"The Addams Family" by Unlabeled Theatre Company at Park Square Theatre

I saw my second production by Unlabeled Theatre Company this weekend, and it was once again so heart-warming, inspiring, and fun. Unlabeled has a unique performance model, in which they pair an actor with a disability or who is neurodivergent with a neurotypical actor - a "shadow partner." Because everyone deserves to be part of theater, whether that's on stage, backstage, or in the audience. And theater is the better for it. In this difficult time in our country when inclusion, accessibility, and diversity seem to be dirty words, it's reassuring to know that our theater companies are continuing to not just say these words, but live them. The Addams Family is a musical that's all about familial love and loyalty, if a bit odd and macabre, and is another great choice for this company. The one-weekend-only run concludes tomorrow (click here for tickets), with their next scheduled production the super fun Something Rotten! next January.

Once again, Unlabeled is doing a shortened 75-minute version of the musical, which feels like just the right length to tell the story and showcase these genuine and committed performers. We all know and love The Addams Family, and this musical puts them in the situation of one of their own, daughter Wednesday, wanting to marry a normal. Father Gomez wants to indulge his daughter and keeps the secret of her wish to marry from his wife Morticia, who wants to prevent the marriage until she realizes she's acting just like her own mother did when she wanted to marry Gomez. Beloved Uncle Fester wants his niece to be happy and calls upon the ancestors for their help, and Wednesday's brother Pugsley doesn't want to lose his sister, who shows love through torturing him, going to break up the relationships. When Wednesday's love Lucas comes to dinner at the mansion with his parents in tow, things don't go quite as planned, but it all works out in the end.

photos courtesy of Unlabeled Theatre

Jessica Froehlich directs the show, and the staging and choreography with the dual performers is really quite clever and inventive. Each actor and their shadow partner speak (and sing) in unison, playing the same character. Sometimes they move in parallel, sometimes they interact with each other, sometimes they're on opposite sides of the stage partnered with another half of a character. After the brief adjustment period, it feels natural to have two actors playing the same role, and even gives the character more dimension.

The cast is a mix of amateur and professional actors with varying levels of experience, but what they all share is enthusiasm for and engagement in the storytelling. Highlights in the cast include Andrew Goldblatt (with shadow partner Timm Holmly) as Gomez, Maeve Linkert (with #TCTheater fave Shanan Custer) as Morticia, Rachel Moquist/Nadya Dominique channeling deliciously dark Wednesday, Nick Jones and Megan Moffatt as adorable/annoying little brother Pugsley, Zach Williams (with shadow partner Gerone Hamilton) as everyone's favorite uncle Fester, and Liam Donovan/Joey Deegan (who also paired as Squidward in SpongeBob) as Wednesday's love Lucas.

With twice the cast size on the Andy Boss Stage, they've kept the sets minimal, just a couple of black boxes moved around in different configurations. The costuming is fun, with the lead actors dressed in colorful (or darkly colorful for the morose Addamses) costumes and the shadow partners in black or gray versions of the costume. Musical numbers are performed to a recorded track (with vocal director Suzanne Reyburn).

The Addams Family is another fun and endearing musical, with a lot of heart and humor, from perhaps the most unique theater company in town, showcasing the talents and humanity of all types of people. Something that, sadly, we need more reminders of nowadays.