Overview

Synopsis

The Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home traces the coming-of-age of lesbian author Alison Bechdel, from her youth, to her years at Oberlin College, and finally to the present, where Alison, now grown, is struggling to write her own graphic autobiography. As Alison reflects on her past, she struggles to make sense of it, particularly her relationship with her father, Bruce, a closeted gay man and the owner of the family business -- the Bechdel Funeral Home (“fun” home, as it’s known to young Alison and her brothers, John and Christian). As she watches her father’s self-loathing consume him, Alison recognizes her own experience of discovering, and ultimately embracing, her identity. As Fun Home progresses, Alison is drawn deeper and deeper into her memories, finally entering into them, desperate (but unable) to reverse her father’s self-destruction. An unforgettable and groundbreaking musical, Fun Home explores the haunting pull of memory and the power it has to alternately destroy or shape, our identity.

Show Information

Book
Lisa Kron
Lyrics
Lisa Kron
Based on the Play/Book/Film
Fun Home
Category
Musical
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
1
First Produced
2013
Genres
Drama
Settings
Multiple Settings
Time & Place
beech creek, 1970s; oberlin college, 1980s; new york, present day, pennsylvania
Cast Size
medium
Orchestra Size
Small
Dancing
Musical Staging
Ideal For
College/University, Community Theatre, Ensemble Cast, Mature Audiences, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Star Vehicle Female, Star Vehicle Male, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Adult, Late Teen, Young Adult, Child Characters, Medium Cast

Lead Characters

Fun Home logo

Bruce

Lead, Male, Baritone

Fun Home

Fun Home logo

Alison

Lead, Female, Mezzo-Soprano

Fun Home

Fun Home logo

Small Alison

Supporting, Female, Alto

Fun Home

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