(bio from StageAgent) Christopher Sergel was an American playwright and publisher best known for adapting classic literary works into successful stage plays. Born in 1918, he worked for many years as president of the Dramatic Publishing Company, where he helped shape the landscape of educational and community theatre in the United States.

Sergel’s most enduring contribution to the theatre is his adaptation of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird for the stage. First produced in 1990, the play has become one of the most frequently performed works in American community and school theatres, valued for its faithful rendering of the novel’s themes and characters.

His other adaptations include stage versions of The Mouse That Roared, The Outsiders, and The Pigman, all aimed at young adult audiences. Sergel had a keen sense of what made a story accessible and meaningful onstage, especially for students and educators.

As a publisher, he championed new voices and ensured that a wide range of scripts were available to schools, community theatres, and aspiring playwrights. His dual role as both artist and businessman allowed him to influence the American theatrical canon from behind the scenes.

Christopher Sergel passed away in 1993, but his work lives on in countless school auditoriums and regional theatres across the country. His adaptations continue to serve as a vital bridge between literature and performance, inspiring new generations to engage with classic stories on stage.

(bio from the author's website) Susan Eloise Hinton was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has always enjoyed reading but wasn't satisfied with the literature that was being written for young adults, which influenced her to write novels like The Outsiders. That book, her first novel, was published in 1967 by Viking.

Once published, The Outsiders gave her a lot of publicity and fame, and also a lot of pressure. S.E. Hinton was becoming known as “The Voice of the Youth” among other titles. This kind of pressure and publicity resulted in a three year long writer's block.

Her boyfriend (and now, her husband), who had gotten sick of her being depressed all the time, eventually broke this block. He made her write two pages a day if she wanted to go anywhere. This eventually led to That Was Then, This Is Now.

That Was Then, This Is Now is known to be a much more well thought out book than The Outsiders. Because she read a lot of great literature and wanted to better herself, she made sure that she wrote each sentence exactly right. She continued to write her two pages a day until she finally felt it was finished in the summer of 1970, she got married a few months later. That Was Then, This is Now was published in 1971.

In 1975, S.E. Hinton published Rumble Fish as a novel (she had published a short story version in a 1968 edition of Nimrod, which was a literary supplement for the University of Tulsa Alumni Magazine).

Rumble Fish was the shortest novel she had published. It received a great deal of contrasting opinions, with one reviewer claiming it to be her best book and the next claiming it to be her last.

The latter was apparently wrong. Tex was published in 1979, four years after Rumble Fish. It received great reviews and people raved about how the writing style had matured since previous publications. Tex would be the last book S.E. Hinton published for nine years. After another span of four years, S.E. Hinton's son Nick was born.

Four years after Tex was released, quite a few major events took place in S.E. Hinton's life. In March of 1983, the movie The Outsiders was released. The following August, Nicholas David was born. Two months later the movie Rumble Fish was released.

In 1985 the movie version of That Was Then, This Is Now was released. Three years later S.E. Hinton became the first person to receive the YASD/SLJ Author Achievement Award, which was given by the Young Adult Services Division of the American Library Association and School Library Journal.

Taming The Star Runner was released in October of that year. It was the first book that S.E. Hinton had published that wasn't in first person. With a seven-year wait, S.E. Hinton released another book in 1995. This time she did something that no one expected.

Big David, Little David was written for children around the kindergarten age. This deviation from Teen fiction seems to be a reflection of the current important things in S.E. Hinton's life: Family. The children's fiction trend continues with her latest release—The Puppy Sister, which is a fantasy book written for Elementary school level children.

Deanna Martinez (she/her) is an accomplished director, performer, playwright, and educator whose work spans theater, film, television, and voiceover. Her recent directing credits include Steel Magnolias (Tacoma Little Theatre), Descendants (Tacoma Musical Playhouse), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Tacoma Arts Live). On stage, she has appeared as Claudia in In the Heights (Tacoma Musical Playhouse), Patricia in El Coqui (Centerstage), and Elmire in Tartuffe (New Muses). As a playwright, her works include the one-woman show Pineapple Princess and the new musical Rapture in a Dark Church, written with composer Daniel Wolfert.

