From Page to Stage: Seventh Graders Experience “The Outsiders”

Oxford, Mississippi — Forty Oxford Middle School seventh-grade students recently had the opportunity to see “The Outsiders” come to life on stage at The Orpheum Theatre in Memphis after reading the novel during the fall semester.

To celebrate academic growth, students who demonstrated progress or proficiency on the winter benchmark were eligible to attend, with participants randomly selected from each ELA class. This performance connected classroom learning to a live theatrical experience while celebrating the progress students made this year.

Seeing the story performed live allowed the students to compare the novel to its stage adaptation, think critically about storytelling choices, and engage with the story in a memorable way.

It was such a joy to see many of the kids experience live theater for the first time. They were able to analyze some major differences between the novel we read in class and the stage production, said Gabrielle Vogt, Oxford Middle School ELA teacher. This was such a memorable way to reward the students for working hard and showing growth.