The Theatre Arts Program (TAP), is running a production of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical “Fun Home,” which debuted Feb. 7 in the Black Box Theatre, and runs until Sunday, Feb. 23. Tickets cost $5 for students and $10 for faculty and staff.
Source: Kim Tyler, courtesy of Sacred Heart University Theatre Arts Program
Source: Instagram, @shutheatrearts
The musical is an adaptation of the 2006 graphic novel memoir by lesbian cartoonist Alison Bechdel. It is based on her memories, childhood journals, and both her and her father Bruce’s respective struggles with being closeted in Beech Creek, Penn. Bruce died by suicide soon after she came out.
The title references Bruce’s job as a funeral home director, deriving from the family’s name of the funeral home, and her museum-like Victorian childhood home, said the New York Times following the book’s publication.
The production follows Bechdel through three ages: denoted as “small Alison” when she is a young child, “medium Alison” as a college student during her gay awakening, and the oldest version “Alison” at 43.
Accompanied by a live band and performed in the round, audience members see the cast up close. They follow along as adult Bechdel pieces together clues from her childhood that were there all along, realizing that she and her father were both gay and struggled with self-acceptance.
Senior Grace Peknic, Vice President of TAP, stars as adult Alison.
“To see [the audience] follow along this journey and lean forward is very, very cool,” said Peknic, adding that the small size and close seating of the theatre allows the audience to feel like part of the show.
TAP is working with greater Bridgeport area partners and multiple campus organizations like the Sexuality and Gender Equity Center (SAGE) and the Counseling Center to promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), mental health awareness, and LGBTQIA+ representation.
“Theatre is bridging the gap between art and life,” said Peknic, in reference to services provided by the SAGE Center and the Counseling Center, the latter located within the Maureen Hamilton Wellness Center. The SAGE Center provides a place for LGBTQIA+ members of the SHU community to connect. The Counseling Center provides information on how to access support services.
Before the matinee on Feb. 8, SHU’s Protestant Chaplain Rev. Sara Smith, and Chief DEI Officer Maurice Nelson, spoke to the SHU community about the importance of DEI “in a time when there’s bills being dismantled, so it’s important to bring Alison Bechdel’s story to life,” said Peknic.
“There’s a reason why this university is doing ‘Fun Home’ now,” said Peknic. “It’s so prevalent right now with a lot of issues in our country. It’s a very specific show with an extremely universal theme. It’s about love, acceptance, a father-daughter relationship, living in your truth, and what truly matters in life.”
On Sunday, Feb. 23, Dr. Charlie Gillespie, Director of the Pioneer Journey, and Dr. Michelle Loris, Director of the Center for Catholic Studies, will host a discussion titled “Changing My Major: Conversations About Meaning, Who We Are and How We Evolve on Our Journey,” at 4:30 p.m. in The Black Box Theatre following the show’s 3 p.m. performance. Gillespie and Loris will guide attendees through discussions on the meaning behind life experiences.
Throughout the performance on Thursday, Feb. 13, audience members laughed at Peknic’s dry humor, smiled as senior Billy Kasheta led a song and dance number, and were moved to tears with the closing ballad after Bruce’s death.
“Audiences should see this because it’s a really powerful story and I can guarantee that you will be changed from it in some way. It’s important to see someone else’s view of life and to figure out who you are,” Peknic said.
