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KOOKY, SPOOKY DUKIES

Hoof 'n' Horn's Fall musical comedy "The Addams Family" runs Oct. 18-21 at the Ruby

By Duke University

October 17^th, 2018

PHOTOS BY JARED LAZARUS, VIDEOS PRODUCED BY JULIE SCHOONMAKER & STORY BY ROBIN SMITH/UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

When a teenage girl brings a boy home for the first time, a simple dinner party can turn into a night from hell -- especially when her family’s idea of hospitality is to visit their moat and show off their torture devices.

Duke’s student-run theater company Hoof ‘n’ Horn kicked off its 82nd season with its fall production of “The Addams Family” on Oct. 11.

Based on the beloved characters created by cartoonist Charles Addams, the darkly funny musical revolves around Wednesday Addams (played by Tenley Seidel), who, to her parents’ dismay, has fallen in love with a sweet young man (Eli Kline) from a “normal” family.

Ancestors' cast, from right, Liv Neely, as a colonial witch, Alexus Wells as a pirate, and Multy Oliver as Cleopatra put on their ghoulish makeup.

Jaxson Floberg as Pugsley Addams tries various facial expressions as he gets into character.

Tenley Seidel as Wednesday Addams and Gray Airth as a medieval princess share a laugh in the dressing room.

Makeup artist Maria Zurita puts finishing touches on Naveen Hrishikesh as Uncle Fester .

Tim Clayton as Gomez Addams, right, and Jaxson Floberg as Pugsley Addams jokingly share a father-son bonding moment as Dylan Lev as a viking looks on in the dressing room before dress rehearsal.

Tori Trimm as Morticia Addams, right, puts on her wig as Tim Clayton, playing her husband Gomez, Dylan Lev as a viking and Tenley Seidel as her daughter Wednesday, warm up their vocal chords before dress rehearsal.

Morticia, to Wednesday: “Normal is an illusion, darling. What's normal for the spider is a calamity for the fly.”

Addams Family cast members warm up their vocal chords before dress rehearsal.

Logan Welborn as a flapper and other Addams Family ancestors do voice exercises before dress rehearsal.

Liv Neely as a colonial witch catches a few minutes to study for an anatomy test before dress rehearsal.

Alexus Wells as a pirate and Multy Oliver as Cleopatra loosen up during warm ups.

Addams Family cast members bond while doing breathing exercises to warm up their diaphragms before dress rehearsal.

Wednesday, singing to Pugsley: “I don’t have a sunny disposition. / I’m not known for being too amused. / My demeanor’s locked in one position. / See my face? I’m enthused.”

Addams Family cast sings the opening number, “When You’re an Addams."

As Wednesday, Seidel plays a deadpan teenager with a morbid interest in crossbow hunting. Torn between her penchant for all things goth and the thrill of first love, she can’t even sing to a bird without inadvertently breaking its neck.

Wednesday confides in her dad, Gomez (Tim Clayton), and begs him not to tell her mother. But Gomez and his ruby-lipped wife Morticia (Tori Trimm) have always told each other everything.

Teenage lovers Eli Kline as Lucas Beineke and Tenley Seidel as Wednesday Addams.

Tenley Seidel as Wednesday confides in her dad, Tim Clayton as Gomez, about her love for a boy from a "normal" family.

Naveen Hrishikesh as Uncle Fester Addams rallies his ancestors.

Tenley Seidel as Wednesday cuddles a bird before inadvertently pulling its head off.

Tenley Seidel as Wednesday sings in “One Normal Night."

Tim Clayton as Gomez Addams is caught between his loyalties to his daughter Tenley Seidel as Wednesday and wife Tori Trimm as Morticia.

Gomez, caught between his loyalties to his daughter and his wife, agrees to host a dinner for Wednesday’s boyfriend and his strait-laced parents to make sure the two families can get along.

Along the way, a ghostly chorus of pale, bluish-lipped Addams family ancestors have emerged from their graves and watch the ensuing drama unfold with keen interest.

To get into character, Seidel says she tries “to think gloomy thoughts in the hopes of entering Wednesday’s headspace.” Trimm readies herself to play Morticia by acting out stirring a potion in a cauldron before going onstage.

“It’s definitely kooky…but so is our show,” Trimm said.

The Beineke family gets lost trying to find the Addams family home in Central Park - from left, John Dreyer as Mal, son Eli Kline as Lucas, and wife Holly Holder as Alice.

