Fontbonne Present “The Outsiders” with an All-Female Cast

Great literature endures for a reason. It endures because its themes are more significant than any one story. It endures because its characters have meaning beyond the moment in which they were written. This explains the staying power of S.E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders.” Written by S.E. Hinton when she was just 16 years old and published in 1967, “The Outsiders” explores the themes of friendship, class conflict, and loyalty.

Fontbonne’s Good Fountain Players will perform “The Outsiders” with an all-female cast led by Sophia Lucien ‘25, of Stoughton as Darry, Susan Leuchte ‘25, of Quincy as Pony Boy, Ella Efeturk ’25 of Jamaica Plain as Johnny, Meghan Gibbons ‘27 of Weymouth as Soda Pop, Jayline Alvarado ‘26 of Randolph as Dallas, and Shannon Dawley ‘26 of Braintree as Two-Bit. Channah Goodman ‘28 of Stoughton serves as a member of the Stage Crew.

The show’s Director, Fiona McDonald, said, “When we chose ‘The Outsiders’ for our fall play this year, our students were very excited. Almost all of them had read this book in middle school, and the story has stayed with them.” She continued, “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to direct this show with a group of young women who have put themselves into their work so completely. They’ve committed themselves to these parts, which are meaningful to them.”

“The Outsiders” has meaning for many students – and has over many years. In fact, the novel is still very commonly part of middle-school curriculums in Massachusetts. This, in part, has advanced the interest among other local schools in bringing their students to see “The Outsiders” in person at Fontbonne. Fontbonne is hosting a special weekday performance of the play on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. Fontbonne is expecting school groups from Saint John Paul II Catholic Academy - Lower Mills Campus, Atlantic Middle School-Quincy, Saint Agatha School-Milton, Quincy Catholic Academy, Blessed Sacrament School-Walpole, and Mother Caroline Academy-Boston.

Maeve McDonald, an English teacher at Saint Agatha’s Middle School, is reading the novel with her 8th graders. She says, “This novel has a way of capturing the interest of students who are not always interested in reading.” “They ask me every day if we are going to keep reading. It has a way of unifying the classroom. I have 8th-grade boys who can’t wait to keep reading the book to find out what will happen next. This is not always a common experience.”

Fontbonne’s Head of School, Maura Spignesi, said, “We are honored to be able to host so many middle school students from the area who will experience first-hand this powerful play – performed so well by the exceptionally talented Fontbonne students in our drama program.”

Fontbonne’s Theatre Group, The Good Fountain Players, will perform “The Outsiders” on November 22nd at 7:00 p.m., November 23rd at 7:00 p.m., and November 24th at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are just $10 and may be purchased at the door.