When Jason White thinks of “The Addams Family,” his mind rushes back to his childhood when he would watch the animated sitcom that filled his afternoons.

“We didn’t watch Cartoon Network in my family,” White said, who was born in New York but not the part of New York everyone thinks of. “We watched TV Land and Boomerang, so I saw all the oldies and ‘Addams Family,’ the animated show, was always on it.”

As a director, educator and artist, White is eager to direct one of his favorite childhood shows for Fountain Hills audiences beginning Sept. 15, the premise of which follows the dark and ghoulish Addams family and their ultimate princess of darkness, Wednesday Addams, who has grown up and fallen in love with a respectable young man from Ohio. Confiding in her father for his support, Wednesday begs him not to tell her mother. According to a press release, everything changes when the Addams family host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.

In his first play directing at Fountain Hills Theater, White, a youth theater director, said directing adult actors has been quite different.

“It’s been an interesting change of pace to where I don’t have to tell adults to ‘Please quiet down so I can talk,’” White said, who, over the last few weeks of rehearsal has been internally questioning himself why everything is going so smoothly before realizing, “Oh yea, these are adults.”

White has directed the high school version of “The Addams Family,” and has had a lovely revelation of all the jokes that were cut out in the “all-ages-admitted” version.

“I’m reading this and I’m like, ‘Wow, yeah, that was certainly cut from the high school version,” he laughed.

According to White, “The Addams Family” is quite popular in the Arizona theater scene. When people think of “The Addams Family,” White said typically people think of the new “Wednesday” show, the live-action “Addams Family” show featuring Christopher Lloyd or the “Addams Family Values” sequel in the late 90s, early 2000s era. It’s for this reason that White wants to take a different approach. That’s where his childhood cartoons come into play.

“So many people choose a version of the Addams Family that leans super hard into the Gothic. We can’t get rid of that - it’s now in the cultural membrane - but no matter how weird it is and how quirky the ‘Addams Family’ is, it’s just about a loving family.”

In “The Addams Family,” White hopes to answer questions like, “How do two families get along when they come from such vastly different backgrounds?” and, “How does one make a cohesive family unit?” and more importantly, “What does it mean for parents to watch their children grow up?”

“I think any family or kid has gone through that feeling like they’ve outgrown their family unit, and their family unit is resisting a little bit,” White said. “Anyone who’s experienced that can absolutely walk away from this show feeling like they’ve been heard.”

White moved to Arizona when he was 10, jumping around the East Valley and obtaining his bachelor’s in theater at Arizona State University. He teaches technical theater at Childsplay Theatre Co. in Tempe and is the artistic director for the YETi program (Youth Ensemble Theatre Inc.), offering hands-on experience to teens on what it takes to produce a show from start to finish.

Over the last few years, White directed, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” and “Chicago,” with the Actors Youth Theater in Gilbert. Last year, White directed, “Constellations,” with Black Box Foundation in Casa Grande which received a nod for the Best Production from the ariZoni Theater Awards of Excellence.

“The Addams Family” is directed by Jason White, musically directed by Tom Mangum and choreographed by Gin Selfridge. “The Addams Family” is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide. “The Addams Family” is rated G, suitable for all audiences.

“The Addams Family” will play from Sept. 15 to Oct. 1, with performances on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Individual tickets are $35 and seniors receive a $5 discount on all Thursday performances. Group, active duty and veteran discounts are also available. All performances are at Fountain Hills Theater on its Mainstage Too at 11445 N. Saguaro Blvd.

Tickets are available through the Theater Box Office at 480-837-9661 ext. 3 or by visiting fhtaz.org. Box Office Hours are 10: a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For additional information, call Fountain Hills Theater Artistic Director Peter J. Hill at 480-837-9661 ext. 7.