By Myla Cathey and Medha Sarin
From Thursday to Sunday, the choir performed their musical Addams Family, to near-capacity audiences. This year, the haunting tale of forbidden love had a special twist: one of the five shows featured a cast exclusively of understudies. The Roar spoke to the main cast snd understudies about their experiences making Addams Family.
GOMEZ
Played by junior Jacob Lane and understudy junior Race Morgan
LANE: I thought it was weird to see the character I played from a third person point of view, but also enjoyed seeing Race’s take on it. He did a great job.
MORGAN: It was super fun to see [Jacob’s] version of Gomez. He was really good, and I was able to learn. It was cool to see how his version differed from mine.
What was your favorite thing about playing your character? How did you connect to the role?
LANE: My favorite part about the character was how eccentric he was because my performance wasn’t limited to one archetype. I could be a father, husband, and sword swinging storyteller. I connected to the role because I, too, love to tell stories and make people laugh.
MORGAN: I liked him because he’s so passionate, and he’s a Spaniard like me, so it was easy to connect with him that way.
MORTICIA
Played by junior Ashtyn Vollentine and understudy senior Gretchen Barrow
VOLLENTINE: The understudies had to come to every single lead practice and dance session and learn their lead’s part which is extremely hard to do. Being able to see my understudy, Gretchen Barrow, take the stage and perform was such an amazing moment because I knew how much hard work she put into learning two different roles.
BARROW: I loved seeing Ashtyn’s version of Morticia because it showed the similarities and the differences between our interpretations of the character. Even the smallest differences were so interesting to watch. Ashtyn did an amazing job as Morticia and it was so fun to watch her perform.
What was your favorite thing about playing your character? How did you connect to the role?
VOLLENTINE: The Addams Family has always been my dream musical to be put into production. When I found out about the musical choice, I instantly knew I wanted to be Morticia. Morticia Addams is one of the most fun roles to portray in this musical. She knows she’s glamorous, while also being witty and trusting. The dance numbers and songs that correlate with the role are also phenomenal. I could have not asked to be a part of a better musical, or yet to play a better role.
BARROW: My favorite thing about playing Morticia was being able to play into her incredibly sassy side. She always spoke her mind. She always did whatever she could to do what she thought was right and protect her family, especially her daughter Wednesday. It was such a cool experience to bring such an unapologetic character to life.
WEDNESDAY
Played by senior Leanne Ji and understudy senior Layla Burton
JI: I was so proud. The understudies didn’t get nearly as much rehearsal time as the main cast, but they pulled it off and did amazing. All of us in the main cast got to watch most of the understudy show from the audience, and we very much had a proud parent moment watching them.
BURTON: It definitely helped me find my own version of Wednesday. Watching Leanne play her and seeing how she made the Wednesday character come to life helped me figure out my own version of her.
What was your favorite thing about playing your character? How did you connect to the role?
JI: I loved playing Wednesday because she’s very sarcastic and a little scary just like me — kidding, mostly — and has some really difficult but fun songs. Most of the acting for her consisted of keeping an incredibly straight face and a monotone voice. It was a huge difference from other roles I’ve had in the past, but was so fun to do.
BURTON: My favorite thing about playing Wednesday was definitely the jokes, and how she said them so casually. The song “Pulled” was my favorite to sing because Wednesday kind of goes crazy for this Lucas guy, and makes her like things she’s never liked before. I definitely connected with Wednesday. I felt comfortable up on stage being her and it made the whole experience of the show so much better.
PUGSLEY
Played by sophomore Maddie Knoop and understudy freshman Natalie Green
KNOOP: I loved getting to sit back in the audience and watch my amazing understudy play Pugsley. It was such a good learning experience to see how someone else interpreted the role and how differently we played it.
GREEN: Seeing Maddie’s version of Pugsley definitely helped me shape the Pugsley I put on. She is an incredible actress. I watched how she emphasized her lines and the actions she used to play out the scenes. I took some of her tactics, put my own little twist on them, and used them to create my version of Pugsley.
What was your favorite thing about playing your character? How did you connect to the role?
KNOOP: My favorite part about playing Pugsley was getting to act with an amazing stage family. On and off stage everyone was such amazing friends and I think it reflected on the stage. Like Pugsley, I am the youngest sibling and best friends with my sister, so it was very easy to connect to Pugsley.
GREEN: My favorite thing about playing the role of Pugsley was the fun I got to have doing it. In one scene, I got to be pulled on the torcher device, which was actually really fun! Another thing I enjoyed was getting to understand Pugsley. He is a dark little boy who just wants his family to love and torture him. This makes him a very interesting character to portray, because while he is vastly different from what we typically think of a young boy, he is actually very similar.
UNCLE FESTER
Played by senior Silas Merrell and understudy senior Emma Barrow
MERRELL: Knowing all of the inner workings of the show diminished the effect the understudy show had on me, but the new casting and different reactions between characters was definitely my favorite part of that show, and was never “old” to me, simply because I was on the edge of my seat waiting for their take on the play. Steed as Lurch barking at Lucas was my favorite part by far.
BARROW: It was really cool watching Silas’s Fester come to life over the last several months. The only version of Fester I’d ever seen before was Kevin Chamberlain in the Broadway version of the show, so it was interesting to see how Silas interpreted the role. He took some artistic liberties and made some acting choices that I personally wouldn’t have made, but I think they fit him well and allowed his personality to show through a bit. They weren’t bad at all, just things I wouldn’t have thought to do. I think it was a unique privilege to watch him make those choices and grow in the role in real time.
What was your favorite thing about playing your character? How did you connect to the role?
