Christopher Sergel’s play is a faithful adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s coming-of-age novel about rival teenage gangs in 1960s Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Greasers come from troubled working-class backgrounds, contrasted with the Socials, whose members are from upper-middle-class families. Like the novel, the play centers on 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis, a member of the Greasers gang, as he recounts the violent aftermath after his friend Johnny fatally stabbed Socials member Bob. This adaptation places much of the violence off-stage and minimizes the strong language and mature content of the novel and movie, making it a fitting choice for high school productions. The characters are crafted with compassion and nuance, offering opportunities for rich character study and conversations about violence and social status.