Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The Springfield Theatre Centre’s (STC) Active and Creative Teen Theatre (ACTT) group will be hosting an on-stage production of the famous S.E. Hinton book called ‘The Outsiders’ this weekend.

ACTT was created in 1997 and is a teen theatre organization receiving direction and support from Springfield Theatre Centre’s Board of Directors, allowing young people from the age of 12 to 18 to be involved more directly in what goes on during the production process both on and off the stage. Two recent guests on the WTAX Morning Newswatch, Sydney Sledge and Zoe Jennings, are local teens that have been cast into this production.

Jennings, currently cast as Cherry Valance, stated that “My first ACTT show was Hades Town last summer, and I started going to their meetings because I had heard about it from some of my friends, and it is a fun community to be a part of and to also do every role of theatre, not just acting.”

Theatre can be a positive group and environment to keep our youth busy, while also staying productive. It’s also a great way to make new friends and share new and exciting experiences. This gives teens a great and positive way to expand their skills and show off their talents.

If you have never read the book or seen the film, The Outsiders is a story about two groups, the Greasers and the Soc’s. Sydney Sledge, who is portraying the part of Marcia in the play, stated “It’s a show about two rivaling groups, that are in different income groups, and they are constantly arguing because of the differences in their day to day lives.” Jennings added, “A conflict between the two groups results in the death of one of the soc’s, which causes two of the greasers to go into hiding”

At the end of the all the conflict, both the Greasers and the Soc’s realize that despite their differences, they still share the same levels of humanity, fears, and desires as humans. Rendering the term “Stay Gold” which, according to Sledge, means “Don’t lose your spark and don’t lose what you have”

Opening day for the show is this Friday, Jan 30 at 7:30PM. There will be a second showing at 7:30pm on Saturday, and the final showing is at 3 pm on Sunday, February 1. You can get tickets online, in person at the door, or by calling 217-523-2787 The play will be performed at the Hoogland Center for the Arts, Peggy Ryder Theatre