WEB EXCLUSIVE Rehearsals have begun for Convent & Stuart Hall’s spring musical, The Addams Family, which will feature a cast of actors from all four of the school’s divisions. 

“Age difference is great, especially in The Addams Family because it is a family that has lots of different ages of kids,” senior Kate Wing said. “I think it makes the show more believable and more fun to watch.” 

Rehearsals began on Monday with icebreaker games and a table read, a common practice during the start of rehearsals where actors simply read through their lines as a cast, according to senior Margaret Millar. 

“Some of the middle schoolers and high schoolers are new to theater, and since we’re merged, I think Ms. Hee is going to dedicate more time to teaching more basic elements of theater,” Millar said. “On our first day of rehearsal, we reviewed what stage left and right is, which is just one example of how she’s starting to work in more lessons to rehearsal time.” 

A typical rehearsal consists of a physical and vocal warmup, announcements and work on blocking, lines, and vocals.  

“It’s gonna be a lot more people which will make it more fun, more challenging, but also better and more inclusive,” freshman Grace Stermer said. “There are younger kids so we will have to be more responsible but ultimately it will make it a more productive environment.” 

Due to the wide range of cast ages, Theatre Programs Director Margaret Grace Hee also implemented a buddy system so that middle schoolers and less experienced cast members are paired with an upperclassman or more seasoned performer. 

“I’m super excited about the buddy system because it gives me the opportunity to both mentor a middle schooler who may need help adjusting to the merge, but it also provides a good base for getting to know the middle schoolers,” Millar said. “I think it’s going to be really effective in working towards Ms. Hee’s goal of integrating more student-driven leadership in the program.”

Rehearsals will take place on weekdays excluding Fridays, from 4-6:30 pm. Additionally, there will be rehearsals on alternating Saturdays. Actors are called on an as-needed basis and each rehearsal is scheduled with specific time slots so that actors know what specific parts of the show are being worked on at all times. 

“We’ve known our parts since December, so it’s been a long time coming,” Wing said. “We’ve been waiting and waiting for this and once the ball gets rolling it’s gonna start getting really fun really fast.”