Guest Blog by James Galluzzo, SPHR

Someone should really speak to the Human Resources Department in this place! Have you seen the outfit that Morticia is wearing? I am sure it is not in line with our dress code policy.  And while we are at it, I hope someone talks with Gomez about his choice of humor; he may need to attend sensitivity training.  Both Pugsley and Wednesday need to be reminded of the workplace violence prevention policies and that they are not allowed to bring torture weapons or explosives to work. I am absolutely positive that Fester is having an inappropriate relationship with a co-worker, but he claims they’re not actually dating. In fact, every single person in this organization: living, dead (and undecided) is probably breaking some rule or regulation in one way or another!! But wait ~ HR actually approves of this?

Why, YES! Yes, it is true that with any company these types of problems would keep any HR Director busy all day and probably pulling their hair out. But when you are talking about the fantastic musical theater production, The Addams Family, these are just fun parts of the plot. What is even better is that each of these characters, and the rest of the ensemble, are wonderfully quirky and a delight to watch on stage. None of this happens by accident, it only happens when you have a remarkable team come together to deliver a quality performance.

I have spent most of my adult life working as an HR professional; first in the military, and now for a state agency. Human Resources is an important function for any organization because people are the most valuable treasure in that organization. I had a boss that said “Love Thy Treasure” and he meant take care of your people. But HR is challenging as I am sure you can imagine. People have lives. They have problems and concerns and it often falls to HR to help. So there is a great deal of responsibility to work here. Sometimes such responsibility wears even the most positive, cheery, optimistic person thin and they need a break or refuge. Theater is mine.

My first theatre role was as Michael in Peter Pan, complete with the footy pajamas, more than 30 years ago. I fell in love with being on stage and performing. For me, having the chance to entertain an audience and see immediate reaction just charges the batteries! As I traveled and moved in the military, small community theatre shows were my hobby and I enjoyed every opportunity to act, especially for my fellow Soldiers. When my family moved to Columbia and I was planning to retire from active duty, I was so excited to find such a vibrant theatre community in the area. The reputation for Town Theatre to produce quality family-oriented shows that celebrate both the familiar traditional shows and the new genre fresh from Broadway and the Touring companies was certainly a draw for me.

I have now had the privilege to be in three of Town’s shows: Disney’s Tarzan, Singin’ in The Rain, and now The Addams Family.  Each one has been a fabulous experience.  But The Addams Family has been truly special. For one, I joined the cast late as a replacement. From the very first rehearsal I was warmly received and it felt like I had been part of this group all along. When you spend hours each day over several weeks, you become a tight knit group.  Each dance rehearsal we could see each musical number coming alive (or at least un-dead) and you can’t help but want to sing the songs. As this show came together you find yourself laughing at the laugh lines and jokes, as with any comedy show. However, what was different was you still have folks laughing days and weeks later even after hearing the same line numerous times. Not because the writing is so clever, but because the delivery and adaptation of the characters by these actors is so well done.

I guess this is the point from an HR professional’s perspective. It’s about the people. The cast and crew and leadership are what you want in your organization. They are caring, generous, capable, professional and serious about their craft. This group of volunteers give of themselves for others to have an enjoyable, memorable experience. I am proud and honored to be part of this team. So much so, that I have actively encouraged my day job office mates to come check out the show. It’s doubly satisfying to entertain one group of colleagues by singing and dancing on stage with another and give both groups some insight into this HR Director’s personality.

If your company was fortunate enough to have the kind of talent that is behind The Addams Family at Town Theatre, it would likely be one of the companies that are featured as “Best Place to Work.” It’s a great chance to have a night out with your co-workers. It makes for some fun conversations around the water cooler on Monday. So, consider it a team building exercise highly recommended by HR.