When Trevor Wayne first picked up his worn-out copy of S.E. Hinton’s novel “The Outsiders” in seventh grade and began to read the opening lines, it became more than just an assignment. Even though he was sitting in an English classroom in Boca Raton, Florida, he saw himself in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He saw himself in the characters who came to life before him, both Greasers and Socs alike.
Most people know “The Outsiders” as nothing more than a book they were required to read in middle school English class — a tattered paperback with a creased spine and stained pages from years of students coming before. For many, the story of identity, friendship and inherent class division was no more than a homework assignment.
But for Wayne, it was more than just words on a page — these were imperfect people who made it easy to relate to as they fought to belong. In that English classroom, he had no idea one day he would be standing on a Broadway stage, bringing the characters he resonated so deeply with to life.
The 27-year-old made his Broadway debut in “The Outsiders” in April as the understudy for the protagonist, Ponyboy Curtis. The show, which won the 2024 Tony Award for Best Musical, opened on a Saturday, and Wayne made his debut the next Tuesday without ever having run the show in rehearsals.
Since then, his new normal has become a whirlwind of last-minute call times and globally broadcasted performances.
Becoming the character
For most, being part of one of the biggest Broadway sensations of the season would be enough pressure alone, but it isn’t the fan accounts or crowds of screaming supporters waiting outside the theater that weigh heaviest on him. It’s the determination to fulfill the “Great Expectations” of fans who grew up alongside Ponyboy, forging their own connections and interpretations of the character and the story.
“Everyone’s felt like an outsider at one point,” he said. “I think that’s the biggest challenge — staying true and doing that part justice when you know in the back of your mind that there were 500 people or more in that audience that fully relate to Pony, and Pony means so much to them and this story means so much to them.”
Wayne is one of the three actors who cover the show’s leading character, joining Brody Grant and Josh Strobl in bringing him to life. Despite all receiving identical scripts, blocking, musical scores and everything in between, watching each actor as Ponyboy is like witnessing a completely different production. The dynamic shifts between each performance, which Wayne said the three of them aimed to do.
When it came to deciding how they should play the role, Wayne said the process centered around the three actors each discovering the overarching theme they wanted to predominate their character. He said whereas Grant plays him as rebellious, physical and emotive, Strobl prioritizes Ponyboy having his heart on his sleeve, tapping into the emotional side. Wayne brings a rawness and vulnerability to the role, and he said he’s been told his interpretation is a quieter and more reserved version.
“My Pony will fake as much as Paul Newman as he wants to be, as much as Cool Hand Luke as he wants to be,” Wayne said. “Every now and then when he’s comfortable, he’s sensitive and this shy and this quietly aware aura will kind of shine through.”
Getting to Tulsa
Wayne’s schedule as Ponyboy is often unpredictable, but when he’s not on stage, he sits in a vocal booth backstage where he and three others will sing in the show’s ensemble. Although he’s still called for each performance, Wayne — who’s affectionately referred to by the cast as “Trevi” — said being isolated from the rest of the cast was something he initially struggled with.
“When everyone kept talking about family and how much the show meant to them and how much each other meant to them, we just felt super isolated,” he said. “We were like, ‘OK, so this isn’t our show. This is their show, and we’re helping out.’”
But as the show’s run progressed, Wayne and his fellow understudies were getting to see more opportunities to abandon the booth and join the cast onstage, building their personal and professional connections.
Wayne’s journey to get to the east side of Tulsa was an unorthodox mix of auditioning and pure luck. After one of his classmates at UF gave up his spot to sing for the tour director of “Dear Evan Hansen” to Wayne, he received a life-changing phone call almost a year and half later asking him to cover Ponyboy after Brody Grant was injured during the show's pre-Broadway run.
Within 24 hours, he was at the Orlando airport, ready to bring the story to life. He joined the rest of the cast about three weeks into the rehearsal process, but he caught up well before the show’s final performance in California on April 9, 2023. But even as the curtain went down, the show wasn’t over yet.
