This show is classic, dramatic, and full of bold characters. At PaperMap, we keep our casts smaller on purpose, which means more stage time, more direction, and more chances to really grow. No disappearing into the wallpaper here.

If your performer wants a summer show where they will be known, challenged, and given something real to do, this is a very good one.

• Rehearsals: July 6 to August 6, 2026 - daytime hours.

• Performances: August 7, 8, and 9, 2026 at PaperMap

• In person on Saturday, June 20 | 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM at our Thornton Park studio

• By video, due Sunday, June 21 at midnight | Record at home on your own schedule

Both paths are weighted equally. Some performers will be invited to in-person callbacks on Monday, June 22, but not everyone will require a callback to be cast.

• A short slate introduction with name, age, and why you want to do the show

• A 30 to 60 second audition piece. A monologue from a show is ideal, and a selection from The Outsiders is strongly encouraged but not required.

Ages 10-18. Personality, focus, potential, openness to direction, and strong ensemble instincts.

Summer schedules are busy, and we get it. Vacations, other camps, family visits, the occasional week away. All normal, all expected. We build our rehearsal process to work around real-life summer conflicts, not against them.

When you submit your audition, just let us know any dates you already know you'll miss. We'll plan around them. A few missed rehearsals won't keep your performer out of the cast.

Full production summer tuition: $975.

Every performer must audition. Enrollment secures a place in the cast. The audition helps determine the best role and track.

• Option A: Enroll first. Secure your place in the cast, then audition to determine your role.

• Option B: Audition first. Audition without enrolling, receive your role offer, then enroll. A great option for families who want to decide once a role is offered.

Tuition is invoiced flexibly. Step Up For Students scholarships are accepted. Use code INVOICE at checkout if you'd like to arrange a payment plan.

Reach out. We'd rather find a time than miss you!

A Note about Casting

Although the play is mostly male roles (Greasers vs. Socs), we don't want to discourage female-presenting actors from auditioning. For most of the roles, the character will stay male within the story, but a talented female-presenting actor can definitely be cast if they are the best person for the part. The magic of theater means we can make that work. We care way more about your talent and whether you nail the character's vibe than if you match the original gender. The themes of loyalty and rivalry hit home no matter who is playing the part. Don't limit yourselves. Audition for the role you connect with the most.

A Note about the Mature Topics in this Play

This play takes on some intense and emotional themes. It's an amazing story, but it doesn't shy away from the difficult realities the characters face. You'll encounter topics like gang conflict, violence, assault, and characters who are seriously injured or die over the course of the show.

Before you audition, please think honestly about whether you feel ready to engage with this material, especially if you're interested in a major role and will be working through these scenes repeatedly in rehearsal.

We'll support each other throughout this process as we tell this powerful and important story together.

The Greasers

Known for their working-class background, rebellious image, and aggressive lifestyle. Long, greased-back hair, leather jackets, jeans, smoking, and street fighting. They live on the East side of town and are rivals with the Socs.

Ponyboy Curtis | younger teen The younger brother of Darry and Sodapop. Book smart, likes to read and watch movies. Not interested in fighting for fun, only in self-defense, and questions the purpose of the gang rivalry. Fiercely loyal to his family and friends, especially his best friend Johnny Cade. The protagonist and narrator of the play. Heavy dialogue role with several long narrative sections and monologues.

Johnny Cade | mid-teens Ponyboy's best friend. Comes from an abusive home which makes him a nervous wreck and rather quiet. Finds his family within the gang, preferring to sleep in a vacant lot with them, despite his fear of being jumped by the Socs, because it feels safer than home. Murders a Soc and dies from injuries sustained in a burning building. A lead role with a relatively small number of lines. More of a contemplative observer. What he doesn't say is considered just as important as what he does say.

Dallas "Dally" Winston | older teen The toughest, coldest, and meanest member of the Greasers. Grew up in the harsh streets of New York City and has been in and out of jail since he was ten. Despite his rough exterior, possesses a fiercely loyal side, particularly toward Johnny, the only person he genuinely loves and protects. Like Johnny, Dally's parents were abusive and neglectful. The Greasers are his only family, and he channels his anger and frustration into a rebellious, law-breaking lifestyle. Supporting character with a smaller number of lines but his dialogue is significant and impactful.

Sodapop "Soda" Curtis | mid-teens The middle Curtis brother. Known for his movie-star handsome looks, cheerful demeanor, and role as the family mediator. Ponyboy's favorite brother. Works to hold his fractured family together after their parents' death. Not interested in school and dropped out to work full-time at the local gas station with his best friend Steve Randle. Highly emotionally intelligent. A supporting role with dialogue that is crucial to the plot and emotional core of the story.

