Senior School Production of The Addams Family: A Hauntingly Hilarious Success

A hush fell over the audience as the lights dimmed in Elliott Hall. The air was thick with anticipation, and a sense of foreboding hung over the room like a dark cloud. The stage was set for the Addams Family, and the kooky, eerie, mysterious, and spooky characters were about to come to life before the eyes of the spellbound crowd. From the ghostly apparitions to the chillingly macabre sets, the audience anticipated a truly haunting experience.

Much to the audience's delight, not only did the College Senior School Production of the Addams Family maintain the integrity of the much-loved though rather creepy family, the humour interwoven into the story took all who were present through moments of sheer silence and belly laughs.

Based on the characters created by Charles Addams, the musical adaptation was directed by Miss Sara Standring, Director of Performing Arts at the College, and Mr George Everts. The student body performed the production entirely, highlighting themes of love, family, and acceptance, which are pertinent to our community considering a rocky, challenging start to the year.

In a significant team effort, Technical Director, Mr Glen Mortensen, brought atmosphere and life to the stage, Mr Albert Lee, the Musical Director, brought the quirky and captivating characters to life through all aspects of the music, and Miss Erin Meek filled every inch of the stage with choreography ensuring no matter where you looked something was happening.

The lively couple Gomez and Morticia Addams were brought to life by Justin Gao and Jay Sneddon, respectively. Amelia Evangelidakis embodied the renowned Wednesday Addams, and Mackenzie Alley played her younger brother Pugsley Addams. Abby Walmsley played young Wednesday. Not to be forgotten were family members Uncle Fester, played by Sean Trombitas, Grandma, played by Chloe Miller; and Lurch, by Reuben Black. Charles Adams played Wednesday's love interest Lucas Bieneke, with parents played by Keeley Berkovits and Natan Chadzynski.

The story navigated through the events following the Addams family's annual celebration of life and death in their graveyard. All seemed at peace with each other and their dead ancestors, who emerged from their graves to join the celebration. Things started to spiral out of control when at the end of the ritual, Fester blocked the ancestors' return to their graves, and the unchanging Addams family values were put to the test. Fester enlisted their help to set things right in case the new family secret went terribly wrong. As it turned out, Wednesday Addams had grown up and found love with a boy from Ohio. Both families came together for dinner, and two worlds collided. Lost in Central Park, Lucas asked his parents to resist judgments and catastrophic conflicts so that both families could enjoy one ordinary night.

In a night emersed the dark and comedic world of the Addams family, the thrilling performance was a huge success. It brought together the school community, showcasing the talented students and the production team's hard work. It was a fantastic way to explore themes of love, family, and acceptance while bringing to life the beloved characters of the Addams family.