What better way to spend Halloween weekend than with the Addams family?
Students can do just that beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Devil’s Night.
Nuclear medicine technology sophomore Meredith Hague was shocked when she discovered that she would be playing a star role in her very first show at Ferris.
“I definitely wanted to be Wednesday, but I would have been happy playing a brick wall,” Hague said.
Hague will be assuming the role of the “charming, irresistible bundle of malice” known as Wednesday Addams.
“Everyone sees Wednesday as this straight faced, emotionless little girl, but that’s not how I see her at all,” Hague said. “In the show, she goes through a huge change as she meets a boy and falls in love. I think she experiences a huge range of emotions, but she just doesn’t show it all on her face.”
Being a normally happy and energetic person, Hague faces a challenge when getting into Wednesday’s character.
“The thing that gets me into the part the most is the eyes,” Hague said. “I try keep my eyes wide open and not blink as much as I can when I’m on stage. It feels so weird but it gets me into this whole dark and brooding mood, and it’s harder to laugh at all the silly things that happen in the show.”
Television and digital media production senior Lee Nickisson landed a star role for his last musical at Ferris, portraying none other than Gomez Addams.
“Gomez, like the rest of the family, is an interesting flavor of crazy,” Nickisson said. “He is energetic and excitable, but he is loyal. One of the most, if not the most, important things to him is his family. He wants nothing more than his family to be happy, or unhappy as it were.”
Another cast member, Jessica Wheatley channels her best friend Cami Friday to help her get into the role of the fierce Morticia Addams.
“There’s a certain level of confidence that she has that I feel her and Morticia share,” Wheatley said. “She knows who she is and what she likes. She truly doesn’t care what people or the outside world thinks. She knows she’s a bad bitch.”
Wheatley is also thankful that she and her on-stage spouse have a ton of natural chemistry and have both agreed it would have been a different experience if it were with anyone else.
“I’m really excited to give the audience a taste of that epic Gomez and Morticia romance,” Wheatley said. “Lee and I were friends before the show and it has made finding that love easier.”
Adam Jandura has the pleasure of becoming good old Uncle Fester for Halloween weekend.
“I was really excited to land such an iconic character. Fester is such a well-known character and it’s just so neat to be a member of the Addams family,” Jandura said.
Uncle Fester might physically fit in with the Addams, but when it comes to personality, he couldn’t be any different.
“Fester is a unique member of the family,” Jandura said. “Whereas the rest of the family adores all things dark and morbid, Fester just really loves love. That, and a healthy dose of chaos.”
Jandura has developed a mental strategy to assume the role of Uncle Fester.
“Getting into [Fester’s] character involves thinking about love and how it would make this kooky, boisterous man feel,” Jandura said. “Once I have that feeling, I round it off with a charismatic charm.”
The Addams Family musical will be presented Oct. 30, 31, and Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 2 at 2:30 p.m. in Williams Auditorium. Ticket prices are $5 for students, $7 for seniors and $10 for adults.
“I’m really excited about the timing of the musical,” Jandura said. “The fact that it’s showing on Halloween weekend is perfect and will provide an awesome atmosphere for the show.”
There will also be a costume contest on Halloween night hosted by Alpha Psi Omega. For more details on the contest call 231-592-2704.