show. “I’ve always claimed to be a musical hater, but after this, maybe not.”
Through the trip, students were able to watch performers work at the highest level, gaining inspiration and insight for their own craft. The blends of acting, singing, dancing, and technology witnessed onstage at The Outsiders served to echo the critical fact that when it comes to theater, there truly is something for everyone.
As Ms. Sullivan put it: “people forget that Broadway isn’t just performing, but it’s the design, the art… it’s everything,”
A special thanks to the following for making this trip possible:
Mr. Robert Reavey – Arts Supervisor
Gary Lubisco, Jr. – Superintendent of Schools
Somerville Public Schools Board of Education