Addams Family is LIVE! on stage at The Footlight Players starting this Friday, October 20th.
Following the story of the typical Addams Family, Wednesday has fallen in love with a normal boy. As she begs her father not to tell her mother, the secret can't be held, or can it? See what happens when Wendy invites her boyfriend and his parents over...
I am so excited to attend opening night on October 20th at The Footlight Players. If you want to see the show, check out the schedule below:
- 8 p.m. Oct. 20
- 8 p.m. Oct. 21
- 3 p.m. Oct. 22
- 8 p.m. Oct. 27
- 8 p.m. Oct. 28
- 3 p.m. Oct. 29
- 8 p.m. Nov. 2
- 8 p.m. Nov. 3
- 8 p.m. Nov. 4
- 3 p.m. Nov. 5
I interviewed The Addams Family Costume Designer, Emma, who also plays Alice, and dove into what these characters are REALLY like. Check out my interview below:
1) Tell us, Emma about the role you play and also the costumes you design for The Addams Family.
I am playing both the role of Alice and am acting as lead costume designer for the show. This is my first show ever where I will be credited as both an actor AND the costume design for the same show. It’s very exciting.
2) What inspiration do you draw on for this production to design the costumes for these characters?
I love designing shows like this- shows where the audience has a preconceived idea of what everyone should look like. I get a chance to recreate an iconic look, while also giving things my own twist. There have been so many fantastic versions of these characters on both TV and the big screen, that I was able to pull a lot of inspiration from. Many costumes are pretty straightforward: Gomez wouldn’t be Gomez without his classic double-breasted striped suit and occasional red velvet smoking jacket. But others, like Morticia, I was able to get a little more creative with. Our Morticia wears a slinky, 30s-inspired, custom-designed gown. It still gives her the traditional Morticia silhouette, but the 30s-style bias cut flares out like a Ginger Rogers gown as she dances across the stage (and boy, can she dance). I was also able to add some fun, personal touches to Wednesday’s dresses, and many other custom items in the show.
3) Who is your favorite Adams Family character and why?
Can I pick the entire ensemble? The show’s ensemble is made up entirely of dead Addams Family ancestors. They move about the house in every single scene, each with their own quirky personality, and add so much to the show. Shannon Horn, our director, gave me free reign of what I wanted all of these characters to be. I turned these eleven actors into everything from a Bavarian milkmaid to a Roman centurion. Definitely my favorite characters. They’re so much fun to watc4)You also play Alice in the play, tell us more about your character and how you prepare for this role.
Alice is the mother of Lucas, Wednesday’s love interest. She’s irritatingly perky and very much the classic housewife... until the evening takes a turn at dinner (you’ll have to see the show to find that part out). She’s a very fun role to play, and it’s been interesting working out her posturing and mannerisms. I’ve worked a lot on finding a balance between her propriety and her comedy.
5) What are some backstage scenes that the audience has no clue goes on?
This is the biggest bunch of goofballs I have ever worked with, so there’s never a dull moment backstage. Plus, it’s a massive show, so everyone’s always moving around doing something: attaching a giant spider to an unsuspecting victim’s coat, filling up a bottle of poison, teaching a 10-year old to smoke a cigar... It’s definitely an interesting time backstage for this show!
6) How is The Addams Family play different/same from the classic movie?
The musical is more like a sequel to the show and movie. Wednesday’s grown up some and is bringing a boy home that she wants to marry. The characters and their relationships are all still very much the same- Gomez and Morticia are one of the world’s great love stories, Pugsley still likes to play his morbid pranks, Fester is still goofy and awkward, and Lurch is, well... Lurch. But the shift in timeline gives the family a new dynamic; we get to see what happens when this tight-knit, kooky, family deals with this new stage of life.
7) Are you dressing up for Halloween, if so, what are you going to be?
I am! I’m going as Cousin It!
8) Where did you study for college? What did you major in?
I went to Valparaiso University. I majored in biology, art, theatre, and television arts.
9) How did you get into acting/costume designing?
I’ve been performing all of my life, mostly as a dancer. In college, my costume design professor had been a professional dancer as well, and she had started costuming because she knew she wouldn’t be able to dance professionally forever. I already had an interest in costuming, and followed in her footsteps and did the same thing. After college, I performed professionally for several more years, then gradually shifted more into costuming. Last year, fellow costumer Kristen Bushey and I created Charleston Costume Design & Rental, and now I costume as my full-time job.
To purchase tickets or get more information, click here.
