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The Outsiders, the Broadway musical directed by Danya Taymor and based on the novel by S. E. Hinton, brings to the stage a novel that has touched generations. The story follows Ponyboy Curtis as he moves through a world divided by class, violence, and the desire to belong. The conflict between the working-class Greasers and the wealthy Socs shapes the emotional and psychological landscape of the story, influencing how the characters experience identity, fear, loyalty, and survival.
Having already seen the show multiple times and spoken with members of the cast, I feel deeply invested in the story and the world of the show. I recently had the chance to see Caleb Mathura take on the role of Johnny Cade, a part originally brought to life by Sky Lakota-Lynch. Mathura’s performance was stellar, with a conviction that made every moment feel fully embodied. We met afterward and spoke about what it takes to carry a character like Johnny, how he came to understand him, and how he leaves him onstage where he belongs.
Caleb Mathura read the book in middle school, then saw the production for the first time in San Diego in 2023. He describes feeling an immediate and visceral pull toward the Johnny Cade character. “I will never forget what watching the show for the first time felt like… It was euphoric…” he says. “I felt an incredible connection to Johnny from the moment Sky Lakota-Lynch walked onstage.” He refers to this moment as “the first time I was ever brought to tears by the brilliance of a production” and recalls being in a state of “absolute awe.”
That sense of awe quickly transformed into an aspiration.
“The second I left the theatre, I took out my phone and recorded a voice memo telling myself that ‘I gotta play Johnny one day…’” From that day on, anytime someone would ask him what his “dream role” was, he would answer, “Johnny Cade in The Outsiders.”
Manifestation is often misunderstood as passive wishing. However, it is about focusing one’s attention and aligning one’s actions toward desired outcomes. By imagining future versions of ourselves and verbalizing them out loud or in writing, we begin organizing our behaviors in accordance with those goals (Balan, 2023). The voice memo Mathura recorded for himself, in many ways, was claiming authorship over his own story, creating the narrative first, then following it through his actions, choices, discipline, and persistence.
He first auditioned for the show in 2024 at an Equity Chorus Call, a large open audition the actors’ union is required to hold twice a year. In 2025, he was called in to audition for the tour and was cut after the first callback, a moment he describes as extremely disappointing. Ten months later, while on tour with The Notebook, he was invited to a work session for the Broadway production in New York, where he met director Danya Taymor for the first time.
Six weeks after that, while still on tour in San Francisco, he received the call offering him the role of Johnny Cade. He recalls the moment as surreal, a lifelong dream realized so quickly that it was difficult to fully process. Reflecting on the earlier rejection, he states that timing matters and “what’s for you shall not pass.”
As he began building the role, Caleb Mathura describes feeling overwhelmed by the weight of Johnny’s history and the violence he endured. “I felt like I was staring into a dark void,” he recalls, confronting the emotional intensity of a character defined by abuse and instability. As he immersed himself deeper into the role and began understanding Johnny more fully, his perspective shifted. “Johnny wasn’t a victim—he was a warrior.”
Mathura locates Johnny as a tightness in his chest, especially in scenes with the Socs, at times imagining “a grimy mass wrapping around his torso.” This extends into the character’s posture and movement, reflecting many of the physical responses commonly associated with trauma. Johnny’s head hangs low, eye contact is fleeting, and his body folds inward and appears braced for impact. Small fidgeting behaviors, subtle startle reactions, and physical withdrawal create the sense of a nervous system that never fully feels safe.
Johnny’s pain is more amplified in moments when he is alone and cannot rely on the presence of the Greasers to distract him. Mathura speaks about a skittishness that runs through Johnny that has evolved into a subtle twitch. Self-soothing behaviors often seen in trauma survivors also emerge throughout the role, such as rocking, shaking his knee, and picking at scabs. His eyebrows furrow, his jaw clenches, and there are flashes of pain that move across his face. Mathura notes that he feels Johnny’s emotions most strongly in his chest and stomach, especially in moments of connection with Ponyboy and Dally, and is able to tell his story using these microexpressions.
Performance at this level requires integration of the self and the role, as well as the ability to regulate the nervous system.
“I have developed an emotional on/off switch with Johnny Cade…” he says, “moving in and out of those emotional states feels like dropping a stone, or taking off a coat,” an immediate release of energy.
For some actors, this transition is supported through a process known as de-roling, which Mathura frames as the opposite of “stepping into character.” After inhabiting an emotionally and physically intense role, regulating the body through meditation, mindfulness practices, breath work, and stretching is crucial for actors.
“Taking a few deep breaths as I exit the stage has been the most helpful for me,” Mathura says.
He also notices that his breath drives him throughout the performance. In scenes that involve tension and altercation, he notices a tendency to hold his breath. In emotionally intense moments, his breathing shifts into hyperventilation. At the same time, breath becomes an anchor for Mathura. He uses deep breathing to return his attention to the present, permitting himself the awareness that he is “acting” the pain rather than actually living it. Breathing allows him to separate his experience from Johnny Cade’s while supporting his ability to remain present in the work without becoming consumed by it.
There is often an assumption that actors must carry their roles with them offstage to be convincing. However, being able to leave the character, especially a tortured one such as Johnny, is crucial for the actor’s mental well-being.
“I am learning what my body needs to sustain both the physical and vocal demands of this show.” The posture required for Johnny has contributed to lower back strain that Mathura manages through daily warm-ups and cooldowns that help him return to himself after each performance.
Ultimately, Mathura’s portrayal of Johnny Cade highlights how profoundly the body participates in storytelling. His performance illustrates how actors physically inhabit psychological states, then learn how to regulate, separate, and return to themselves afterward.
