After the rousing success of BSM’s most recent musical, “The Addams Family,” The Spotlight Education Program awarded some talented students awards for their exceptional work in the play. All areas of the play received various awards. The production won four “Outstanding Awards,” two “Honorable Mentions,” and one “Shout-Out.” These awards were the result of work from many different areas including acting, ensemble, A/V board operators, and the technical crew.

Senior Madeline Turk was recognized for her work in the “Outstanding Performance in a Lead Role” for her part as Wednesday Addams. Turk believes that receiving the highest honor isn’t just due to her own work, but also the work of the people around her. “I cite my fellow castmates for helping me win; they created an incredible show,” Turk said.

Behind the scenes, senior Andrew Torrance and the rest of the technical crew received the “Outstanding Technical Crew” award.  For Torrance, the best part of the performance wasn’t about the show itself; it was the people involved. “Before the show, we mess around backstage it Mr. Effertz’s shop. [One day] we got a bag of flash cotton, and we just went around lighting it,” Torrance said.

“The Addams Family” was the last performance for the stage manager Morgan “Mo” Holmes, and the technical crew wanted to honor someone who had been so influential in the way the plays went. Torrance recalls how Holmes was a positive influence on the entire cast, and how they went the extra mile to send her off properly. “For Mo leaving, we made a big 25 foot long banner, and we drew on it in Sharpie in one of the hallways at BSM. It was a wonderful gesture, but we did not check to make sure the Sharpies didn’t bleed through the paper,” Torrance said.

According to Torrance, the social aspect of plays is important for how the play runs, and whether or not it receives prestigious awards like the Spotlight award. “The Spotlight interviewer came during the show, and she told us we were doing an awesome job.  So we just kept working; we just kept going,” Torrance said.