“Addams Family” Casts a Spell on Audiences

With director/choreographer Jason Reiff and music director Katie Meadows at the helm, the 30 seventh and eighth grade students in the cast and crew brought this marvelously macabre show to life at the Claudia Boettcher Theatre.

“This musical is both a silly, spooky comic romp with the characters we all know and love: Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, to name a few,” Reiff said. “It’s also a celebration of life and family.”

The story centers on teenage daughter, Wednesday Addams, who introduces her new love, Lucas Beineke, to her “unconventional” family — and that’s when complications arise.

Seventh grader Colleen Fitzmaurice ’30 stepped into the role of Lucas’ mother, Alice Beineke, with grace and charm. “I loved playing Alice because of her character arc,” Fitzmaurice shared. “She goes from the seemingly perfect, cheerful mother and wife to a strong and independent individual. You get to see her development clearly, and I think that's important.”

Avi Kinon ’29, who played Uncle Fester with deadpan hilarity, enjoyed the freedom her role provided: "Not only could I experiment with spooky or outlandish choices, but I also had the chance to incorporate parts of my personality into a foreign character. Because the role is so detached from real life, I could try being extravagant, cheesy or bald without feeling embarrassed."

Behind the scenes, Flora Benson ’29, assistant stage manager, kept things running smoothly with help from her crew.

“The transition into the dinner scene where the whole Addams Family sings the song “Full Disclosure” was the most challenging for my team because the cast not only had to get into places, but also had to set up the dining table, seats and table settings,” Benson said. “Although it took a little extra effort to get it perfected, we all grew together as a cohesive team.”

Reiff said, “After so much time and commitment, it was a pleasure to sit in the audience and watch the students perform the show all by themselves both on stage and backstage. They delighted and surprised me in all the best ways, and I know they brought tremendous joy and laughter to our community.”