Naveen Hrishikesh as Uncle Fester Addams has a warning that gets a strong reaction from his ancestors.

Tenley Seidel as Wednesday Addams horrifies her mother Tori Trimm as Morticia with a yellow dress, while her boyfriend Eli Kline as Lucas Beineke is pleased.

The Beineke family meets the Addams family for the first time - from left, Holly Holder as Alice Beineke, husband John Dreyer as Mal, Tommy Pratt as Lurch Addams, and Tim Clayton as Gomez Addams.

Tori Trimm as Morticia Addams, her ancestors and Holly Holder as Alice Beineke perform during "Secrets."

Morticia, to Wednesday who’s wearing a yellow dress: “Darling, we don't wear bright colors. Bright colors are for people with no inner life and no imagination.”

Jaxson Floberg plays Wednesday’s little brother, Pugsley, a troublemaker who doesn’t see the sun very often. Afraid he’ll lose his sister to her new flame and have no one to torture him anymore, Pugsley comes up with a scheme to make Wednesday and Lucas fall out of love with each other.

But his plan goes awry when a misdirected slug of truth juice exposes secrets that threaten the couples’ marriages.

John Dreyer and Holly Holder play the prospective in-laws, Mal and Alice Beineke.

Isabel Giacomazzi plays the feisty 102-year-old Grandma Addams, who spends much of the play stroking her pet rat like a lap dog, while the butler Lurch (Tommy Pratt) lumbers around the stage, zombielike.

The Addams family hosts the Beineke family for dinner and a game of "Full Disclosure."

Jaxson Floberg as Pugsley Addams hatches a plot to unravel his sister's romance with a truth potion.

Wednesday, to Lucas: “It’s just a dinner. What could go wrong?”

Holly Holder as Alice Beineke uncorks her bottled up feelings after drinking a misdirected truth potion during "Full Disclosure."

Lucas: “You're crazy.”

Wednesday: “And you're not crazy enough. That's the problem.”

Pugsley, to Grandma: “What if she never tortures me anymore? How would I manage? What if she never nails my tongue to the bathroom floor?”

Tim Clayton as Gomez Addams gives his daughter Tenley Seidel as Wednesday love advice.

John Dreyer as Mal Beineke renews his passion for his wife Holly Holder as Alice during "Crazier than You."

Tenley Seidel as Wednesday wants her boyfriend Eli Kline as Lucas Beineke to be more impulsive.

Tenley Seidel as Wednesday and Eli Kline as Lucas perform during “Crazier Than You."

The story is narrated by Wednesday’s ghoulish bald uncle Fester (Naveen Hrishikesh), who wears a long trench coat and has a thing for the moon.

“Once my hair has disappeared [under a bald cap] I start feeling more and more like Fester," Hrishikesh said.

The 21-person cast rehearsed 20 hours a week for just over five weeks for the show, produced by Jenna Clayborn and directed by Jackson Prince.

The challenge, Clayborn said, was adapting the famously flamboyant musical for the art center’s ultra-minimalist black box theater. “We’ve managed to use how flexible the space is by adding entrances all over the theater so it starts to feel immersive.”

It also doesn’t hurt that “they’re all very good dancers,” said choreographer Cady Bailey. Watch the cast leap in the air and pirouette, do a tango, even tap dance with the Grim Reaper, all accompanied by a live 12-piece orchestra led by Pavel Pivarshev.

Addams Family cast performs "Tango de Amor."

Join the creepy fun. “The Addams Family” will run for four more shows over Family Weekend, Oct. 18-21 at von der Heyden Studio Theater in the Rubenstein Arts Center.

For tickets, visit https://www.hoofnhorn.org/fall

Tori Trimm as Morticia Addams comforts her son Jaxson Floberg as Pugsley with thoughts of monsters at bedtime.

Tommy Pratt as Lurch Addams shares his voice in “Move Toward the Darkness."

Tim Clayton as Gomez Addams tries to win back the affection of his wife Tori Trim as Morticia.

Tim Clayton as Gomez and his wife Tori Trimm as Morticia perform “Tango de Amor."

Gomez to Morticia as they snuggle: "Are you unhappy, darling?"

Morticia: "Oh, yes, yes! Completely"

Addams Family cast sings in “Move Toward the Darkness."

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