SPRINGFIELD, Mich. – At What a Do, they’re not afraid to put their main stage productions in the hands of young people, and it’s a gamble that consistently pays off for them.

This month, the show is The Outsiders, a play adapted by Christopher Sergei from S.E. Hinton’s classic young adult novel, and it is filled with teens who are able to make this story come alive.

As in the novel, the story focuses on Ponyboy, a member of the “greasers” who are lower class teens who struggle with poverty, loss, and dysfunctional homes. They are in constant competition and warfare with the “Socs”—short for Socials, the upper class preps who appear outwardly spoiled and wealthy.

Ponyboy is played by Nick Wheeler and Wheeler gives him depth and sensitivity. He displays the young man’s intelligence, but also his confusion. Wheeler adeptly grapples with Ponyboy’s desire to understand the world that he and his friends live in and the way it clashes with others. Under the direction of Randy Wolfe, he moves with ease between the moments he is directing, addressing the audience in soliloquies, and  being a part of the action and connecting with the others on stage. Samantha Snow’s lighting design also helps with this, providing transitions that make it clear to the audience when Ponyboy is breaking the scene.

Hunter King’s Johnny is played with a brokenness that speaks first to his trauma from past events and later to the physical pain he endures. King physically expresses these traumas by pulling into himself in a direct contrast to many of the other characters around him. It makes for exquisite storytelling, especially in those moments when Johnny is able to step free from his traumas and show the audience who he might be under different circumstances.

Undertaking a tricky role, Christian Perez sets up Dallas as brash and rude, only to slowly reveal greater depth to him. Perez portrays him as a multi-dimensional character, capturing the subtleties of the this always in trouble hoodlum.

Ponyboy’s two brothers are played by Mike VanVleet (Darry) and Derek Whitesell (Sodapop). They show concern for their brother while also portraying contrasting challenges faced by boys in their set. They relate well to each other and help show how tight-knit the family is, even when they don’t always get along.

While the cast is primarily male, Averi Beck as Cherry and Maddy Haywood as Marcia turn in fine performances. Haywood is very down-to-earth and gives a realistic portrayal of a teen from the right side of town who isn’t afraid to socialize with those not like her. She brings a combination of seriousness and flirtatiousness to the part.

This is Beck’s last role with What a Do before going off to college—and it is one of many that she has played for the company, frequently filling lead roles with the company. She makes this role larger-than-life, sticking out from the ensemble as someone different from both her peers and the greasers she is reaching out to.

Wolfe makes excellent use of a screen to create dramatic stage pictures with silhouettes and shadows. It sets the tone for this show, setting the characters apart not just from each other, but from the audience as well. There is an overall darkness and tension that becomes all the more powerful in the moments when Wolfe plays with lighting and staging to relieve that atmosphere and offer a glimmer of promise, of light.

Nick Mumma choreographs multiple fights that use technical expertise to tell the story of each fight—whether it is an all-out brawl or the threatening tension of a one-on-one fight. They’re never treated lightly and each fight is heavy with consequence.

It’s a well-produced show in which the talented young people are able to present the real struggles of teens from differing economic levels. It explores the relationships we have with each other—what constitutes a real family? What effects does our family structure have on us? How does our background set us apart from others?

It also offers a glimmer of hope amid the alienation and trauma. It challenges us that we can be “golden,” that we can be something good, no matter what our circumstances.

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