Striding across the stage with her voice soaring through her solo, senior Sevi Cullum commanded the audience’s attention with her recent performance in this spring’s “The Addams Family Musical,” put on by the drama department. With her name appearing on many recent productions, it might be a shocking revelation she has only been at the high school for two years.
Growing up in Florida with her mom, a Wildcat alum, Cullum was always aware of her roots at the high school. After her family moved back to Michigan last year, she has since embraced her talents and abilities on and off stage in the community.
Her starring role as Morticia Addams in the Addams Family musical this year is not the extent of her involvement. Cullum also serves as the drama club co-president with fellow senior Elizabeth Cosby.
With a slew of acting credits to her name: Wadsworth in Clue and Mrs. Wormwood in Matilda for Northview, as well as narrator Josephine March in Little Women at her high school in Florida; Cullum knows a thing or two about theater and has the experience to back her confidence up.
Even so, Cullum learned a lot from her Theatre Arts and Communications teacher, Nancy Hoffman, who also taught Cullum’s mother during her time at the high school.
“[Hoffman] taught me how important it is to listen to the other actor, because a lot of acting is listening and then reacting to what the other person is saying so you can be more present in the scene,” Cullum said. “I’m really interested in how humans interact and stuff like that. Through playing different characters, I can see how different peoples’ brains work.”
Hoffman was thrilled to work with Cullum during her final years in high school, seeing her as a “pleasure to direct.” However, Hoffman sees Cullum’s true value coming from her character.
“She’s really good at working with other students,” Hoffman said. “Students are drawn to her because of her affirmation, positive outlook and overall validation of other students. She just makes other kids feel seen and heard. You know that she gives [you] her full attention.”
After working side-by-side with Cullum for the last year, Cosby feels those aspects of Cullum make her a great leader for the club. Working in a partnership, Cosby handles more of the planning, organizational and technical parts of the club, while Cullum brings her creativity to foster engagement, fun and life to the meetings.
“She’s such a light in everything that she does. She has so much passion for theater and drama,” Cosby said. “That really shines through in her performances and the way that she interacts with everybody else as a leader in the drama club and helps others to have that same mentality.”
Cullum recognizes her mother, Erin Cullum, for being a huge part of her passion for theater. Erin, a director and actor in her own right, was recently cast as Beelzebub/Zephon by the Paradise Lost Actor’s Theatre. Sevi strives to give her all into acting, just like she watches her mom do on the daily. Hoffman sees the similarity between her former student and current one.
“Sevi is unapologetically herself. She is authentic to the core,” Hoffman said. “There’s no artifice about [her,] and she’s a lovely, kind-hearted person. The essence of [Cullum] is just her kindness, her acceptance of others. She has a really big heart.”
One such example of Cullum’s kindness was during her final year in Florida when their production of Little Women was shut down by the school due to a lack of funding and the director leaving. To save the show, Cullum took on leadership roles to finish the play.
“With the help of parents and everybody we put the production on as a separate body separate from the school. We did all the fundraising, all of the set design makeup, everything. Since we put that whole production on ourselves, it was so special and the emotion throughout the whole show was just [incredible].”
Cullum plans on attending Grand Rapids Community College to pursue her passion for theater, just like her mom. Hoffman is excited for Cullum’s bright future.
“When [Cullum] performs, it’s like she is hearing the other actors’ words for the first time. The performances are always really honest and true,” Hoffman said. “I can’t wait to see what she does in college and beyond because I know she’s going to find a way to make this her life’s passion.”
