How do you put on a comedy about a death-obsessed, macabre family while suffering a tragic loss in your community? How do you casually laugh, sing and dance about the gruesome, gory, and gloomy parts of life?
This is what we discovered together -
Lean in. Lean into it. Lean on each other, on the deliciously fun and creatively fulfilling rehearsal process of the past 3 months. Revel in the brilliant comedic performances of the cast, the powerful music, the insanely challenging and wild technical elements of this show. Rejoice in the fact that the Black Box is a haven, a respite, an escape, and a place where we all can feel loved and supported, where we are are allowed to feel. And then put on a damn good show. I think that Lurch has some wisdom for us when he sings:
Move toward the darkness
Don't avoid despair
Only at our weakest
Can we learn what's there
When you face your nightmares
Then you'll know what's real
Move toward the darkness
And feel
In the end, love conquers all, even while dancing with Death (literally).
THE ADDAMS FAMILY, at its core, is a musical about "the one thing everyone needs and so few have!"
Love Love Love
"Let's not talk about anything else but love." - Uncle Fester
THANK YOU
- Lori Kriegel for handling with grace the many many communications, promotions, e-mails, and ticket requests
- Kiel Stango - for videoing the dress rehearsal
- Chris Priedemann - for laughing. Always laughing. And for taking beautiful promo and show pictures.
- Adam Byrne for cooking, schlepping and setting up meals during tech week
- Carroll Mailhot and Chestnut Street Playhouse for driving set pieces across the state in a U-Haul
- Erin Volpintesta for lending us beautiful costumes
- Nina DePeugh for assisting with props and making those beautiful moons
- Marcy Muralles for props assistance and volunteer coordination
SPECIAL THANK YOU to
- Keith - for keeping your cool, always. For always having a positive outlook, technical ingenuity, and for always saying "yes!" to crazy ideas!!!!!
- Sabrina - for being a consistently positive and supportive collaborator throughout this entire process
- Christine Byrne, in her last year as Drama Mama, for coordinating volunteers, concessions, tech week meals and the cast party
- Seniors in the great class of 2022: Alli, Alex A., Alex G., Colin, Patrick, Ben, Ethan, Skyler, Charlie, Cole. You made this show an absolute joy to do. It has been a privilege watching you grow during your Wooster career, getting to know you, and sharing theatre with you. I hope that you take what you've learned in the Black Box with you into life, that you continue to create, collaborate, sing, dance, and love!
Gratefully,
Claire Simard
