WU Players present The Addams Family

The week’s work by Waynesburg University’s drama club, the Waynesburg Players, has finally come to fruition as they put on a series of performances of the well-known musical, “The Addams Family.” The cast members, other students and staff involved have been hard at work for weeks perfecting the finishing touches for their five performances.

Before each performance, cast members spent time doing makeup from very simple to the most elaborate in order to make young adults appear as much older characters.

“The biggest challenge so far with this particular show is that 15 plus people have to have dead person makeup for the ancestors of the Addams Family. In most cases, there are few characters that need extensive makeup, but with this show it’s so much harder because so many people need special effects makeup,” said junior Michelle Frye, one of the makeup coordinators.

Frye has been doing special effects since 11 years old and has been involved in various theater groups since she was five.

Extensive special effects aren’t even the most extreme commitment the cast members have made. One member was so dedicated to his character that he shaved all the hair off of his head. Senior Zach Ziegler, who played the character Uncle Fester, shaved his head in order to accurately portray the famous character.

“I took a while for me to walk past a mirror and not be surprised that my hair was gone,” said Ziegler. “It still seems strange at times though

The cast spends the time it took to get into makeup and costume calming their nerves by listening to songs from popular broadway musicals and dancing around if they had a spare moment.

After that it was waiting until it was time for the show to start. However, members of the cast and crew weren’t the only ones anticipating the performances.

Members of the symphonic band took time to practice and learn all of the music for the show and enhance the sound of the performance with the addition of music from the pit. Even in the short moments before the show, the pit worked just as hard to verify that the shows were going to be the best they could possibly be.

The first night of the show was an invite-only performance to give the cast a feel for the show while performing in front of a small audience before performing in front of sold-out shows. Saturday’s performance was sold out by preorder tickets well before the show was actually performed.

“The theatre does not come alive without an audience,” said director of the show and professor of theater Eddie Powers.