Katie Riedel’s senior year at Shenandoah University looks different than it normally would.
That’s because Riedel is spending her senior year touring with the Tony Award-winning Best Musical The Outsiders, playing at Altria Theater March 24-29.
And, she’s loving the ride.
“This is a young cast,” says the Memphis, Tennessee native. “A lot of us are about 29 and under. Some of the actors are still in school, and some are just out of school.”
She believes it’s important to cast the show with actors who could be peers to the characters they portray.
“The characters feel young and are acting out what their parents have taught them,” she says. “Being young makes it more relatable.”
Firsthand Knowledge Sets the Stage
The musical is based on both the 1967 novel by S.E. Hinton (who was a just a junior in high school when The Outsiders, her first novel, was published!) and Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 film of the same name.
Knowing that Hinton, who lived in Tulsa, was only a teen when she wrote the book as young adult literature, adds a certain dynamic and truthfulness to the show’s youthful focus on class and dissatisfaction. It shed’s light on the juvenile beliefs and characterizations in the pages of the book, on the silver screen and now the stage.
The musical, set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1967, centers on Ponyboy Curtis, his best friend Johnny Cade and their “Greaser” family who battle with their affluent rivals, the “Socs.” This basic rivalry has been depicted in a variety of settings, including West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet, and has played out in real life, as it did in Tulsa when Hinton was writing the book.
The musical, like its counterparts, depicts the complexities of society and teen angst, along with the sentiment that family is who you choose to have in your life; the people that show up when your real family doesn’t.
In the show, Riedel plays Marcia and understudies Terry, Marcia’s best friend, both are members of the Socs. During Act II, Marcia makes the wrong decision on an important issue. “You get angry with her,” Riedel says. “She is exactly what is wrong with this Socs group and why there is division in Tulsa.”
It’s difficult to play a “character that you don’t agree with all the time,” Riedel adds. “But, this is pack mentality. Peer pressure.”
Teenagers are often in the audience, and Riedel believes they can see themselves in the characters on stage. “There really is no generation that doesn’t relate to the struggles of The Outsiders,” she says.
The show is so strong and “so sad,” she adds. “It can be gut wrenching.”
Keeping Fit and in Touch with Feelings
A competitive dancer in her early years, Riedel has to exercise in some way — boxing, climbing, etc. — every day to remain in top shape for performances. It’s a routine that is followed by every actor in the production, which is a rigorous workout itself.
“We have to show up every night and give the people our best day,” she says. “That is my favorite part.”
One of the most highly anticipated moments in the show is the rumble scene, played out on sand and in the rain. The fight choreography is detailed and vividly realistic. Actors have to be precise and not only characterize the heated violence and tension of the moment, but also keep each other safe.
“Some nights when we finish the rumble, people don’t know whether to clap or not. It’s the iconic rumble choreography. It looks so real,” Riedel says. “It looks scary.”
The production’s choreographers (brothers Rick and Jeff Kuperman) taught everyone in the show that the safety of the rumble “is your own strength,” she adds. “You are supporting your own weight. I have to know how much of myself I can control to keep my partner safe.”
To be able to dance on the dirt, Riedel, like the other actors, had to learn to manipulate an uneven surface. They also had to figure out how to brush off the harsh words said to them in the heated scenes.
“Our directors, choreographers, and management, everyone has encouraged us to find a way to tap out of the story,” Riedel says. “We are always fighting each other and speaking down to each other. “
Tap outs give actors the chance to cool off from any violence or harsh words they have had with another actor.
“We check in backstage. We are constantly checking in with each other,” she says. “We have to remember that we are people before we are actors.”
When the show is over, the cast comes back on stage to take their bows. “At the end of bows, we have the freedom to wave to people, to be human. That helps the audience get their tap out moment. The bows are an important part of the show to me. They make it easier to tell this strong story,” Riedel says.
Shenandoah University Was the perfect Choice for Riedel
“I would not have wanted to end up anywhere else,” she says, adding that her friends from school are driving down to see her in the musical when it comes to Richmond.
The opportunity to be in The Outsiders surfaced when the head of the theater department at the University brought in a casting company for the production. “We presented our best work. I sang what I thought was my best song,” Riedel says. “I went to New York for four or five callbacks before getting the part.”
Professors at Shenandoah are invested in student success, she says.
“I love everything about Shenandoah, from the professors to the people to the area of Virginia that the school is in (Winchester),” she says. “It really feels like everyone is cheering for you. It’s the best. I wouldn’t have wanted to go to school anywhere else.”
Tickets for The Outsiders are available at BroadwayInRichmond.com, Altria Theater Box Office, or by phone at 1-800-514-3849 (ETIX).
