Addams Family Study Guide
Addams Family Study Guide
Addams Family Study Guide
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Joan Marcus
Adam Riegler, Jackie Hoffman, Bebe Neuwirth, Nathan Lane, Kevin Chamberlin,
Krysta Rodriugez and Zachary James in The Addams Family.
Table of Contents
Using the Field Guide................................................................................................1
Synopsis of the musical The Addams Family................................................................2
Overture to The Arts.................................................................................8
Charles Addams: The Man Behind the Macabre
Overture to History and Social Studies.....................................12
The Addams FamilyA Cultural Phenomenon
Cartoonists of The New Yorker
Overture to Language Arts...............................................................18
The Comics on Broadway: Adapting Cartoons to the Stage
Overture to Behavioral Studies.......................................................22
Charles Addams: Facing Fear Through Art
Honesty is the Best Policy
Overture to Life Skills..............................................................................24
The Addams Family: Define Normal
Sources.....................................................................................................................29
Rob Hartmann
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Synopsis of
Joan Marcus
Nathan Lane
as
Gomez Addams
undreds of years
ago, the Addams
family ancestors
came from the old
country and settled
on a plot of land in what is now
New Yorks Central Park. This was,
of course, long before it was a park,
when it was still wilderness and
garbage. The family flourished for
many generations, and eventually, a
huge house was built where a great
Spanish oak, the Addams Family
Tree, had been planted to protect
the ancestral graves from such
annoyances as sunlight and tourists.
As the curtain rises, the last dead
Bebe Neuwirth and Nathan Lane in
leaf of autumn falls from the
The Addams Family.
Family Tree, and all is right with the
morbid, macabre world of Gomez,
Morticia, Fester, Grandma, Wednesday, Pugsley and Lurch. Theyve gathered
where else? in the family graveyard, to celebrate life and death in a yearly ritual
to connect with their past and ensure their future. They seem at peace, not just
with each other and their inimitable, unchanging Addams-ness, but with their
dead ancestors, too who emerge from their graves on this night each year to join
in this celebration of continuity.
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But, at the end of the ritual, Fester blocks the ancestors return to their graves.
Those unchanging Addams family values are about to be tested. He enlists their
help to set things right, just in case a new family secret goes terribly wrong. Whats
the secret? Wednesday Addams, that irresistible bundle of malice, has grown up
and found love. So whats the problem? The young man, Lucas Beineke, is from
Ohio, and his parents are coming to dinner to meet the family. Two different
worlds are about to collide. Will love triumph, or will everyone go home
vaguely depressed?
Joan Marcus
Bebe Neuwirth
as
Morticia
Addams
Like any unconditionally loving family, the Addams promise to do their best to
oblige, while, lost somewhere in Central Park, young Lucas asks his parents to
resist any judgments and all catastrophic conflicts, so both families can enjoy one
normal night.
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But the moment Lurch ushers the Beinekes inside the decrepit mansion, tension
begins to mount. Mal, Lucass father, in the demolition business, takes an
immediate interest in tearing down the house. Alice, Lucass mom, begins to spout
happy poems at random a nervous habit. Pugsley, Grandma and Fester try so
hard to be normal, they could hardly be more peculiar. And Wednesday, having
worn black every day for eighteen years, comes downstairs to meet her boyfriends
parents in a bright, yellow dress.
As soon as theyre alone, Wednesday and Lucas plot when to reveal the real reason
for getting the families together: Theyre so much in love, theyve decided to get
married, though its clear they havent really thought such a big step through.
Lucas, trying to be cool, decides that hell break the news when the time is right.
Sometime during dinner.
In a damp and moldy grotto in
the bowels of the house, Gomez
and Mal share cigars and guy
stuff as Gomez shows Mal
his collection of exotic torture
devices, and introduces him
to one of the family pets
Bernice, a giant squid that came
up one night through the toilet.
While Gomez tries to find
out what makes this Beineke
fellow tick, Mal makes an offer
to buy the house. Citing the
sacred history of how these two
acres were deeded to his great
ancestor, Gomez politely, but
firmly, refuses.
