The stage is filled with dancers perfecting each step, singers rehearsing songs, actors reciting lines and musicians melodiously harmonizing in preparation for “The Addams Family” production on Mar. 14-16.

Throughout February, performers rehearsed in three separate groups to focus on details in each aspect of the musical. Dance teacher and Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) department chair Samantha Gardner choreographed routines, VAPA teacher Adrian Rangel-Sanchez worked with singers on harmony and drama teacher Jeanne Jelnick directed actors on blocking and character choices.

On Feb. 22, pit orchestra accompanied performers for a full rendition rehearsal and will accompany them again a week before the production.

“[Feb. 18-22] is an exciting week because this is the first week where we all come together. Yesterday, tonight and tomorrow night all the dancers, all the actors, all the vocals – it’s all coming together on stage at the same time. Everybody’s excited; it’s a super fun week,” Jelnick said. “For the rest of the run, in terms of rehearsals, it will look like a whole lot of artists in the theater working hard and having a lot of fun.”

The fragmented style of rehearsals allowed each group to perfect their parts in time for combined rehearsals. Performers worked hard to achieve improvement. Despite the challenge of committing five hours a day to rehearsing, performers are eager to work and create new connections.

“I’m looking forward to the bonds we make as a family. The best feeling in the world is being appreciated or recognized for something that you’ve worked on so hard,” actor and sophomore Ian Aros (Lucas Beineke) said. “We work really well together because of the mutual respect we have for each other. Everyone is so talented, which just makes it fun to watch each other. There haven’t been any struggles yet.”

With all the fun included in the production, there are also obstacles. Flexibility has become crucial as performers must adjust according to set demands. Despite working on blocking specifics for months, it became necessary for performers to adjust entrances due to the set design of a tree in the center of the stage. Regardless of the difficulties, performers work together as a family to overcome any challenge that comes their way.

“The main obstacle we’ve come across is forgetting lines. However, we have been doing well at helping each other out and improvising,” junior Hannah Siekmann (Fester Addams) said. “Moving the choreography from the dance room to the stage was a bit difficult. Luckily, Mrs. Gardner is amazing and we were able to figure it out as a team. Overall, we are a family and we can overcome anything together.”