Khari Walser, a sophomore fashion design major, is the creative specialist for this year’s First Year Players production of “The Addams Family.” The musical follows the wacky family, and explores their strange lives.

The Daily Orange spoke with Walser about his experiences performing and what it was like to be on the costume team for “The Addams Family.”

The Daily Orange: Why did you join First Year Players?
Khari Walser: When I was applying to colleges my senior year of high school, I wanted to find a school that was well-rounded. Though I am a fashion design major, I am still able to achieve all the things that I love — acting, dancing, singing, performing — through FYP.

The D.O.: What got you into performing?
K.W.: My parents were both performers. My parents did ballet and theater, which was actually how they met. My parents really understood the arts so when my brother and I both wanted to become artists, they were very supportive of our decision. I firmly believe that the arts feed the soul.

The D.O.: What was it like growing up in a household of performers?
K.W.: I had an experience that other kids my age didn’t get. I got to go to Broadway shows a lot. I went to performances all the time for my parents’ friends who were artists. I met painters and musicians and dancers and all different kinds of people. I had parents who understood the importance of art and doing what you love, so when my brother and I decided that we wanted to be artists my parents were in full support of that. Even though my parents don’t perform as much anymore, I think that watching me and my brother do what we love is great for them. My parents came to every dance and guitar recital, every play, every musical — and they still do — and that means a lot to both my brother and I. But I believe I got all of the talent that I’ve been lucky enough to acquire from them.

The D.O.: Have you ever performed with members of your family?
K.W.: Surprisingly I’ve never performed with either of my parents, which is weird but I think it’d be a fun thing to do. However, there are videos of my brother and I when we were young where he’s playing the drums and I’m dancing. It’s pretty hilarious.

The D.O.: What was it like designing the set and costumes for Addams family?
K.W.: Being on costume team was a challenge because we needed to figure out which way we wanted to go in terms of style and we decided that we wanted to modernize the costumes a little bit, especially with Wednesday’s character. We looked at what the traditional costumes were from the movie and then made small changes. We didn’t want to mess with the costumes too much because these characters are so iconic and ingrained in people’s heads that we didn’t want to make them unrecognizable. … The majority of the work was put into finding and ordering costumes, and make changes to the costumes to fit the aesthetic of the production and what we and the director wanted. It was truly a team effort.

The D.O.: What is it like working with the other people in First Year Players?
K.W.: Being able to work with such a talented bunch is exhilarating. Even though they are not drama or musical theater majors, they are still very passionate and creative when it comes to the arts. It is truly a field for anyone and everyone.

The D.O.: What can audiences expect from the show this weekend?
K.W.: Lots of laughs. It’s a comedy, so it’s all about laughter. Expect amazing singers and actors. Expect to be amazed by how students can come together to create a project like this. There is a lot that goes into producing a play and it is amazing how students who aren’t professionals yet can be so put together and organized.

—Feature Editor Clare Ramirez contributed reporting to this article.

Published on April 8, 2015 at 10:31 pm

Contact; tchuang@syr.edu