Zachary James
as
Lurch
Joan Marcus
Kevin
Chamberlin
as
UncleFester
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In yet another part of the house, Pugsley, having witnessed Wednesday and Lucas
making out, worries that hes lost his best friend to her new, disgustingly sunny
disposition. Plotting to break up the happy couple, Pugsley steals a volatile potion
from Grandmas private stache Acrimonium one swig of which is guaranteed to
bring out the dark side in anyone who drinks it.
After what is likely a less-than-normal meal, Wednesday quiets the table for Lucas
surprise announcement. But Gomez reminds Wednesday that, before anything
else happens, its time for the traditional Addams family game, Full Disclosure
during which everyone takes a sip from a sacred chalice and reveals something
theyve never told anyone. Gomez uses his Disclosure to try, again in vain, to calm
Morticia. Fester announces that hes in the throes of a most unlikely love with
the moon. When its Wednesdays turn, Pugsley seizes his chance! He secretly pours
the Acrimonium potion in the chalice and passes it to his sister. But his plan to
awaken the dark side in Wednesday goes horribly wrong when Alice, coughing,
intercepts the chalice and downs the potion instead. A whole new Alice, very dark
and uninhibited, is born. The powerful poison prompts her to reveal the longburied problems with her marriage, humiliating Mal, who, fed up with all the
weird and creepy events of the evening, makes to leave, with Alice and Lucas in tow.
Wednesday blurts out the news: Lucas and I are getting married! Chaos engulfs
both families like a tidal wave, and Fester, ever-helpful, urges the Family Ancestors
to work some magic whipping up a sudden, terrible storm and trapping the
Beinekes with the Addams family for the night.
Carolee Carmello,
Terrence Mann,
and
Wesley Taylor
as
The Beinekes
Joan Marcus
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tolerate her husbands cynical attacks on Lucas and love. She packs him off with
a pillow and blanket to sleep somewhere else, as the storm inside her heart, and
outside in the park, rumbles to a conclusion.
Once the rains have stopped, Fester heads outside for a couple of hours of moonbathing, realizing after observing the three couples fighting the sheer luck of
being in a long-distance relationship, with the distant silver orb in the sky that
smiles down on him from the heavens.
Joan Marcus
Krysta
Rodriguez
as
Wednesday
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Joan Marcus
Adam Riegler
as
Pugsley
Bebe Neuwirth and Nathan Lane in a scene from The Addams Family.
Morticia stands on the roof of the house, silhouetted by the giant pre-dawn moon.
The ancestors spirits have led Gomez up, up, up to find her, to pull her back from
the edge. The other warring couples, Wednesday and Lucas, Alice and Mal, have
made their peace. Now Gomez woos his wife, as he first did one night many years
before, with the promise to laugh and cry and dance until the very gods weep
with envy. The mournful strains of a bandoneon waft up on the breeze, entwining
with the tempting wail of a violin and a tango begins the Tango de Amor, the
quintessence of Eros, the dance that makes men weep and women cry out in the
night. The irresistible expression of love between husband and wife. And Morticia
cannot resist.
With all three couples reunited, Fester is emboldened to make his move, and
launches himself to the moon. Landing safely, his face appears the man in the
moon and, love having emphatically triumphed in heaven and on earth, the gate
to the family crypt swings open, allowing the spirits of the ancestors to rest for
another year.
Its been a night of darkness. Everythings changed. And the new, extended family
understands: The unknown may be frightening, the darkness overwhelming,
but if we dont run from it, we may see our mysterious, miraculous lives finally
illuminated. If we move toward the darkness, we might find love and acceptance.
For when it is dark enough, we can see the stars.
Rick Elice
Bookwriter for The Addams Family
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Joan Marcus
The Arts
The Arts
Writing
Charles Addams was inspired to
Define create his ghoulish Addams Family
Normal characters from people in his life.
Think of a member of your family
or a close friend and use them as
the inspiration for a short story. What are some
special things about them that would make them the
subject of a good story? Do they have a specific look
or style that sets them apart? What about them is
humorous, mysterious or exciting?