Deanna serves as Director of Education and Community Programs at Seattle Rep, where she oversees Rep Studios, encompassing Young Rep, Rep Pro, Rep Connect, and Rep Educators. Through these programs, she cultivates pathways for creative growth, professional training, and community engagement across all levels of artistry. Under her leadership, Seattle Rep’s education initiatives empower young people, emerging professionals, and educators to explore theater as both craft and catalyst for change. Her direction of the Next Narrative Monologue Competition has also guided local students to national recognition at the historic Apollo Theater in New York City.

An award-winning director and Master Teaching Artist, Deanna has taught and coached young performers at The 5th Avenue Theatre, Village Theatre, Seattle Opera, and Tacoma Arts Live. Many of her former students have gone on to careers in professional theater, film, and television—reflecting her commitment to excellence in arts education and mentorship. Her teaching is grounded in the philosophies of Paulo Freire and Jonathan Kozol, centering equity, representation, and the transformative power of theater.

Deanna holds a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Art and a Post-Graduate Teacher Certification from the University of Washington.

Erica Manzano is excited to be designing for The Outsiders! Erica is currently the Associate Costume Director at Seattle Rep and holds an MFA in theater design and technology from the University of Georgia. Recent credits include: A Raisin in the Sun (Taproot), The Little Mermaid (Leavenworth Summer Theatre), Legally Blonde (KIDSTAGE), Silent Sky (SPU), The Prom (KIDSTAGE). She is currently designing A Sherlock Carol at Taproot for this holiday season!

Anna Shih (they/she) is a Seattle-based lighting designer and technician. They are a graduate of the University of Washington with a B.A. in drama design and B.S. in computer science and are a company member of Dacha Theatre. Select works include: Athena (ArtsWest), Emma (Dacha Theatre), Suessical: Youth Edition (Youth Theatre Northwest), Airness (UW School of Drama), and Monologues of N Woman (YUN Theatre). When they have free time, they knit, do stage combat with friends, and drinks too much tea. She would like to thank her family, friends, and mentors for all their continual support.

Ian Bond is an actor, fight/intimacy director, and educator. He has performed at Book-It Repertory Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle Public Theater, Taproot Theatre Company, Washington Ensemble Theatre, and ACT. He has directed fights and intimacy for The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle Rep, Seattle Children’s Theatre, ACT, ArtsWest, The Seagull Project, Taproot Theatre, Village Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare, and Book-It. Ian is a co-founder of PNW Theatrical Intimacy and a motion capture artist. ianbond.org, @ian.bond.180 

Annabelle Iredale (she/her) is a stage manager, actor, and theater collaborator from Rhode Island. She is a recent graduate of Middlebury College with a B.A. in Theatre (acting) and one in Neuroscience. Her stage management experience includes working with Trinity Repertory Company, Adirondack Theatre Festival, The Gamm Theatre, and Burbage Theatre Company. She has also worked as an actor in RI, VT, and NYC and is thrilled to be continuing her educational journey on the west coast!

Elise Andrew (Kiowa) is a Red Eagle Soaring alumni and a student at North Seattle College set to graduate this winter. She currently serves as a Teaching Artist and Assistant Stage Manager in the community. Elise has worked on numerous youth productions and is passionate about supporting artistic and collaborative spaces where young artists can grow, and bring stories to life through theatre.

Cassidy Hutt is in her sophomore year at Seattle Pacific University. She is so excited to work with this incredible cast and crew! This is her first show with Seattle Rep and she could not be more thrilled for The Outsiders to be her first show with the Rep! She has worked on shows from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow to Chicago: Teen Edition.