When You're an Addams (In the Fall Play

When You ' re an Addams

BY LAUREN GODWIN '23, Staff Reporter

In early November, the Pilot Center stage was transformed into the looming mansion of the mysterious and macabre Addams Family for the fall show, “The Addams Family: The Musical. ” If the existence of the Addams Family has eluded you, they are a fictional eccentric family, originally created by Charles Addams in 1938 as a series of cartoon panels made to satirize traditional family dynamics and values. While the white picket fence and perfect American lifestyle were heavily popularized, the Addams’ are the polar opposite; they enjoy the morbid and terrible aspects of life, paired with a penchant for black clothing and plenty of Spanish, French, and Italian dispersed throughout their vocabulary. Though their interests are dark, they still portray a healthy family dynamic, as Gomez and Morticia, the heads of the family, deeply love each other and truly care for their family ’s well being.

Despite the existence of countless extended Addams family members, there are only seven core members of the family: parents Gomez and Morticia, their children Wednesday and Pugsley, Gomez ’s brother Uncle Fester, Grandmama (though no one is sure whose mother she really is), and finally the butler, Lurch.

The Addams family has faced many problems throughout their existence, from murderous, gold-digging nannies (as seen in the movie “Addams Family Values”) to fraudulent family members.

Jack, Reid, and Lanee perform the opening number. [G. Montgomery]

The plot of the musical follows the family as they try to reconcile with Wednesday ’s new boyfriend, Lucas Beineke, whose family embodies everything the Addams’ are not.

Gomez and Morticia wear black and never keep secrets. The Beinekes are the exact opposite; they wear yellow, send flowers, and hardly talk to each other. Throughout the musical, the families struggle to set aside their differences and focus on making Wednesday and Lucas happy as they face one of the most important nights of their lives: meeting the parents.

The cast included Jack Roussos ‘24 as Gomez, Molly Hughes ‘25 as Morticia, Lanee Imperato ‘25 as Wednesday, Adriane Clemens ‘25 as Uncle Fester, Michael Klimjack ‘24 as Lucas, Sage McCormick ‘24 as Mal Beineke, myself as Alice Beineke, and an assortment of mainly upperclassmen as ancestors. Additionally, “The Addams Family ” had one of the most complex sets in Bayside theater history. The set included a 17-foot tall mansion as its main piece, a functional platform eight feet above ground, and a pivot point beneath the house that allowed the entire set to rotate, portraying both the interior and exterior of the Addams’ home.

When asked their opinions on being in the show, cast members had extremely positive things to say. Jack said, “I really enjoyed being able to play Gomez. He's a fun character that took me out of playing a young male

ingenue. ” It goes without saying that Jack did an incredible job bringing the eccentric Spaniard to life.

As for myself, “The Addams Family ” was my sixth and final Bayside show, and I am extremely grateful for it. This show gave me the chance to control a scene, and performing “Waiting” as Alice was absolutely incredible. I had a blast channeling her nerves and breakdowns.

“I’ve been watching my fellow cast members onstage and cheering them on backstage as stage manager since seventh grade, so it was extremely rewarding to perform with them onstage this year, especially because this was my last show. ” -Abigail Counselman ‘23, 10th

Show, Ancestor

“My fellow crew and cast members made the show a more enjoyable experience considering this was my first year being the stage manager. I'm grateful to have such loving people supporting me in this new role!” -Courtney Baker ‘25, 4th Show,

Stage Manager

“I like it. It’s good to just hang out with other people that you wouldn’t really get to know as much otherwise. It’s really nice to see it all come together, too. ” -Ramey Webb ‘24, 1st Show,

Ancestor

“I love being with the cast; it doesn’t matter if I have a big role or a small role. It’s just good to be together with everybody, and the memories we make are more important than any mishaps. ” -Isabelle Rutland ‘24, 4th Show,

Ancestor

Isabelle and Abigail play chess in the background of a scene. [G. Montgomery]

Finally, it’s crucial to know why our director Mr. Kirby chose “The Addams Family ” as this year’s musical. “I wanted to do something really different. I feel like the last few years we' ve been doing the same kind of high school themed shows, and I knew the cast would really enjoy this show; the music is very strong, and it's written well. It gave us a good opportunity to do some cool things with stage makeup. ” The decision certainly paid off! Many audience members believed that this may have been the best show in Bayside's recent history.

Speaking for both the cast and crew, thank you so much for coming to support the show this year, and be sure to continue supporting us next year!

Lauren performs “Waiting” as Alice Beineke. [G. Montgomery]