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The Addams Family — the kooky, unconventional clan created by cartoonist Charles Addams — has been a cultural phenomenon since first appearing in The New Yorker in 1938. Spawning a beloved television series, feature films, a Broadway musical, and a recent hit Netflix series, the family’s enduring appeal lies in a beautiful paradox: they are deeply odd yet fiercely loving, finding beauty in shadows and joy in the macabre.

Pomfret School Theater brought the iconic characters to life, embodying their unwavering devotion and unapologetic self-possession in a captivating production of The Addams Family Musical. As the opening number famously declares, “When you’re an Addams, you do what Addams always do.” The Pomfret cast mirrored that confidence on stage, fully inhabiting their roles with precision, commitment, and a celebration of individuality.

“At its heart, The Addams Family is a story about belonging — about the courage it takes to be fully yourself and the grace it takes to love others exactly as they are,” says History Teacher and Theater Director Gavin Flood. “That message resonated deeply with our students, and I couldn’t be more proud of the cast and crew for the community they built together.”

The musical — with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice — debuted on Broadway in 2010 and has since become a staple of school and community theater, beloved for its wit, warmth, and surprisingly tender heart beneath its gothic exterior.

At the heart of the story is Wednesday Addams (Rowan Lehmann ’27), who shocks her family by falling in love with Lucas Beineke (Remy Jacquet ’26), a boy from a far more conventional household. When the Beinekes are invited to dinner, two very different definitions of “normal” collide.

The comedy gains momentum as Wednesday asks her father, Gomez (Lars Han ’27), to keep her engagement a secret from her mother, Morticia (Sabrina Salazar ’28), until after the dinner with Lucas’s parents, Alice Beineke ( Jenny Huang ’27) and Mal Beineke (Owen Schmidt ’26). Gomez is forced to choose between his daughter’s trust and his lifelong promise never to keep secrets from his wife. Meanwhile, Uncle Fester (Zane Ender ’26), acting as both narrator and mischievous matchmaker, enlists the help of the Addams ancestors to ensure that true love prevails before dawn.

Rounding out the kooky family are Wednesday’s brother, Pugsley ( Jotham Burrello ’28); Grandma ( Josephine Maguire ’28); and their butler, Lurch ( James Haley ’26), each adding their own brand of eccentricity to the evening. Devastated by the thought of losing the sister who has always gleefully tortured him, Pugsley steals one of Grandma’s potions, hoping to keep Wednesday from leaving the family. Instead, the truth serum compels honesty just as the families gather for “The Game,” known as Obligación de revelar, or Full Disclosure, where complete honesty is the only rule. Watching over it all is the towering butler Lurch, whose deadpan expressions provide some of the show’s biggest laughs before he surprises everyone by finding his voice in the finale.

The message of being true to yourself really connected with me. In a world where people are judged so easily, this story powerfully celebrates self-acceptance and individuality."Sabrina Salazar ’28

As hidden feelings, long-kept secrets, and uncomfortable truths spill into the open, both families ultimately discover that love is strongest when people embrace, rather than conceal, their differences.

Behind the macabre makeup and witty dialogue was a real-world story of connection and growth among the students. “The Addams Family is a show about bringing people together despite their differences. I think that with this in mind, the cast bonded over the fact that we are all different,” shares Sabrina Salazar ’28, who plays Morticia. “This year specifically, we had lots of new faces, and I think that by embracing each other’s backgrounds and ideas, we were able to grow as a community.”

Lance DiBenedetto ’26, James Haley ’26, Owen Schmidt ’26, and Alex Trapani ’26 made their Pomfret School Theater debuts in their final year on the Hilltop, while Jotham Burrello ’28 and Kyle Kim ’27 embraced their first theatrical roles after arriving last fall. Leah Huang ’28 transitioned from backstage crew in last year’s Hadestown to the cast this season, embodying the very spirit of growth and individuality the show celebrates. At the same time, The Addams Family marked a closing chapter for five seniors — Henry Chen ’26, Zane Ender ’26, Remy Jacquet ’26, Jenna Vertefeuille ’26, and Eric Wang ’26 — whose final bows reflected years of dedication to Pomfret School Theater.

By the closing curtain, it was clear that this production understood the spirit of its opening line. “When you’re an Addams, you do what Addams always do” became more than a lyric — it became a throughline. The cast and crew committed fully to the story, trusted one another, and embraced the boldness the musical demands. In doing so, they proved that great theater, like the Addams family themselves, thrives on confidence, connection, and the courage to be exactly who you are.

“The message of being true to yourself really connected with me,” said Sabrina. “In a world where people are judged so easily, this story powerfully celebrates self-acceptance and individuality.”
 

This story appeared in the Summer 2026 issue of Pomfret Magazine.
 

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