They’re creepy and they’re kooky — and they’re coming to the Richland stage

Abigail Bennett Carterby wasn’t exactly an Addams Family aficionado.

The comics, the TV show and even the movies were all a bit before her time.

But when Mid-Columbia Musical Theatre announced auditions for an upcoming show centered around the creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky clan, the 21-year-old Richland actress boned up.

And she found in Wednesday Addams, the family’s deadpan daughter, something of a kindred spirit.

“I can be a pretty straight-faced type of person. I would say I share her slightly morbid sense of humor,” Bennett Carterby said.

It’ll be on display when MCMT’s production of The Addams Family opens Oct. 13 in Richland.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13-14 and 20-21, and at 2 p.m. Oct. 22 at Richland High School, 930 Long Ave.

In this Addams Family tale, Wednesday is all grown up.

And the “ultimate princess of darkness” does something truly shocking — she falls in love with a nice, normal guy from a nice, normal family.

The turn of events throws her clan for a loop, particularly when she begs her father, Gomez, not to tell her mom, Morticia.

“Everybody is in this new state of chaos that’s different from their regular creepy chaos,” Bennett Carterby said with a laugh.

The show is a lot of fun, she said. “It’s absolutely hysterical. It’s snappy. Probably one of those most difficult things is keeping a straight face because it’s so quick, so witty,” the actress said.

Bennett Carterby grew up in the Tri-Cities. Her parents both are educators, and they supported her love of performing arts.

She made her stage debut years ago in an Academy of Children’s Theatre production of Honk! Jr., an ugly ducking story.

She went on to perform in numerous other shows, including Les Misérables, The Sound of Music and Cats for Mid-Columbia Musical Theatre.

“For me, I really enjoy being able to share a character. Getting to live through a character’s feelings and emotions and being able to share that with others — it’s really liberating,” she said.

In The Addams Family, she’s joined on stage by a talented cast of fellow performers, including Joshua Fox as her beau, Lucas; Kyle Cox and Kelly Brown as Gomez and Morticia; Connor Cox as her brother, Pugsley; James Jones as Uncle Fester; Cynthia Vaughn as Grandma Addams and John Masulonis as Lurch. Jill Madison and Chuck Wojnowski play Lucas’ parents.

Chelsea Taylor is directing, with vocal direction by Ben Walley.

The show is fast-paced and will keep audiences laughing, Bennett Carterby said.

“But there are some really touching moments, too. Some really sweet moments,” she said. “I’m hoping the audience will leave the show feeling warm and happy, and having had a good time.”

Tickets start at $15 for adults, $13 for seniors and $10 for students. They’re available at midcolumbiamusicaltheatre.org, at Adventures Underground and Tri-Cities Academy of Ballet and Music in Richland and Visit Tri-Cities in Kennewick.

This story was originally published October 5, 2017 at 2:46 PM with the headline "They’re creepy and they’re kooky — and they’re coming to the Richland stage."