Friday-Sunday, Oct. 21-23 at 7:30 p.m. — BARNARD — BarnArts presents “The Addams Family” at the Barnard Town Hall, Oct. 21-23 and Oct. 28-30 with a local cast. Featuring music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, the musical comedy is directed by Linda Treash with music direction by Carol Cronce and choreography by Claire Shillen. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and can be purchased at barnarts.org.
The story centers around the “princess of daarkness,” Wednesday Addams, who is now grown up and in love with a boy from a “normal” family. He and his family are coming to dinner at the Addams estate (hidden in the forest of New York City’s Central Park), and everything will change for both families on this fateful night. Twenty-one community actors ages 12-75 bring the story to life through song and dance.
Playing the serious and haunting Wednesday Addams is Ashley Mello of Hartland, who recently played Lily St. Regis in NCCT’s July production of “Annie.” While Mello has been performing since the age of 9, “The Addams Family” is her first Vermont production since moving to Hartland in 2019. Wednesday’s loyal but goofy father Gomez will be played by Ryan Paige, who starred as the beloved Bottom the Weaver in BarnArts 2021 production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Paige also directed BarnArts 2022 Summer Youth Theater production “Seussical.” He lives in Vershire with his wife and four kids, all of whom have assisted or performed with BarnArts since summer 2021. Wednesday’s fierce but loving mother Morticia will be played by Kristina Harrold of Lebanon. Harrold grew up doing theater in southern New Hampshire and this is her first performance since moving to the Upper Valley in 2020. The remaining Addams Family consists of local performers familiar to BarnArts: Elyse DeNeige Robichaud of Barnard as Uncle Fester, Sara Norcoss of Reading as Grandma, Jesse Paige as Pugsley and Tyler Harwell as Lurch.
Wednesday’s boyfriend Lucas will be played by Alden of Reading, and his parents are portrayed by Kyle Huck who grew up in Woodstock (a Yoh Theater alum) and now lives in White River Junction, and Dakota Menard, who recently settled in Vershire. Rounding out the cast is an ensemble of dead Addams ancestors: Anna Alden, Kaetlyn Collins, Beth Damon, Marlena Farinas, Kai Snyder Hamalainen, Kory Hirak, Juliana Menard, Aura Paige, Maggie Ronan, Cerridwynn Young and Sally Zwain.
The ancestors are especially connected to Uncle Fester, singing and dancing with him in solo scenes, but also participate in small scenes with the family and in the larger all-cast numbers.
“’The Addams Family’ is just fun for all of us to be working on this time of year,” says director Linda Treash. “It has both great music and sophisticated dialogue and lyrics. All ages will enjoy this show, which was written for adult appeal but is still suitable for kids. We are also performing it in the round, which will be a very intimate experience in the Barnard Town Hall.”
Treash recently directed “A Streetcar Named Desire” for BarnArts at the Grange Theatre in April and also “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in 2021 and “Waiting for Godot” in 2019. Treash has been the executive director of BarnArts since 2015 and served on the board of BarnArts before her current role. She holds an MFA from the University of New Orleans and has lived in Barnard since 2001. Music Director Carol Cronce is in her eighth year working with BarnArts as the music director for the BarnArts Summer Youth Theater and also music directed BarnArts production of “The Producers” in 2018. She is on the board of NCCT and has worked as a music director with NCCT, ArtisTree and We The People. She holds a bachelor of music from the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, New York and a master of music from Butler University in Indianapolis. She lives in White River Junction.
Choreographer Claire Shillen worked with BarnArts for four years as a choreographer of BarnArts Summer Youth Theater and also “The Producers” in 2018. She trained in Boston, Washington, DC and Miami, before moving to Vermont. She is the founder and choreographer of Full Moon Follies and for the past 22 years, has choreographed and performed in over 20 musicals in the Upper Valley. She lives in Woodstock.
Other production team members include Aura Paige (costume and prop design), Chris Peirce and Cliff Johnson (lighting & amp; sound design), Patrick Maury (stage manager) and Eben Farinas (master carpenter). Director Linda Treash is the set designer.
For more info on this production and BarnArts, go to barnarts.org, email info@barnarts.org, or call 802-234-1645.
