Payson Community Theater celebrates the weird in ‘The Addams Family’
“The Addams Family” plays at Payson Community Theater at Payson High School.
“The Addams Family” plays at Payson Community Theater at Payson High School.
“The Addams Family” plays at Payson Community Theater at Payson High School.
The new production at Payson Community Theater is creepy and it’s kooky, mysterious and spooky. You might say it’s altogether ooky. It’s “The Addams Family.”
The musical comedy is based on the iconic television family, which, in the source material, included a character named Thing who was a disembodied hand with personality.
“Thing isn’t written actually into the show,” said director Steve Poulsen. “He’s not listed as a character. Neither is Cousin It, that’s the big, basically, hairball who’s walking. But I’ve incorporating them actually into little quick cameos. … It was just one of those things where I thought, ‘Oh, you know, everybody knows these,’ and so they just aid in helping with scene transitions or helping props come out, different things like that.”
Poulsen initially had some apprehension about the show when he saw it years ago as an audience member, but as certain aspects clicked into place, his enthusiasm for the material increased.
“The first time I saw the show, to be honest with you, I went, ‘Well, OK,’ ” Poulsen said. “But the thing that I realized was I was humming different tunes throughout the next two weeks. … After that, I went and I saw it a couple more times in different venues. Then I got a script. And a libretto. And I read through them very carefully, and after I did that, I went, ‘OK, we need to do this show (in Payson).’ “
He said the show’s lessons — as well as the catchy music and snappy humor — give it depth.
“There’s a lot more going on than really meets the eye,” Poulsen said. “If the careful listener is in the audience, they’ll pick up on it. It’s amazing how many good lessons there are to be learned from this quirky family.”
Madelyn Shearer, who plays Wednesday in the show, explained some of the family’s quirks as “kind of masochistic” and “dark.”
“They find happiness in dark things,” Shearer said. “They like to torture each other — that’s how they show love.”
But she said those quirks play into the themes of the show.
“I think what’s cool about this show is they are such a weird family, but through this show, you realize they’re not all that different,” she said.
Poulsen also described the relatability of the title family.
“I think hopefully by the end, people see themselves more of a member of the Addams family than they ever thought possible,” he said. “We don’t all have to dress alike, we don’t all have to eat the same food, we all don’t have to speak the same language, but we can all understand the basic needs and wants and fears and hopes and dreams, and that’s where that common ground is built.”
Last year, Payson Community Theater’s production of “Into the Woods” included a large, elaborate set, and with “The Addams Family,” Poulsen said to expect more of that style.
“If you liked that, you’ll love this,” he said. “We were very fortunate on the set. We’re using a lot of different elements, including flying on stage. It’s just, PCT tends to really try to go the extra mile.”
Poulsen also added that, although he would recommend the show as appropriate for families, the show’s humor does have an edge.
“I said the other night in rehearsal, ‘If there’s any group that goes away un-offended, then the playwright didn’t do his job,’ ” he said. “But it’s all in good fun.”
Shearer said that some of the characters in particular drive some of the humor in the show.
“Gomez and Morticia are just hilarious together,” she said. “They say, ‘Oh do you remember our first date?’ ‘Oh yeah, “Death of a Salesman,” it was so funny.’ “
THE ADDAMS FAMILY
What: Musical comedy produced by Payson Community Theater
When: Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday at 7:30 p.m., with matinees on Saturday and Monday at 3 p.m.
Where: Payson High School Auditorium, 1050 S. Main St., Payson
Tickets: $10
Info: paysoncommunitytheater.com