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The Addams Family was created by Charles ‘Chas’ Addams, a freelance cartoonist born in 1912. Charles’ first adaptation of the family was in the form of a comic strip for The New Yorker in 1938. It was a dark spoof on all of the people in his life and their day to day struggle with trying to ‘fit in’. The family has since been depicted in live action films, cartoons, and even a 1960s sitcom that my mom used to watch as a kid. 

In some way or form, The Addams Family has played a significant role in all of our lives. We all know that we should snap twice when we hear the first few notes of the Addams’ theme song (*snap* *snap*), we all know the amount of electricity running through Uncle Festers veins is enough to power a light bulb, and we all know how much love Wednesday has for medieval torture contraptions. This is all tradition. They are prominent in our world and they have been like this since their creation. Our adoration for the family’s dark sense of style is everlasting.

The Addams’ huge appreciation for the darkness is not normal to us, but this is their family’s tradition and love language. It brings them together. Even though dark magic, electric chairs, and crossbows sound like a cakewalk compared to the year 2020, we can definitely learn something from them.

In a post pandemic world, we find ourselves trying to reconstruct our own traditions. We’re reimagining and recreating what once was ‘normal’. Whether it’s trying to get over your agoraphobia, figuring out how to teach/learn virtually, or directing a show at your mother’s old high school...we’re all redefining our own definition of normal traditions. 

The Addams relish in thousands of years of family tradition. Let this family inspire you to reconnect with someone you’ve lost, develop a relationship with someone you don’t know, embrace your inner fears, and embrace love unforgivingly. 

For this one normal night, we are all a member of this family. So fall in love with the moon, do the tango, don’t try to be normal, “laugh before you cry” …..and enjoy The Lindenhurst High School Thespian Society’s production of The Addams Family.