Darrel "Darry" Curtis Jr. | older teen The oldest of the Curtis brothers. Functions as the parental figure for his younger brothers after their parents' deaths in a car accident. Had been a popular high school athlete and top student with a college scholarship, but gave up his dreams to keep his family together. The responsibility forces him to grow up too fast. His strictness and tough love stem from a deep fear of losing his brothers and a desire for Ponyboy to reach the potential he himself was unable to achieve. Supporting role with crucial dialogue, often heavy with emotion and responsibility, juxtaposed to his strong physical presence.

Keith "Two-Bit" Matthews | oldest gang member besides Darry A perennial junior in high school. The gang's wisecracker and source of comic relief. Known for his love of jokes, fighting, and his black-handled switchblade. Despite his laid-back and lazy persona, surprisingly perceptive. Ensemble role with limited dialogue. Lines are often short, witty, and used for comedic timing. Involved in greaser gang activities and the climactic rumble.

Steve Randle | mid-teens Sodapop's best friend. Cocky and car-obsessed. Has a strained relationship with Ponyboy, whom he views as a tag-along kid and an annoyance. Ensemble role with limited dialogue: short lines, tough remarks, general gang conversation, or specific interactions with Sodapop. Involved in greaser gang activities and the climactic rumble.

Sandy | mid-teens Sodapop's girlfriend. Pretty, has a soft laugh, kind, and more simple than most of the other Greaser girls. Ponyboy approves of her. Ensemble role with limited dialogue and time on stage. Potential to be doubled with another character.

The Socs

The socials. Wealthy, privileged kids from the West side of town. Expensive lifestyles seen by their clothes and cars. Rivals to the Greasers.

Bob Sheldon | older teen Cherry's boyfriend. The main antagonist. A wealthy, cocky Soc who represents the privilege and entitlement that fuel the class warfare. His most pivotal scene, where he and a group of drunk Socs attack Ponyboy and Johnny, leads to him being stabbed and killed by Johnny while attempting to drown Ponyboy at the end of Act 1. Ensemble role with limited dialogue and time on stage. Potential to be doubled with another character.

Randy Adderson | older teen Bob's best friend. Starts as a typical Soc, arrogant and involved in jumping Greasers, including the attack on Johnny. After Bob's death, Randy undergoes a significant change. He sees the pointlessness of the feud and refuses to participate in the climactic rumble in Act 2. Supporting character whose transformation is a key element in developing the story's themes, helping Ponyboy realize that class divisions are superficial.

Cherry Valance | mid-teens Bob's girlfriend at the start of the play. Pretty, with red hair. Unlike other Socs, not stuck up or condescending to the Greasers. Highly empathetic, with a strong moral code. A thoughtful and kind person who uses her influence to promote understanding rather than conflict. Serves as a vital bridge between the wealthy Socs and the working-class Greasers. Lead role with significant dialogue. Lines are insightful and help drive the thematic development. Adds a vital element of femininity to the male-dominated story.

Marcia | mid-teens Cherry's best friend and Randy's girlfriend. Pretty, with dark hair. Easy-going and laid back. Doesn't seem to care much about the rivalry and social divides. Shares the same scatterbrained sense of humor as Two-Bit, which allows them to connect and flirt at the drive-in. Ensemble role. Potential to be doubled with another character.

Paul | older teen A former friend and football teammate of Darry's. Appears in the climactic rumble in Act 2. When the two gangs face off, Darry steps forward to issue an open challenge, and Paul steps up to fight him. Paul represents the privileged path Darry could have had. Paul is in college and has a future, while Darry is stuck working two jobs to support his brothers. Their brief exchange before the fighting begins underscores a lost friendship and the bitterness of their current realities. Limited dialogue, but his impact is in his presence and what he represents. Potential to be doubled with another character.

Adult Characters (played by teens)

Mrs. O'Briant | middle-aged parent Her children are saved by Johnny and Ponyboy in the church fire scene. Expresses gratitude and is present in the hospital scene. Potential to be doubled with another character.

Jerry Wood | middle-aged (can also be a woman named Jeri) A school teacher. At the burning church and accompanies Ponyboy to the hospital after the children are rescued. Kind and supportive, judging the Greasers by their heroic actions rather than stereotypes. Several lines in the hospital scene. Potential to be doubled with another character.

Mr. Syme | (can also be "Mrs.") Ponyboy's English teacher. Appears briefly near the end of the play, expressing concern about Ponyboy's grades and well-being, and giving him the opportunity to write his life story for a composition assignment. Potential to be doubled with another character.

Extras include a doctor, a nurse, a police officer, Socs in the rumble, and school children in the church fire. Aside from the children, these roles will be doubled with other characters.