Theater

The Addams Family

I can honestly say that I was excited for rehearsal every time I walked to the PAC. Even during the first couple weeks, when rehearsal was primarily the actors learning and rehearsing the songs, it was hard for me to pull my attention away from the magic that was being created and guided by our director, musical director, and choreographer. Obviously there are parts that I enjoyed more than others, and there are two that stick out to me.

If I could tell myself before I started working on the musical this year that I would stay at school for an extra hour to talk to the teachers, I’d call myself crazy, but somehow that happened, and even crazier (than you lol), I loved it. By staying, I got to peek into the brains of the people running the show, and boy it was fascinating. I saw parts of dances choreographed, I saw music modified, and I heard ideas made and explored right in front of me. It’s incredible how different minds mesh, and I got to see how they would suggest things and adjust to incorporate each others’ perspectives. Though it may seem less interesting, the way they created the schedule for rehearsals showed me how amazing it is when people conscientious and respectful of each others’ needs are working towards the same goal.

The other “best part” for me was the tech weekend day without the actors. We used it to run through and practice the set transitions of the show, creating new formations along the way. Though I was always needed for at least three different things at once (namely editing the shift plot, appraising the next scene, and actually moving the set), we were working with my favorite part of the show, the set, and making noticeable, tangible progress. And okay, maybe I kind of love the craziness of so many things to do, and maybe I took the tiniest bit of joy in that the actors weren’t there being, well, the theater kids they are.

Addams Family Shift Plot

This shift plot has grown and changed with the show, starting at only five pages and ending with a whopping twelve. It’s the first major contribution I’ve made to any show that’s completely mine – it obviously takes into account many others’ creative decisions, but it’s mine in the sense that I’m the only one who’s edited it – and for that it holds a very special place in my heart. Although the hours spent working on it were long and multitasking became a necessity in order to translate the director’s ideas into plans (written plans so that we would actually remember the set changes we spent hours trying), I genuinely enjoyed every minute that I worked on it. So, here’s my first little brain-child, I hope you understand why I’m so proud of it.

Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night was my first time being a part of the musical from the beginning to end, from auditions all the way to closing night. I’m not going to lie, doing Shakespeare was not my favorite thing in the world, but in the end, we turned it into a great show. One of my favorite parts of the show was the lighting in Feste’s song, Is This Not Love, and I loved that I was able to just sit and take it all in for that song. I first had the thought that maybe this could be more than just something I tried in high school, that maybe I would want to continue in college while watching this show develop.

Sideshow

I was a freshman during Sideshow, and it was my introduction to the grandeur of an Upper School Musical. It certainly felt like a huge production, with huge, movable set pieces and named characters for everyone in the ensemble. I didn’t come in until two weeks before opening night, but in those two weeks I fell in love with the set and with moving the set. While it was a challenge to get all three pieces off and on stage fast enough, the crew rose up and did it perfectly. I desperately wanted a set of similar size and complexity in future productions, but then COVID canceled the next year’s performance and the following year was a comparatively simple set, at least in terms of movement. The Addams Family brought back the set complexity and size, which I’m so grateful for.