Ramapo was creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky from April 16th through 18th, as the Gold Masque Drama Club performed The Addams Family. Students, who had rehearsed for nearly four months, put on an exciting, musical performance filled with darkness, secrets, and love.
The Addams Family musical follows Gomez (senior Zach Calderon), the father of the family, as he is asked to keep a secret by his daughter, Wednesday (junior Angelina Bruno). Wednesday and her boyfriend, Lucas (freshman Gabe Ornstein), are getting married, and Lucas and his ‘normal’ family are coming over for dinner. While it’s important to Wednesday that her mother, Morticia (senior Lexi Ulmer), not learn of the engagement until after dinner out of fears that she’ll mess things up, Gomez has never kept a secret from his wife. Throughout the show, the two contrasting families learn to face their problems head on rather than ignoring them–to move towards the darkness–and eventually learn to embrace their true selves, and that they have much more in common than originally thought.
The performances were the results of months of dedicated work– rehearsals started in January, and while at first they focused on learning bits of songs and dances, they quickly turned into learning how to put these pieces together into a completed show. Ryan Conlon, a junior who played Mal (Lucas’s father), commented that he “had an amazing time rehearsing and helping to put an excellent production together.” He added that “One of my favorite parts of the rehearsal process was running the full show in costumes because it really made the production come to life.” Learning how to get into character is no easy task, and capturing the dead, yet also energetic nature of the Addams family was a challenge to the actors. Christian Callahan, a sophomore who played Lurch (the Addams family’s butler), reflected on his role, noting that “I thought the most challenging thing about being Lurch was the fact that you have to act dead… like really dead, to the point where you start to shake and kind of lose yourself, but I was proud that I mastered it and now can do it really well.” The ensemble of the show were the ghost ancestors of the Addams family, each with their own persona. Kelly Clemente, a sophomore who was a featured ancestor, mentioned that she was “most proud of how much I learned/improved in the dances and always giving it my all.” In regards to her ancestor persona, she commented that it was “challenging to add characteristics into my ancestor so I can showcase it in the most perfect way.” The words of the actors reflect the immense dedication that the cast put into the production.
Reflecting on the completed show, Ms. Corrado, the director, mentioned that “Seeing the completed show is always amazing; I love seeing everyone’s energies just explode once the audience is there. It is a delight to watch everyone on stage doing what they’re passionate about, and I always find myself laughing at every joke (even if I’ve heard it fifty times before) and truly being in awe at everyone’s joy both on stage and in the audience to see the show for the first time.” Ms. Corrado has worked tirelessly organizing, coordinating, and putting the show together, so seeing it completed is definitely a satisfying feeling. “My favorite part of the rehearsal process is just getting to know my cast; who they are outside of their roles,” she added. “Each person is a wonderful individual, and creating a safe space for them to grow and be themselves and be able to watch their personalities shine on and off the stage is the delight of my day everyday.”
In addition to the actors, the crew has worked behind the scenes to ensure that the production runs smoothly. The build crew put together a decorated set with multiple levels and doors, bringing the family’s house to life, along with constructing an array of props. The run crew worked to move props and scenery on and off stage, helping to add character to each scene, and the sound and lights crew ensured that the actors could be heard and seen well.
The Addams Family doesn’t just tell the story about two families learning to get along, it teaches the audience about becoming your true self, embracing the unknown, and what it really means to love someone. Congratulations to the cast and crew!
