Bloomington High School South, The Gothic, 2016, Page 73

Description:	hel ofromTheatre South, brought the classic story of The Outsiders tolife. The casts chemistry and outstanding direction made for animpressive performance.Theatre South welcomed many freshmen students to their familythis year with a production of The Outsiders With 18 newcomers,including 12 freshmen, the theater troupe continued to impress with amodern take on the classic S.E Hinton novel. Ms. Catherine Rademacher,the director of the show, pushed the envelope with edgy props, intensefight scenes and a story relatable to high schoolers.New theater students involved in the production not only practicedtheir acting skills, but were also introduced to the process of staging ashow: set, lighting, sound, advertising, and teamwork. Freshman JosephErmey, who played Ponyboy, enjoyed watching the show grow. Itsincredible to see how a show really only comes together in the last monthor so of rehearsal, Ermey said. Ermey was impressed with theprogression of the set and the dramatic difference between practicing inRademachers classroom and versus Carmichael Hall.Many cast members took it upon themselves to bring somethingnew to their well-known characters to keep the show unique andinteresting. Ermey added a nuanced twist to his character - My Ponyboy[was] reserved and distant.After spending over 130 hours rehearsing, the cast becameextremely close. In addition to time on stage, they made plans onweekends to bond with other members of the cast. Senior JacobSexton, who played Randy, said his favorite memory seeing Star Wars:The Force Awakens with the cast after a long rehearsal. The castconnected by playing with the prize machines at the movie theater. YouI just have to picture 10 guys gathered around the machine going, #A littlebit to your left. No, to the right!* Sexton said.Though they had many fun times, the cast of The Outsiders didface some difficulties. Staying focused [was difficult] because we are allfriends and we dont like taking anything seriously, Sexton said. Othercast members struggled with line memorization and disruptions duringruns of the show.Nevertheless, Theatre South managed to put on a wonderfulproduction. The casts skills as actors shone brightly throughout theperformances which were truly enhanced by their amazing talent, abilityto bond and to focus while still able to have a great time.-ZOE BERENSZTEIN
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-bloomsouth/id/9709
Collection:	Bloomington High School South

Further information on this record can be found at its source.