Smridhi Malhotra first read The Outsiders when she was in middle school.
“I hyper-fixated on the story for two years, then forgot about it for five years,” she said. “When I read it again [last summer], I appreciated it in a different way.”
Now, as director of Sock ’n’ Buskin Theatre Company’s upcoming production of The Outsiders playing at the Kailash Mital Theatre from February 8-11, Malhotra said she hopes the story has something for everyone.
“In my head, the audience is split into two: the people who know the story and the people who don’t. […] I think the people who know the story can really look forward to seeing these characters that they’ve read about on stage,” she said.
“The people who know nothing about the story can be really excited about the movement in the show. My version of the play holds a lot more chaotic-ness than what’s in the script — I think it’s more fun.”
Adapted for the stage by Christopher Sergel from S.E. Hinton’s 1967 novel, The Outsiders follows the working-class “Greasers” and affluent “Socs,” two rival teenage gangs in 1960s Oklahoma. Centred around Ponyboy Curtis (played by Michael Hart), a chain of tumultuous events unfolds when his best friend and fellow Greaser, Johnny Cade (Corey Newman) kills a Soc.
“It’s basically about how Ponyboy navigates morals, rights and wrongs, and how he’s starting to question things,” Malhotra said. “It’s about brotherhood and family.”
L-R: Michael Hart as Ponyboy, Corey Newman as Johnny, and Zachary Miller as Dallas. Photo provided by Uriel Ofori-Atta.
The Outsiders is Malhotra’s first time working with Sock ’n’ Buskin and directing an onstage production. One of her goals with this show, she said, is to integrate the story’s themes through little details.
“When I was in middle school I loved the story for the Greasers and how rowdy, ‘teenage dirtbag’ they were. It was just so much fun to read about,” she said. “Reading it again years later, I realized how tragic and intense it was. I appreciated it more for the themes.”
Specifically, Malhotra highlighted the theme of classism with hair and make-up.
“Our hair and make-up teams are wonderful,” she said. “I told them, ‘If we have Socs on one side and Greasers on the other, and they’re not speaking or doing anything at all, they still need to look like different classes.’”
Malhotra also accentuated the themes of brotherhood and found family through costuming–like matching bracelets–but also through the relationships of specific characters.
“With Johnny and Dallas, I wanted to emphasize their relationship more onstage,” she said.
Played by Zachary Miller, Dallas Winston is the toughest member of the Greasers, and a 17-year-old juvenile delinquent. He cares most for Johnny and wants to protect him from the troubled life he himself endured.
“They’re the only two big characters who have the same accent,” Malhotra said. “We worked with an accent coach to emphasize their dynamic.”
Incorporating feedback from the actors was also essential to Malhotra’s direction, she said.
“The actors live in the characters so much more than I do, so they’ll have little things to incorporate which is always really fun.”
Malhotra identified Newman’s idea to include a kid’s drawing depicting a family of five in the Curtis household as one of her favourite suggestions from the actors.
Despite her passion for the little details, Malhotra said she still faced challenges as director, such as “picking your battles.”
“As much as I aim to be optimistic, there are times where you have to be realistic,” she said. “It’s bittersweet—you can get really attached to a prop or set piece.”
“Sometimes the entire room can disagree with a choice I make, but I have to do it because I’m the only one who sees the play in full scope,” she added. “At the end of the day, you have to do what you have to do.”
Ultimately, Malhotra wants the audience to feel something—so much so that she plotted the show’s emotional moments.
“Before we even started rehearing I had this ‘Emotional Intensity Graph’ that plotted the highest and lowest emotional scenes,” she admitted with a laugh. “There’s such an emotional spectrum.”
“I keep thinking about what I want the audience to feel,” she added. “When it all pieces together, I hope they get their heartstrings pulled.”
Sock ‘n’ Buskin Theatre Company’s The Outsiders is playing at the Kailash Mital Theatre from February 8-11. Tickets can be purchased here.
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