NATCHEZ — Youth at Jefferson Street United Methodist Church have brought messages of resilience, character and faith to audiences in Natchez for 27 years.

This year is no different.

“The Outsiders,” based on the 1965-set novel by S.E. Hinton, will take the stage at Jefferson Street’s 27th annual dinner theater production this week.

In “The Outsiders,”lead character Ponyboy is charged with the task of remaining loyal to his greaser friends and bridging the divide between social groups while “staying gold” himself.

The show, which features all youth actors, raises money for youth group trips.

John Hudson has directed plays at the church since 1976. But 27 years ago, the church kicked off annual dinner theater productions including “The Diary of Anne Frank,” “The Crucible” and “Pride and Prejudice.” The young actors do not shy away from verbose scripts.

“The kids actually pick the plays,” Hudson said. “I give them several to choose from. We try to choose one with an enduring message and positive human qualities, those types of plays that deal with eternal issues and moral issues in life. ‘The Outsiders’ is a little lighter, but it has that enduring message too.”

Martin Charboneau, a senior at Cathedral High School, is leading the play as Ponyboy.

Charboneau said Ponyboy’s character is reflected in parts of his own personality.

“I can relate to Ponyboy in that I am a social person, but at the time same, I can leave the room and be by myself,” Charboneau said.

Charboneau said the first look at any script is intimidating, but it’s rewarding to see everything come together in rehearsals.

“John Hudson has (directing) down to a science,” Charboneau said.

“And he does it out of his own freewill because he is passionate about it. His reward is seeing the Jefferson Street youth succeed. I credit my good habits to John.”

Charboneau said he hopes those who attend a production of “The Outsiders” will come away with the same message that he has garnered from assimilating into Ponyboy’s lovable but conflicted character.

“Besides the fact that it is enjoyable, the message behind it is good,” Charboneau said. “Young people are not yet hopeless. The greasers are outcasts, but there is still good within us all. It’s really a timeless message, and it’s still relevant.”

Charboneau said he started acting under Hudson in “Our Town” and also appeared in “Pride and Prejudice,” “Anne Frank” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Charboneau said he also served a dual role as stage manager in several of those productions.

Hudson and Charboneau said older youth group members usually take on the main for the annual production, but this year an eighth grader, Trey Hand, is playing the top supporting role as Johnny.

Sydney Eidt, who also has developed her acting chops appearing in the Natchez Little Theatre’s “Southern Exposure” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” under Hudson’s direction, will portray the popular and beautiful Cherry Valance. Cherry is the girl from the “right side” of the tracks who develops a friendship with her social unequal, Ponyboy.

Eidt, a sophomore at Cathedral High School, said she was recently accepted into the Mississippi School of Arts in Brookhaven.

Eidt said “The Outsiders” is not your every day play.

“We are child volunteers who want to get a message out,” Eidt said. “You get lessons out of the plays.”

Eidt said her real personality is like Cherry’s in that she is outspoken.

“I will tell you what is on my mind,” Eidt said.

The character of Dallas, played by Avery Middleton, flirts with Cherry in a manner that crosses over into harassment until Cherry cools him off by throwing a soda in his face.

“But I would never throw a Coke on someone in real life,” Eidt said.

Hudson said actors gain several benefits from performing in Jefferson Street plays.

“They gain a lot of composure, they learn how to stand up speak in front of groups, lose timidness and express themselves well in those types of settings,” Hudson said. “More, they are exposed to great works of art in a circumstance where they can experience and also present historical characters or great characters of fiction. Those characters send real eternal messages about the goodness of God’s world and the ability to be agents of change in that world.”

Hudson said he is especially pleased with this year’s cast of “The Outsiders.”

“At this point, the cast is working on acting, not memorization; they are refining the play,” Hudson said. “I am very proud of them. Little things increase the fine art aspect of the play itself. This cast seems to understand and embrace (those details).”

The dinner theater will begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 1 in the family life center at Jefferson Street United Methodist Church. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for youth and $5 for children. Dinner will be pork loin, mashed potatoes with brown gravy, sweet green beans and apple dump cake. Nursery care is provided.

For tickets, contact a Jefferson Street youth member, call 601-442-3795 or email requests to jeffersonstreetdinnertheater@gmail.com