Duchess Park Secondary School’s Theatre Company is presenting The Addams Family Musical from April 23 to 27 and the play is filled with all the quirky characters audiences would expect.
Ollie Pawluk, Grade 12 student, who played combative Cinderella in last year’s spoofy play, Game of Tiaras, is taking on the role of Uncle Fester in the Addams Family this year.
Pawluk said it’s the first time they have taken on the challenge of a male role and it took a bit to get into the character.
“Not going to lie, it took me a minute to realize how to do it,” Pawluk said. “Because I’ve only ever played female-presenting characters, I never actually had the chance to take on a male role, and when I got one I went ‘oh, great, now what?’”
Pawluk said they took their inspiration from some of their old teachers.
“I sort of slammed everything into one body and it kind of worked,” Pawluk smiled.
Uncle Fester isn’t scared to do what he wants, they added.
“He has a meticulous plan, he knows how to set it into motion and he knows exactly how to do it, when to do it and where to do it,” Pawluk said.
“And I think that is amazing.”
Pawluk understands what it takes to make a plan and sticking to it. They have had a career trajectory planned since Grade 5.
“My plan has always been to become a teacher,” Pawluk said. “I was split between math and drama and then I got to Grade 7 and realized that theatre arts was a thing and I got really excited and into drama and since then I’ve been planning to get my drama degree, then my teaching degree and then a psychology degree to either become a drama teacher or a psychology teacher.”
When Pawluk took on last year’s Cinderella role it was dialogue heavy and she already knew how to play the sassy character. This year’s Uncle Fester is less of a talker and more of an action taker so Pawluk feels they can develop the character more thoroughly.
“So this year I had the opportunity to do more character development than I did last year,” Pawluk said.
The 62-member cast and crew and 15 teacher-volunteers are one big family, they added.
“I don’t think people will understand what I mean by that until they come to see the musical,” Pawluk said.
“And I think that’s the coolest thing in the world.”
The Addams Family Musical runs from April 23 to 27 in the Duchess Park Secondary School Theatre. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for students. Special half price matinee Saturday, April 27. Doors open at 12:30 p.m., show starts at 1 p.m.
All tickets are on sale at the box office in the school at lunch times (cash only) and after school (cash/debit). Tickets are also on sale one hour before the show begins (cash/debit) unless there is a sellout.
