A Salute To The Cast, Crew Of Bridgewater-Raritan High School Theatre Arts

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — The students reflected the theme with a memorable performance.

Bridgewater-Raritan High School Theatre Arts completed a three-day sweep of presenting an entertaining, vibrant, and passionate performance of The Outsiders from Dec. 4 through Dec. 6.

The finest student actors and stage crew that Bridgewater-Raritan High School can offer performed brilliantly on stage and behind the curtain to the pleasure of an attentive audience each evening, who sat comfortably in a newly renovated and sparkling high school auditorium.

These Bridgewater-Raritan Theatre Arts student actors played their parts with a touch of enthusiasm that perfectly complemented their pure skill.

They portrayed the characters from The Outsiders, a classic novel by S.E. Hinton, which details the conflict between two rival groups divided by their socioeconomic status, set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1965. The play was adapted by Christopher Sergel.

The book, which later became a hit movie, is told in first-person perspective by teenage protagonist Ponyboy Curtis.

The cast and crew’s strongest critic—and strongest supporter — is Heather Diaforli-Day, the highly committed Director of Bridgewater-Raritan High School’s elite Theatre Arts program.

She applauded the performance as loudly as the appreciative customers did.

"This weekend, our students truly rose to the occasion," Diaforli-Day declared. "They poured their hearts into the work, supporting one another and committing fully to telling this story with honesty, energy, and a genuine love for theatre."

Another highly satisfied spectator was Matt McCarthy, who deserves recognition as the guiding force of this high-profile visual and performing arts program in his role as Supervisor for Arts Education in the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District.

"There was a lot of talent and hard work on display this weekend. The ensemble did a great job, and Madison (Mattis) really brought Pony Boy to life," McCarthy shared. "Ms. Diaforli-Day has assembled a great team of advisors and student actors. I can’t wait for Little Shop of Horrors!"

The Bridgewater-Raritan High School Theatre Arts program will return to the stage from April 16 to 19, 2026, when it presents the Spring Musical, Little Shop of Horrors.

Before the curtain closed, Diaforli-Day provided her final review.

"Their dedication was evident in every moment onstage, and I’m confident that this show will stay with all who experienced it for a long time."

Click on this link for the full program of The Outsiders, which includes all of the students and staff members who teamed up to bring us this fantastic play.

Here are some short video clips of various scenes performed by the Bridgewater-Raritan High School Theatre Arts actors during the presentation of The Outsiders.

• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YMI7daYB7qG7k18yOc4tmQBTghvfW1yC/view?usp=sharing
• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Na-pKLebjzL4NSX0HeU1pfIj9UOR013i/view?usp=sharing
• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JQVUbyrvTxxAQQxfftoiU-uGQzez0XBw/view?usp=sharing
• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WERyJjgQ7D8yrXM3msifTkp4oovahSWi/view?usp=sharing

— Submitted by Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District