Nov. 14–17, the College of William and Mary’s theater department presented “Fun Home,” a Tony award-winning musical based on a graphic novel memoir of the same name written by Alison Bechdel. Directed by professor of theatre Holly Maples, the show was performed in the Glenn Close Theatre in Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall.
Whether laughing, crying or simply staring in awe, I was glued to my seat for the entire 110-minute duration of “Fun Home.” The nine-person cast, down one actor due to illness — get well soon — was nothing short of magical, bringing to fruition an already compelling story with beautiful conviction.
“Fun Home” tells the story of Alison through a series of non-linear vignettes, bouncing back and forth between her childhood, her first few months at Oberlin College and her adulthood as she tries to navigate the troubled waters of her relationship with her closeted gay father, Bruce Bechdel, while simultaneously coming to terms with her own sexuality.
Truly, it is impossible to pick one stand-out performer in this production. Everyone on stage brought such commitment and thoughtfulness to their role. However, some particular moments do stick out to me as I sit down and write this review a few days after watching the show.
Sofia Strick’s ’25 portrayal of college freshman Alison resonated deeply with me; the mixture of existential dread and gay panic, coupled with the character’s use of novels to seek comfort amid significant life transitions, felt incredibly genuine. Also, I think we all chuckled a little harder than we would like to admit at the relatable delivery of Strick’s line, “I’m sure there are people here who aren’t total idiots.”
Further, “Fun Home” sheds light on what it means to live your life “in the closet,” where the Bechdels’ house symbolizes the closet in which Bruce is trapped by his repressed homosexuality. The slow-burn reveal of Bruce’s secret is intensified by subtle references to substance abuse and domestic violence, or at least threats of physical harm, gradually unveiling the cracks in the walls. In these hints that something is not quite right here, we see the prolonged effects of Bruce’s abuse on the rest of the Bechdel family, which helps to explain why Alison’s mother, Helen, struggles to accept her daughter after Alison comes out as a lesbian.
Performed by Livi Greco ’25, Helen’s speech to Alison when she returns home from college, confessing all of the pain she has endured throughout her marriage because she thought she “was meant to, and now [her] life is shattered,” brought tears to my eyes. Greco skillfully conveyed the expected subservience of women in our patriarchal society, gaining the audience’s empathy for Helen, despite her blatant character flaw of being so innately frightened of Alison’s queerness.
All of this is finally revealed to Alison in the song “Days and Days,” where everything is no longer “balanced and serene, like chaos never happens if it’s never seen.” Greco’s performance was nothing short of chilling; I got actual goosebumps.
Last but not least, my drama teacher and director in high school would always find one “pearl” to celebrate in each run of a show we performed, whether it be an individual actor who really shined on stage that night or a specific scene or moment that was exceptionally memorable. I have adopted his idea of the pearl and now always keep my eye out for what that pearl might be when I am at a performance.
Watching “Fun Home,” the pearl was unmistakable. In a conversation between young Alison (Bobbie Doherty ’27) and Bruce (Jonathan Aspin ’27), Bruce yells at Alison to get dressed for a party, insisting that she must wear a dress because that is what is proper for girls. Alison retorts, “You’re wearing a girl color,” and suddenly, everything changes.
Aspin expertly walked the line between external rage and internal shame. The intensity in his performance built as Bruce isolated his own daughter, criticizing her self-expression, due to his personal trauma and repressed identity. Doherty’s and Aspin’s characterization work effectively set up the show for a not only believable but also enthralling conflict between Alison and her father that spans decades, coming to a head when Bruce ultimately takes his own life.
From the clever set design to the spectacular actors’ choices, “Fun Home” ranks as one of the best pieces of student theater I have seen to date, and I can’t wait to see what else the department puts on. Next up in the programming is Jake Swery’s ’25 senior directorial of “The Empire Builders,” which will be performed in the Studio Theatre, Nov. 22–24.