LA PLATA, Md. — When families get together, anything can happen. When that family is the Addams family, anything is going to be entertaining.
The Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) All-County Theatre Troupe first staged the musical “The Addams Family” at the start of the school year after rehearsing the show throughout summer 2025.
The on- and backstage talent of the troupe comes from the seven CCPS high schools, forming friendships that extend beyond the stage door. Cast and crew attend each other’s shows, a cappella competitions and other performances and events where a friendly face in the audience is appreciated.
They’re creepy and they’re kooky
While last summer the group was about getting to know each other rehearsing for the September performance, this summer the students will present the show on the main stage at the International Thespian Festival (ITF). The annual festival is a weeklong opportunity on the campus of Indiana University Bloomington for high school theatre students from around the country to attend and participate in workshops and performances.
To have a show land on the main stage at ITF — one of 12 adjudicated shows selected out of the 40 submissions — is an accomplishment.
The CCPS All-County Theatre Troupe is only the second Maryland school in 20 years to get the main stage nod, following the 2019 performance of “Peter and the Starcatcher” by the Jemicy School of Owings Mills.
Students and teachers involved in “The Addams Family” credit dedication and enthusiasm for getting the performance as far as it has gone.
“The talent that the kids pull together, their dedication and their heart … The fact that we can represent so many different types of people all in one performance is really special and something that ITF has been looking for,” Tessa Silvestro, North Point High School drama teacher and the production’s director, said.
Teachers found out during the week of Jan. 26 that the play was selected for the festival’s main stage.
“It is a big process to get a main stage production at ITF,” said Jana Heyl, theatre teacher at Maurice J. McDonough High School and the show’s producer who has been attending the festival for at least 25 years. “It’s an incredible honor,” she said.
The performance sent for the festival’s consideration via video wasn’t the best one of the show’s run, according to Laila Anderson, a Westlake High School junior who plays Morticia Addams.
“But you could still feel and see the hard work and dedication we all put into it,” she said. “I believe not only can you see everyone’s hard work; you see that everyone wants this to work.”
It was bittersweet to relay the news of the main stage accomplishment to students and staff via email instead of in person as schools were closed for inclement weather, Silvestro said. But there was no time to waste. Students hadn’t worked on the show since September. It was time for a family reunion.
Mysterious and spooky
The troupe gets together once a month to rehearse and tighten up the show ahead of the festival in June. This is on top of regular coursework, school performances and other commitments — for both students and staff. It’s time many are willing to make work in their schedules.
“It honestly feels like it is second nature,” Nya Mashego, a North Point High School junior who plays Alice Beineke, the mother of Wednesday’s friend, said of how well troupe members know “The Addams Family.”
The students sign contracts pledging to attend rehearsals and help fundraise to attend the festival. They continue brushing up on choreography with Ben Simpson, theatre teacher at St. Charles High School, and strengthening their vocals with Mark Pavlecic, music teacher at Westlake High School. Other performing arts teachers from various schools also pitch in to oversee students working on sound, lighting and set design, costumes and other aspects of the production.
“The show works for us because it has a lot of features, everybody has a chance to shine,” Brett Wood, a McDonough senior who plays Pugsley Addams, said. “There’s really no small part in the show.”
This extends backstage to the crew made up of students who are interested in the technical aspects of theatre.
“In some shows, there are clear dividing lines between cast and crew,” Anderson said. “Not for this one. We’re all one big family; it sounds corny but honestly that’s how it is.”
Stage manager Michaela Reif agreed.
“We all have to work together to make the show run smoothly,” the McDonough junior said. “We want everybody to look good.”
They’re all together ooky
For most of the students, theatre has been a near constant in their lives. They grew up singing and dancing, taking any opportunity to entertain. In theatre, they found friends and like-minded peers.
It will be the second time La Plata High School senior Theo Rosemund attends ITF, having gone last year.
“It was more than I ever thought it would be,” said Rosemund, who plays Gomez in the upcoming show. “You go there and everyone relates to you and connects with you. I told my dad, ‘It’s the first time I feel like I’ve found family outside of my family.’”
The All-County Theatre Troupe is aiming to mount a musical every couple of years, Silvestro said. Undertaking a production involving staff and students from different schools takes time, so on the “off years” when a musical isn’t planned, teachers who sponsor the troupe look for other activities to keep the group engaged such as 24-hour one-act play festivals and workshops.
“The goal is to keep going and make this a really solid opportunity,” Silvestro said. “We always try to do something, because the kids all love seeing each other. It’s really special that you have these friendships across schools.”
Students appreciate that there is always room for more in theatre.
“It’s a loving community,” Wood said. “It’s come as you are. Everybody has a spot in theatre.”