The Regional Theatre of the Palouse delighted audiences with the opening night of The Addams Family, directed by John Rich. A sold-out house erupted with laughter and applause as spectators were welcomed into the delightfully deathly world of everyone’s favorite eccentric family.
The Addams Family is the story of the beloved, wicked family many know and love. This production focuses on the family’s daughter, Wednesday Addams, who was played by Ecuadorian actress and singer Beatriz Coronel.
Wednesday falls in love and keeps it a secret from the rest of her family: Gomez Addams played by Andre Felipe, Morticia Addams played by Lauren Carolyn Jones, Uncle Fester played by Travis Tingvall, Grandma played by Tina McClure, Lurch the butler played by Ethan Shaw and her little brother Pugsley played by Henry Weldon.
The Addams, being who they are, do not take well to the fact that their little Wednesday has fallen in love with a boy from Ohio, named Lucas, played by Braydon Simmons. His family, Mal Beineke and his wife Alice, played by Micheal Todd and Shannon Payette Seip, joins him in meeting the Addams in their spooky home in New York.
On the night that the Addams host the boy’s family, the Addams ancestors are trapped from returning to the dead realm they belong in by Uncle Fester. He is determined to make sure Wednesday and Lucas are happy, ever after, and wants help from the ancestors.
The production was well put together and created a spooky place in such a small theatre.
RTOP is not the biggest theatre but has the biggest heart; you can feel one with the play with how close the stage is to the audience. They constructed the family home with such creepy, pernicious elements and helped us be one with the scene with different backgrounds.
The costume department created the looks for each of the characters. Each ancestor was from a different decade of the Addams family’s past. They were given a white appearance of ghostly figures helping the young Wednesday to find her love.
A great scene that made the audience swoon with love was Uncle fester portraying his love to the moon. The background was light by a black curtain with lights to simulate the stars, the moon because a ballerina and danced into festers heart.
The production was expertly directed and choreographed, bringing energy, precision, and personality to every scene. Each department made a memorable impact, with the makeup team standing out for their incredible transformations that made the cast look as though they had stepped straight out of the Addams Family universe.
Under the director’s vision, the show embraced the beloved spirit of the original while adding a unique Regional Theatre of the Palouse touch, creating a production that felt both familiar and plainly its own.
Opening night was a great success with little pitfalls of nerves and forgetfulness, but overall, the night opened the show to greatness. Each of the Addams were portrayed in a unique way, and each had voices that could wake up all ancestors with a smile.
The Addams Family will continue its run from Oct. 15 through Oct. 25, with most performances beginning at 7:30 p.m. Select dates also feature a 1:30 p.m. matinee. General admission tickets range from $33 to $36, with discounted rates available for groups of 10.
Audiences are invited to spend an evening with the amusingly eccentric Addams family as long-buried secrets come to light; relationships are tested, and love takes center stage in a twister of passion, humor, and tango.
Grace Boeland can be reached at [email protected]