Sitting in the audience of one of the shows was Angelina Jolie and her daughter, Vivienne. The mother-daughter-duo was inspired by the show, and after meeting with the musical’s director, Danya Taymor, Jolie signed on to be a producer and bring “The Outsiders” to Broadway, ultimately earning four Tony awards, including Best Musical.
Balancing gratitude and boundaries
Around Wayne’s dressing room are a number of different drawings and letters scattered around. Some are taped on the walls, and some are just laying on the counter after recently being opened.
Getting letters and gifts from fans isn’t uncommon for Wayne, and the growing amount he receives makes it difficult for him to write back. When paired with the amount of messages he gets online, it’s too much to reply to them all. However, he said he’ll always make time to read every one.
After the curtain closes at the end of each show, Wayne faces yet another level of attention -– the stage door, where fans will crowd after the show, pushing each other up against the barricade in an excited attempt to get their Playbills signed by the actors.
At first, adapting to the high-energy environment was difficult, but as Wayne started to watch his castmates navigate the post-show chaos, he learned to maintain his composure while navigating what some of the fans are expecting from these interactions.
“It’s the passionate ones that maybe feel like, because they’ve come to the show a lot, they feel like they have the right to [say] ‘Well, they’re my friends now,’” he said. “It’s like, we are. We love y’all, but I don’t know you. Just because you come to the show a lot doesn’t mean I know you. It’s tough.”
While the enthusiastic fans are eager to show their support for both Wayne and the production, there are some theater-goers who take it a step above just wanting an autograph. Wayne said there’s been occasions when audience members gave him their phone numbers or invited him out for drinks, but it’s too much of a weird dynamic to ever come to fruition.
Even with the sometimes overwhelming displays of affection, Wayne made a commitment to himself to always stagedoor. Growing up, he’d also wait outside after a show and hope a certain cast member would come out, and when they would, he would freak out.
“I know what that’s like, and I know it’s not required for us to be there at the stage door, but I’m gonna do it,” he said. “I’m not on every day, you know? It’s the least I can do for the fans to see what’s up, and it’s always a good experience.”
Unpredictability becomes normality
With only three hours until a performance on Dec. 23 is set to begin, Wayne still doesn’t know if he’ll be playing Ponyboy for the 7 p.m. show. He occasionally checks his phone, waiting for any word on if it’ll be him or Grant. Most days he’ll get notice he’s expected to perform the morning of, but sometimes it can be the moments leading up to the show. Once, he found out only an hour before the curtain was scheduled to rise.
This unpredictability has become part of the norm for “The Outsiders” — a show that’s been heavily dependent on its understudies and “swings,” who understudy multiple roles. With the principal actors often getting sick or calling off to take a well-deserved break from the stage, understudies have become a backbone for the company as they step in at only a moment’s notice to ensure the story of Greasers and Socs can be told.
Some nights, there are so many actors calling off that there aren’t enough understudies to cover them. When this happens, some actors will have to do a split track, which means someone has to play one character in one scene and then another in the next. Sometimes they’ll play two characters in one scene.
The adaptability that comes with bringing this iconic role to life is just one of the many things Wayne has learned from his almost year-long journey with the musical and even longer journey with the story. In between the quick costume changes, adrenaline-filled dances and quick turnarounds, Wayne still finds himself stopping and re-realizing just how far he’s made it.
“I am extremely thankful and blessed,” he says about making it on Broadway. “I thank God every day. It’s every single day that matters.”
It’s been a year of discovery, both professionally and personally, as he embarks on a journey of learning how to step into someone else’s shoes, making their struggles and triumphs his own in front of audiences of up to 1,000 people. And as the final notes of “The Outsiders” echo through the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, Wayne knows his journey isn’t over just yet. It’s only just begun.
Contact Tanya Fedak at tfedak@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @ttanyafedak.
Tanya Fedak is the Spring 2025 Avenue editor and third-year journalism major. You might also recognize her from WUFT, where she's an anchor and reporter. When she's not on the clock, you can find her rereading "Me Before You" or planning her next trip to NYC.
