How old are the characters in "West Side Story"?

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 5/12/09 at 11:36pm

How old are the characters in "West Side Story"?

This is just for my own curiousity...nothing against saying that anyone in the cast looks too old or something.

The movie is obviously stuck in my mind, and I've never really thought of them as High School kids...and they have probably never been played by High School kids (except when done in a High School!).

However, the dance is at a High School gym, so that makes me think of a High School.
But some of them have jobs that I don't see being an "after school job"...like the girls at the dress factory...but that might have been only been in the film version.

So how old are they supposed to be?

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/12/09 at 11:37pm

Tony is 30. Maria is 21. Anita is 32.

[roseaddams]

Posted: 5/12/09 at 11:46pm

LYK OMGZ WANNABE UR SO FUNY LOLROFLASLDFAJSDLW0TU0IOEJGMP9WEHGSDLK!!!!!

*rolleyes*

Updated On: 5/12/09 at 11:46 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/12/09 at 11:46pm

LMAO

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/12/09 at 11:52pm

Also, the dance at the gym takes place at a community center's gym -- not a high school gym.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 5/12/09 at 11:55pm

thanks...

it's just a question...gosh

[roseaddams]

Posted: 5/12/09 at 11:55pm

=D

In response to the original post, I always figured that Tony and Riff were in their early 20s. I think the Jets started out as a high school gang and as Riff and Tony got older they stuck around with the gang. Well, Riff did anyway. I don't think they're much older than twenty-one, though; around that age even the die-hard nostalgic high school kids are finally starting to sever ties. And I figure Action and Diesel are from that age, while Baby John and Anybodys are probably closer to high school age.

And I think that the Sharks are a few years older, but not much. Bernardo and Anita are old enough to establish a household, and the Sharks in general have come to America to establish a better life for themselves -- not their families. There's definitely some maturity in that. Which would probably make Maria around Tony's age, seeing as she's younger than Bernardo.

Updated On: 5/12/09 at 11:55 PM

[jake6970]

Posted: 5/12/09 at 11:55pm

I think Maria is supposed to be around 16 and I'm guessing Tony is like 18?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/13/09 at 12:02am

For what it's worth, the script describes the Jets and the Sharks as "two teenage gangs."

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/13/09 at 12:50am

Tony 18
Maria 16
Riff 17
Bernardo 18
Anita 17

Bernardo still lives at home and so probably does Anita.
They are high school dropouts.

That's how I always saw them.
But in the Theatre or the Movies,
They are played by older actors.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 5/13/09 at 1:07am

Those are the ages I always thought they were Curtain. Tony is just old enough to start seeing adulthood looming and has the need to have a job and separate himself from the gang.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 5/13/09 at 1:25am

I'd, personally, add an extra year to Tony's age and make him 19. Riff looks up to him in a way that suggests they're slightly more than a year apart in age.