MERRELL: I truly enjoyed being the comic relief above all else. Learning the idiosyncrasies of the Kevin Chamberlain’s Fester and Dan Povenmire’s Heinz Doofenshmirtz voices were instrumental to how I spoke, but I mostly tried to create a funny, acute Fester that the audience could understand. By far, poking fun at the audience was my favorite part of the role. My interactions with Grandma, Morticia, and the main characters were fun to utilize, but I was especially happy to show off the ancestors and interact with them, as I was the only main cast member that could do so, with the brief exception of Morticia. Simply having more people to work with was constantly reassuring, and playing a character that could encourage others on stage was truly wonderful.
BARROW: My hair is pretty long and dark, so the Fester makeup took quite a while for me; as a result of that I didn’t have time for a full sound check, but we did what we had to do and it turned out alright. I loved being able to interact with the audience as Fester. He does a bit of narrating throughout the show, and it was a lot of fun to be able break the fourth wall and play around a bit. I tried to keep it reasonable and refrain from ad-libbing so the crew and band could get their cues on time, but it was still really cool to have the interactive aspect to work with.
LURCH
Played by junior Dash Jasperson and understudy sophomore Steed Stover
JASPERSON: I found it hilarious to watch [Steed] act as Lurch. It made me wonder if I looked the same way when I was acting the role. I really wish I could’ve seen the play from the audience.
What was your favorite thing about playing your character? How did you connect to the role?
JASPERSON: Playing Lurch was fun because I didn’t have to memorize lots of lines. I loved that I had lots of room to improvise and try to react in the most dead, zombie way possible. What was pretty difficult was to not laugh or smile at all the funny lines because Lurch is supposed to be pretty serious. To connect to Lurch, I tried to just act really bored on stage. Also, surprising everyone with a solo at the end of the show was crazy and my favorite part.
GRANDMA
Played by junior Ryan Topf and understudy freshman Callie Caffee
TOPF: Seeing the understudy performance was pretty strange. It felt like I was watching myself in third person and gave a sense of perspective on the whole show. The understudies were all super great.
CAFFEE: Seeing Ryan playing Grandma first I think truly helped my version of the character. I got to see how the audience reacted to his mannerisms and I guess I took some of that and made it my own.
What was your favorite thing about playing your character? How did you connect to the role?
TOPF: My favorite part about being the grandma was embodying a character that was just so different from myself. This woman is an ancient, trashy witch and I think the contrast of that character and me just being a 16 year old student helped a lot of the comedy. I connected through the grandma mainly through her conversations with Pugsley Addams, which showed that she truly cared for her family.
CAFFEE: I think really connected to the character because Grandma is unapologetically herself. She’s this old lady weirdo who isn’t afraid to be herself no matter who’s around. Sometimes I feel like a struggle to let out my inner weirdo, so playing grandma really helped.
LUCAS
Played by senior Toni West and understudy sophomore Aiden Ross
WEST: It was truly a relief and somewhat of a blessing to see that my understudy, Aiden Ross’ hard work was being displayed for the world to see his remarkable talents. I felt very proud to have him as my understudy.
ROSS: Toni is an incredible performer and an even better friend, and it was such a blessing to be able to be his understudy and get to spend so much time with him. He did a great job of making sure I was prepared!
What was your favorite thing about playing your character? How did you connect to the role?
WEST: My favorite thing about Lucas is that he’s a level-headed, think-before-I-do kind of person which is important in certain situations of life, such as marriage or choosing a path to follow in life. I connect with Lucas in the sense that I could be a bit over dramatic at times and that I’m sometimes a skittish nerd in moments where I need to be.
MAL
Played by senior Carson Seiber and understudy senior Matthew Browne
SEIBER: To be candid, it was super exhilarating to see the understudies shine on stage. They had the hardest role out of anyone in the cast, as they had to learn their lead role and their ensemble role, all while only getting one rehearsal for their lead role. That show felt entirely different and it was so cool to be a part of the ensemble so I could watch the show and see my understudy, Matthew, and the others kill their show!
What was your favorite thing about playing your character? How did you connect to the role?
SEIBER: My favorite part about playing Mal was having two distinctive characters throughout the show. Firstly, the dad role was easy to play as I am naturally able to be a 40 year old man. Secondly, having a crazy side of my character was extremely fun to do, as I thrived off of the audience throughout my song. I really connected to the role as I spent more time with the other cast members.
ALICE
Played by senior Jordan Reynolds and understudy sophomore Georgia Sledge
REYNOLDS: I’m so glad I was able to watch the understudy show. Every understudy had their own interpretation of the role and portrayed it in their own way. This opened my mind to all of the different choices we can make to bring our characters to life. All of the understudies are so talented and they amazed everyone by all of their hard work and dedication.
SLEDGE: It’s really cool to be able to learn from another person when playing the same role because you are able to do the same things they do but you’re also able to make the character your own.
What was your favorite thing about playing your character? How did you connect to the role?
REYNOLDS: Alice was one of the only “normal” characters in The Addams Family, so I knew I needed to make choices to make her stand out. Before the end of Act One, Alice has an extreme transformation where she takes control of the stage and shows everyone who she really is and what she’s been hiding. This was one of my favorite moments in the show. I loved playing Alice in The Addams Family and I feel her character was one that many audience members could relate to.
SLEDGE: Playing Lucas’ mom was a fun experience because I got to be a mom to one of my best friends; Aiden Ross. Alice’s role reminded me a lot of myself so it almost came natural playing her.
Thank you so much for the publicity of the musical! I’m glad this reached the news website, and I hope you’ll continue to support us in the future.