I’ve been in rehearsals for The Addams Family for the past four and half months, and it’s all been building up to opening night! I’m in the ensemble, which in this show consists of the Addams ancestors. We have ensemble characters ranging from a caveman to an 80’s prom queen. I’m a 50’s Rockabilly girl, complete with poodle skirt and saddleshoes. 

A usual rehearsal at our studio (pre-tech week) is a run of the show, and then our director takes notes throughout. After our run- through, we’ll get notes from the director, followed by works. Works are pretty much anything the director noticed was off, and we work through these scenes or songs to iron out any problems. 

Before we move to our theatre, there are two tech weeks at our studio. Those are mainly to iron out every last acting and choreography question, because as soon as we move to our theatre, it’s all lighting, band, and set changes. 

My theatre company has a tradition for each of our shows: instead of t-shirts we’ll grow out of, we have custom coins with the studio’s logo and the show’s symbol and name. I just counted my collection, and I now have seven: six shows as an actor, and one as part of the tech crew. 

Before the official start of tech week, one Sunday afternoon is dedicated to a sitzprobe. That’s a rehearsal where we only sing through the show. It’s necessary for this show, because we have a live band! Piano (with organ function), five woodwinds (one guy!), bass, full drum kit, and trumpet. 

Our first full hair & makeup rehearsal was…chaotic. Because the ancestors are in full white face paint, we have to remain very separated from the Addamses so our makeup doesn’t get on their fully black clothes. The final dress rehearsal went very well, barring the one tech mishap we had with a table. 

Opening night was fantastic! There’s nothing quite like the feeling of our opening number, especially when we (the ancestors) enter through the Addams family crypt. That’s one of my favorite parts to perform, and the death rattle sequence from our choreography has gotten great reviews. 

I love being onstage so much, and seeing the audience’s faces during big numbers. For this show, the ancestors do a bit of breaking the fourth wall, and that’s one of my favorite things about this show: it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Yes, there are some sad and more serious moments, but those are immediately followed by cheerful ones. This may be my favorite show I’ve done at my acting studio so far, and I’m so glad we have two weekends of performances.