Tell us a little about you!

Hi! My name is Charlie Youel, I’m 18 years old, and I grew up here in Goochland. I have been acting for 8 years, as you might have seen me in the past few productions at Goochland High School. I am currently a student at Brightpoint Community College and plan to transfer to Longwood University for theatre education.

Why did you want to be involved in this production? 

Crystal and Dillon have urged me to audition for a GCT show for years, and when the 24-25 season was announced, I knew I wanted to audition for this show.

Who is your favorite Addams Family member and why? 

Definitely Uncle Fester. He’s such a classic and loveable character, and Devon does an incredible job with him.

How is this production bringing something new to the show? 

The stage requires the actors and set to be more intimate with the audience, which is unique to this theater.

How is your character like you? How is he different? 

Lucas and I are very similar. Optimistic, grew up in a pretty normal family, a romantic, etc. One thing that sets us apart is definitely his devotion to Wednesday. If I saw a girl with a crossbow in Central Park, I don’t think I’d stick around very long to chit chat.

What do you love about your character?

 I love playing comedic characters in general, but Lucas has this goofy teen boy charm around him, and I think the audience is going to love him and Wednesday.

What is your favorite song to perform for this show, and why?

Crazier than You, without a doubt. I love seeing the duality between Mal and Alice vs. Lucas and Wednesday, as they’re both the “optimist vs pessimist/opposites attract” trope. I’m also a sucker for good harmonies.

If you could play any other character in this show, who would it be?

Definitely Gomez, his character is so extravagant and over the top, and he’s a great father role, which you get to see in Happy/Sad (which has made me cry SO many times).

What is your favorite line? 

Heyy, It’s the pugster! What up little man?

Who should come see this show? 

Anybody who loves a laugh and a happy ending.

What’s the biggest challenge about taking on this role?

This is the first time I’ve played any kind of “love interest” role, so working on the character dynamics between Lucas and Wednesday is a new challenge for me as an actor.

How would you describe this show in one word?

Crazy. In the most terrific way.

What will the audience be thinking about in the car as they drive home after this show? 

Definitely our fantastic set. Chuck did a wonderful job designing a set that’s unique to our theater space and it works so well for the show.

This is GCT’s first musical production. What was the first musical that you ever performed in and what was your role? 

My very first musical was Honk Jr., which was my first time ever on a stage. I was in 6th grade at Goochland Middle School, and I played Beaky, which was one of the Ugly Ducking’s siblings.

What is your favorite song from a musical to sing in the shower/car? 

Pulled was on my musicals playlist before this show was even announced, it’s so catchy.

Aside from this one, what is your favorite role you’ve ever played? 

Davey from Newsies. It was the first lead I ever played and the rehearsal process from that show was my absolute favorite.

Aside from this one, what was the hardest role you have ever played and what made it so difficult? 

Definitely Daddy Murphy from Brightstar. He’s a very religious and conservative father from the 1920’s, and the first really serious role I’ve played. It was difficult to be actually mean onstage, let alone abusive. Making jokes offstage definitely helped take the edge off from some of the more intense scenes.

Besides this one, what is your favorite stage show? 

My favorite musical is Cabaret. I love the messages in the show and the two seemingly opposite settings in that show make it just this ticking time bomb until the ending hits you like a train. I love shows that sneak up on you with their message.

When you have a five-minute break during rehearsal, how do you spend your time?

Checking my phone, taking a sip of water, and talking with my castmates.

What do you do when you are not doing theatre? 

I’m in class, driving, on my laptop, or with my cat.

What is the last thing you do before you step out on stage? 

Taking a deep breath. No matter how many times I’ve done this, I always have nerves before an audition or before going out on stage.

What is a show you hope to see GCT do in the future?

 I want to see them do more musicals! This one has been so much fun and I can’t wait to see more.

What is your favorite Halloween costume ever?

 Probably Dipper from Gravity Falls. I’ve worn it 3 separate years!

What is your favorite Halloween candy?

 Dots, which are super underrated, or Reese’s.

What is your favorite scary movie?

 The Shining! It’s a classic, and I love psychological thrillers, R.I.P. Shelley Duvall

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