On Thursday night, for the first time, the lights turn on, the actors await, and the audience stirs. Every single seat in the theater is filled when the music starts to play – introducing The Addams Family. However, none of the audience sees the time or preparation before the opening curtain.
“For each set piece we build we cut the wood, build the outline, put in the toggles to keep them put together safely,” a lead set designer Ezzy Lichwalla (11) said.
But, that’s just the beginning of the set building.
“We then put on the facing – which means we can either put it up as a wall, put wheels on it so it can roll, or put legs on it so it’s higher off the ground. Then it gets sent to paints,” Lichwalla said.
The time commitment for set building ranges, depending on the experience level of the carpenters working on the project, the complexity of the project, and the size of the piece. Each carpenter puts in a lot of creative effort to make sure the audience feels like they are a part of the play.
“You’ll notice that our set design is based in the Addams Family house but also brings creative touches like a large, stained-glass window,” Play director Monica Slabach said. “We also have picture frames that the ancestors use throughout the show to capitalize on the concept of ‘Family’ or ‘Family Portraits.’”
Each theater department must be cohesive to optimize productivity. While Lichwalla is making the set, Isabella Berger is creating the costumes for the play.
“We talked to our designer, Callie, and it actually seemed like it was pretty simple,” Isabella Berger (12) the head of the costumes department said.
The play costumes take inspiration from the 1964 Addams Family sitcom, spanning from Wednesday’s iconic braids to Gomez’s striped suit.
“Once we got the costumes we helped make them more vintage and used and worn,” Berger said. “This year was a pretty big budget and we have some beautiful, beautiful costumes,”
Both the performers and the stage crew put a lot into the show. The performers are there for the big day, but they couldn’t be there without the stage members.
“Without stage crew, we wouldn’t have scene changes, and quick ones at that,” Lyla Hanson (11), who is playing Morticia Addams said. “There’s so many departments who worked on this show to make it the best it can be!”
Each department has essential tasks to ensure the show runs smoothly. The carpentry and painting crew excelled with the set; the props crew ensures all props are in place; and the lights crew makes sure the set and actors are visible to the audience. And while there’s work going on the behind-the-scenes, the actors are preparing to perform on stage.
“I practice and practice! Rehearsals lasted from 3:30-5:30, and as we got closer to the play it lasted until 6:30 or 7:30, and we had occasional Saturday rehearsals too,” Hanson said. “After rehearsals, I would go home, watch the choreography videos, try to memorize lines, and then I would run through the show before bed.”
The cast is the best of the best – with hours of practice and making it through auditions with 90 other students.
“Casting is the hardest part of my job as a theater director,” Slabach said. “In the end, each one of the students onstage truly earned their spot. We have a very talented group of students in Grandview’s Performing Arts which allows us to create remarkable shows,”
Each cast and crew member has put an enormous effort into the Addams Family – and it isn’t something to miss!