In thinking about the traits that set them apart,
consider what impact your story will have on how
the person is perceived by those who read the story.
Will the readers opinion of the person change based
on what they read in your story? Will something
that is perceived as normal to you be seen as odd
to a reader who doesnt know the subject as well as
you? Think about other stories you know that have
characters that you think are odd or different. Does
your experience with your own story change how
you perceive other characters?
The Arts
Discussion
Explore
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Joan Marcus
Television
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Films
In 1991, Paramount Pictures released
the film The Addams Family. Directed
by Barry Sonnenfeld, the film starred
Anjelica Huston as Morticia, Raul
Julia as Gomez, Christopher Lloyd as
Uncle Fester, and Christina Ricci as
Wednesday. The plot of the film centers
around a con artist and her son who try
to steal the Addams fortune by passing the son off
as Gomezs long-lost brother, Fester. The film pays
homage to the recreates many of the iconic images
from the Familys early appearances in The New
Yorker. The most notable reference to the original
illustrations are in the films opening sequence
where the Addams family pours a cauldron of oil
on some Christmas carolers. Other images drawn
from the cartoons are the passengers on Gomezs
The character
of Wednesday was named by
Aboriginals, LTD.the company
that made the original Addams
Family dolls for the television
series. She is named after the
line Wednesdays child is full of
woe in the Mother Goose poem,
Mondays Child is Fair
of Face.
Commercials and
Merchandise
The Addams Family characters and famous
theme have appeared in countless commercials
since the 1960s including advertisements for
Addams Family cereal, Crest toothpaste, Tostitos
Tortilla Chips, Casa Modena (Spain), Coors Light
(featuring Thing), a 1995 Honda Odyssey
commercial featuring the cast of the second
film (Japan), and most recently as their M&Ms
counterparts to promote M&Ms Dark Candies.
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Cartoonists of
The New Yorker
What do you do?
Im a cartoonist.
I love cartoons. Where do you publish?
The New Yorker.
I love The New Yorker. Whats your name?
Frank Modell.
Yes? [Pause.] Ive never heard of you.
In the introduction to The Comic Worlds of
Peter Arno, William Steig, Charles Addams, and
Saul Steinberg, Frank Modell humorously relates
a story that is the reality for most cartoonists. He
goes on to say, Instantly enjoyable and instantly
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Joan Marcus
Saul Steinberg
(c. 1914-1999)
Joan Marcus
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Social Studies
Writing
What is normal? In the
Define 1960s when The Addams
Normal Family was first becoming a
cultural phenomenon, the
definition of a normal
family was significantly different than it is
today. Is what was considered normal in
1960 still considered normal today?
An interesting way to explore what a
society defines as normal is through
advertisements. Take a look at copies of
LIFE Magazine from the 1960s (Check
out books.google.com and search for
Life Magazine 1960s). What do the
advertisements from these old magazines
tell you about what normal was in
the 1960s? Advertisements tell us what
normal iswhat are they telling you?
Social Studies
Discussion
In the opening scene of The Addams Family, the
family celebrate life and death in a yearly ritual
connecting past, present and futurea ritual
passed down from generation to generation.
Social and family dynamics have changed a lot over
the past century. What do you know about your
grandparents generation that is unique to their
Social Studies
Explore
Talk to your oldest relative or family friend and ask
them what a typical family outing was like when
they were your age. Where did they go? What was
a typical family dinner like? How is it different
from the way you interact with your family today?
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Overture to
Language Arts
The Comics on Broadway:
Adapting Cartoons to the Stage
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Joan Marcus
Lil Abner
Everyone sings,
ALL
HAPPINESS IS SINGING TOGETHER WHEN
DAY IS THROUGH.
AND HAPPINESS IS THOSE WHO SING
WITH YOU.
HAPPINESS IS MORNING AND EVENING,
DAYTIME AND NIGHTTIME, TOO,
CHARLIE BROWN
FOR HAPPINESS IS ANYONE AND
ANYTHING AT ALL
THATS LOVED BY YOU.
LUCY
YOURE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN.
