by Will Unger ‘19

English teacher Elizabeth Kominski is taking center stage this fall as Sherwood’s new theater director. Her first production will be a musical adaptation

of “The Addams Family,” based on Charles Addams’s original comics of the same title. In previous years, Sherwood has put on shows like “Fiddler on the Roof” and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Unlike in past years though, “The Addams Family” was picked directly by the students, then approved by Kominski and the musical directors. “One of the things I heard from the kids was that they really wanted to have input in the show selection, which I think is very important,” said Kominski. Senior Nick Weinrich, who has done productions at Sherwood since his freshman year said that, “the show was decided on by a group vote. That in itself was awesome, and we felt like we had a say in the process.” Though she has years of experience directing, Kominski has never directed a musical. This will be as much a new experience for her as it is for the cast members who are working with a new director. Kominski’s interest in theater began when she was very young. “I grew up loving theater and auditioned for my first role when I was 11,” she recalled,“[I] was just kind of going out for the play and ended up getting a big role, and just fell in love with it.” From there, she eventually went on to study theater in college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As time passed, she became more passionate about music, and then into teaching. According to Kominski, teaching provided a more stable career, while still allowing her to perform every day, using her talents in a way that benefited the greater good. The transition into teaching and working with kids, naturally led her into directing. Before coming to Sherwood, Kominski spent 10 years at Northwest teaching theater. Though she didn’t direct the school’s mainstage shows, she directed a number of smaller shows through the theater class—both in and outside the classroom. Kominski has gathered a team of top-notch staff to help her tackle the challenge of directing her first musical. This includes choir teacher Jonathan Dunn, who helps with the singing aspect of the show; instrumental music teacher Alex Silverbook,who conducts the pit orchestra that provides the show’s musical foundation; art teacher Sarah Breeden, who will serve as the production’s technical director; and a professional choreographer. This year at Sherwood brings a number of firsts for Breeden.Not only is it her first year teaching here, it is also her first experience as a technical director. An Einstein High School graduate, Breeden was a member of the tech crew for her junior and senior years of high school and the stage manager her senior year. This experience, in addition to her passion for building and set design, spurred her interest in being a technical director here at Sherwood. Breeden, who self-identifies as “a big planner,” has been working with Kominski to create extensive plans for the set of the show, featuring an elaborate version of the family’s house and a number of smaller scene-specific sets. Now, students and directors are coming together every day for after school rehearsals. In less than a month, all their hard work and planning will come to fruition for four shows November 15-18th.