The Department of Theatre at Hope College will present “The Addams Family,” a new musical comedy, on Friday-Sunday, Nov. 10-12, and Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 16-18, in the main theatre of the DeWitt Student and Cultural Center.
The performances on Nov. 10, 11 and 16-18 will begin at 7:30 p.m. The performance on Sunday, Nov. 12, will be a free matinee beginning at 2 p.m.
Directed by Rhett Luedtke, associate professor of theatre at Hope, the play was written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice with music by Andrew Lippa. As described by theatricalrights.com, “The Addams Family” is “a comical feast that embraces the wackiness in every family, features an original story and it’s every father’s nightmare: Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family. And if that wasn’t upsetting enough, Wednesday confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before– keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia.”
In addition to Luedtke, the college’s production team consists of Lindsey Hanson, assistant professor of dance, as choreographer; Adjunct Professor Heather McCallum, an adjunct member of the music faculty, as music director; Keith Pitts, an adjunct member of the art and art history faculty, as scenic and projection designer; Michelle Bombe, professor of theatre and department chair, as costume designer; Eric Van Tassell, assistant professor of theatre and dance, as lighting designer; Ken Chamberlain, assistant director of production for dance and theatre, as sound designer; and Stephen Krebs, technical director for theatre and Hope Repertory Theatre, as technical director and properties manager; and Anna Hill, theatre department costume manager and dance department costume designer, as costume shop manager.
Also serving on the production team are senior Lydia Konings of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as stage manager; junior Eden Comer of Farmington Hills, Michigan, and freshman Anne Slezak of Hudsonville, Michigan, as assistant stage managers; and senior Carole Chee of Grand Rapids, Michigan, as properties designer.
The Addams family includes freshman Castle Dettinger of Temecula, California, as Lurch; junior Alegría Guzmán of Quito, Ecuador, as Wednesday; sophomore Claudia Hwang of Norton Shores, Michigan, as Morticia; junior Oscar Long of Kansas City, Missouri, as Pugsley; junior Canyon Mannikko of Missouri City, Texas, as Fester; freshman Ángela Olssen of Mexico City, Mexico, as Grandma; and senior Jack Slevin of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, as Gomez.
The Beineke family includes sophomore Genesis Clark of Chicago, Illinois, as Alice; sophomore Jaden Johnson of Frankfort, Michigan, as Mal; and sophomore Christopher Laubach of Macomb, Michigan, as Lucas.
The ancestral ensemble includes sophomore Grace Arakelian of New Lenox, Illinois; senior Cecelia Casper of Eden Prairie, Minnesota; sophomore Laurie Chapman of Roydon, England; sophomore Elliana Johnson of East Lansing, Michigan; sophomore Anya Kapitula of Grand Rapids, Michigan; sophomore Elaina Organek of Gilbert, Arizona; sophomore Kiera Savage of Birmingham, England; freshman Jacqueline Schatz of Clarkston, Michigan; senior Rachel Scott of Clarkston, Michigan; senior Charis Snyder of Zeeland, Michigan; freshman Kyle Spiegel of Wheaton, Illinois; sophomore Shane Sygiel of White Lake, Michigan; and junior Sara Verduzco of Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Performances will feature students of the Hope College Orchestra directed by Samuel Pang, assistant professor of music instruction and director of orchestras.
Tickets for the evening performances are $10 for regular admission; $7 for senior citizens and Hope faculty and staff; and free for Hope College students and students ages 18 and under. Tickets are available at the Events and Conferences Office located in downtown Holland in the Anderson-Werkman Financial Center (100 E. Eighth St.). The ticket office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be reached at 616-395-7890. Tickets may be purchased by calling or visiting the ticket office, online at hope.edu/tickets, or in person at the performance. No tickets are required for the Sunday, Nov. 12, matinee.
To inquire about accessibility or if you need accommodations to fully participate in the event, please email accommodations@hope.edu. Updates related to events are posted when available in the individual listings at hope.edu/calendar.
The DeWitt Student and Cultural Center is located at 141 E. 12th St., facing Columbia Avenue between 10th and 13th streets.