In his lyrics, Gesner is able to capture how Charlie
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Joan Marcus
Annie
The most successful comic-strip-to-musical
adaptation is the musical Annie, adapted from the
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Til tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
I love ya Tomorrow!
Youre only
A day
Away!
The musical, which centered around Annies
optimism and courage in the midst of the Great
Depression, was enormously appealing to 1970s
audiences who were struggling with economic
difficulties themselves; it ran for 2,377 performances
on Broadway, and continues to be one of the mostperformed musicals around the world.
Writing
Many of Charles Addams The Addams Family
cartoons do not have captions included with the
images, but that didnt stop The Addams Family
creators from giving the characters personalities
and putting words in their mouths. Adaptation is
about imagination after all.
Language Arts
Discussion
The Addams Family is only one of
Define many musicals adapted from another
Normal medium, and like The Addams
Family, many of these adapted works
share the story of a unique character
or group of characters. We are drawn to stories
Language Arts
Explore
Some cartoonists never include a caption with
their cartoons. They rely on caption writers
to make their characters speak. Go to: www.
newyorker.com/humor/caption/ and enter the
caption contest for this upcoming week. See if
youve got the wit to be a caption writer too!
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Overture to
Behavioral Studies
Charles Addams: Facing Fear Through Art
Addams was a cathartic force, diffusing ones deepest fears by illustrating them.
Therese J. Borchard
writes in a 2009 World
Of Psychology article,
Fears are like annoying
relatives. You cant avoid
them forever, and ignoring
them wont make them go
away...Laugh at them...
Scare them away. In
illustrating macabre, often
taboo, subjects in his
cartoons, Addams found a
way to cope with his own
fears and connect with
our desire to face difficult
truths. He gave us the
tools to be honest about
what scares us, and to break free from fears, often
overwhelming, grasp.
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Behavioral Studies
Discussion
Even the children of New Yorker readers, who
would not otherwise have picked up the magazine,
Behavior al Studies
Writing
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Behavioral Studies
Explore
On April 20th, 2006, the Rochester Institute of Technology hosted an exhibit by its
design students called, Safe: Design Over Fear. The project was modeled after a 2006
exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York titled SAFE: Design Takes On
Risk. According to an RIT press release, the design project consisted of more than 150
students who designed and constructed a wearable or portable costume addressing a
personal fearranging from a fear of germs, to a fear of getting bitten by a dog, to a fear
of not wearing the appropriate outfit.
The concept of facing our fears through art is not a new one. New Yorker cartoonist
Charles Addams dedicated his career to bringing us face to face with our darkest fears.
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Joan Marcus
GRANDMA
Define normal.
In The Addams Family, Wednesday Addams
is worried that her familys
strange traditions and rituals will disturb
her boyfriends visiting parents. She sings:
ONE NORMAL NIGHT
THATS ALL I WANT
THATS ALL I NEED FROM YOU
ONE NORMAL HOUSE
WITHOUT A MOUSE
TO FEED A PLANT OR TWO
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Adam Riegler, Jackie Hoffman, Krysta Rodriugez , Nathan Lane, Bebe Neuwirth,
Zachary James, and Kevin Chamberlin in The Addams Family.
Life Skills
MORTICIA
What are you wearing?
WEDNESDAY
A dress?
MORTICIA
A yellow dress.
GOMEZ
Paloma what happened? You look like a crime
scene.
Wednesday radically alters her appearance and
mood in order to conform to what she thinks is
the normal way to behave. The rest of the Addams
family believes they are just as normal as any
other family, and dont understand Wednesdays
request that they change who they are.
Discussion
What does the word normal
mean? What are your assumptions
about what normal is? Where
do we learn what normal is? We
see normal in movies and on television, but is
that an accurate gauge of what is normal? Does
the cultural information we learn in the media
challenge or uphold stereotypes of what normal
should be?
Define
Normal
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Life Skills
Explore
Write two versions of a scene set
Define around the family dinner table: one
Normal version that you consider normal
behavior for your family and one
that is unusual. Read both scenes
out loud to the class and have them guess which
is which.
Life Skills
Writing
Define
Normal
frame tk
Joan Marcus
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Matt Hoyle
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