A few weeks ago, the students and I sat in a circle and had a discussion about one of the jokes in The Addams Family. Grandma says, “Define normal.” And although our show is a musical comedy, this small sentence sparked an extensive and meaningful talk about how their families, their peers, and their community create an expected standard of “normal.” As their Director, but above all as a theatre educator, it was one of the most memorable moments of my career to hear these students talk about their feelings, struggles, and triumphs. What made this even more special was the ways in which we were able to relate our talk to the show. The Addams Family may be spooky or outside of society's expected sense of normalcy, but they are a family who accepts each other as they are. So in the same way that we as the audience accept a morbid mother, or a shameless grandma, or a man who is in love with the moon…we should make sure that as their supporters we are accepting the stressed out dancer, or the debating poet, or the sensitive leader, or the singing athlete.
This show is about acceptance. This show is about the changes we experience as we get older. This show is about trust and respect for your partner. This show is about the love and support from those around you. I could not be more honored to be the Director to these students, who are telling this story so beautifully (and hilariously), and I hope that you leave our show, loving and appreciating something that is anything but normal.
~Maleesa
