They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky, they’re all together ooky, the Addams Family. On November 21st and 22nd, the drama department put on “The Addams Family” musical.

“I had no idea what I was walking into,” said Junior Emry Sampson.

Hours of love and labor went into memorizing lines, building sets, and learning dance routines.

“There are hard parts at every step but the most difficult would be putting together all of the little details,” said theatre director Mrs. Wells, “It starts with a script but by the end, there is memorized movement, lines, songs, scenery changes, lighting cues, sound cues, costumes, props, etc. The audience notices everything so no detail can be overlooked.”

Working with time constraints and student schedules, mounts of stress sound unavoidable. 

“On a scale of one to ten, my stress level is 72,” Mrs. Wells, “Being in theatre requires more than a desire to perform; it requires commitment and endurance. Ask any teacher in the building and they’ll tell you that working one twelve-hour day is hard. Try it for nine weeks straight.”

They had rehearsal almost every night for over two months. They spent most of their time trying to learn their dances, songs, and their lines.

“It’s hard to time manage because you have rehearsals that can last from 4:30 to 6:00 or 4:30 to 5:00 or 4:30 to 7:30, it just varies so you get tired,” Sampson said.

On top of the stress that Mrs. Wells had with everything else, she also had to choose who played which character. According to her, certain characteristics do not guarantee the student a part. 

“The needs of the play always come first. I cast the person that shows the potential to play the role. There are no guarantees in an audition. You can be talented, good-looking, and have a great work ethic like Alexis Holland but you have to be the right person for the part,” Mrs. Wells said.