The Addams Family Opens Academy Theatre Season in Meadville
The 2025-2026 season at the Academy Theatre in Meadville is in full swing, and it premieres with the production of The Addams Family. The Addams Family is a musical comedy. I won't spoil the story of the musical by giving it away, but I will say the talent of its cast makes it excellent.
The music in this musical is very good, and while not as catchy as other musicals, I know that if I go and see it again, I will end up singing along to it. The songs in Act 2 are slightly better than the ones in Act 1, but the ones in Act 1 are still excellent, especially the last 3 songs.
The comedy had me laughing in tears at some of the jokes. Some of the jokes are very localized, so if you are from the area, you will find them very funny. Even if you aren’t, that’s okay because the other jokes will keep your sides aching.
The Academy Theatre is a small local theatre that mostly runs on donations and volunteers. Most of the actors are from the area, from working adults to high school seniors. Many in the main cast are either new to acting, acting in something after a break, or acting in their first production. Knowing that makes you appreciate how good the acting is, especially the new ones. I want to highlight some of these performances.
Jennifer Bemis, who plays Grandma Addams, makes her acting debut in this show, and I hope to see her in more shows in the future. The way that she delivered her lines and acted physically had me laughing so hard at times. If you didn’t know that she was a brand-new actor, I don’t think you'd be able to tell. She brings a new life to Grandma Addams, and it’s memorable.
Anne Conti, who plays Morticia, had taken a 3-year break from the academy theatre, but she acted like she had taken no time off at all. As one of the main actresses in the show, she has a lot of stage time, and she makes use of all of it. From her vocals when she sings to her mannerisms, especially when she is interacting with Gomez, she is amazing at playing Morticia.
Kevin Geyer, who plays Lurch in his first-ever acting gig, does not really have much to do on the stage since he is a mostly silent character and doesn’t interact much. However, when he does, he has some funny moments. I can’t wait to see him in more shows at the academy, hopefully in roles where he gets to do a lot more.
Evan Gleason, who plays Fester, is the standout in my opinion. He has been in one other show at the Academy Theatre, but I missed that show, so this was my first time seeing him, and he was my favorite part of the show. Fester is a sort of narrator for this show, so he gets a lot of jokes. Fester has always been my favorite member of the Addams family, so seeing him portrayed this well made me happy.
As a long-time fan of The Addams Family, I had known about this musical but had never seen it, so I didn’t know what I was getting into. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the Academy Theatre put on the show. You don’t have to be a fan to go and enjoy the show. If you have the time and want to watch a good production, I could not recommend it enough.
The Academy Theatre will be running this show until October 19th. It shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2:30 PM.
Tickets can be bought at the Academy Theatre website: https://www.theacademytheatre.org/
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