stage Fun HomeTHIS LESBIAN LIFE by lisa lipsey
IT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY MUSICAL EXPERIENCE. IT IS THE ONLY MUSICAL, WRITTEN BY TWO WOMEN, WITH A FEMALE, LESBIAN
PROTAGONIST LEAD.”
culture, diversity, social justice and reaching for those values.” Woodhouse found so many interesting things
within this story, “In Bechdel’s graphic novel, we see Alison, her family, and her closeted gay father. But the structure of the piece is not linear, like our own memories, it bounces deliciously between three different time periods. To move it from the graphic novel memoir to a musical, a decision was made to have three actors play Alison, at the age of 10, 19 and 43. That gave it the structure to go on a dig into the past, between the three time periods we get the rise and blossoming of a lesbian, the demise of her father and Alison here and now. It all happens in an intentional, but organic way and is seductive and beautiful. The music is gorgeous, from the opening refrain to the very end.” When it came to casting Woodhouse was thrilled
I came out cautiously; my closet had an observa-
tion deck. Shortly after, two older, wiser lesbians (my OWLS), gave me boxes of books: piles ranging from trashy romance novels, to classics like Rita Mae Brown’sRubyfruit Jungle. My lifeline turned out to be the smart-ass guide to lesbian history, dating, sexual health and culture aptly entitled,So You Want To Be A Lesbian? (Tracey and Pokorny, 1996). Included in the stack was one of Alison Bechdel’s
mid-eighties comic books, from the seriesDykes to Watch Out For. I never read it. I have never read any comics beyond the single-strip Sunday funnies and the occasional political cartoon. I felt nervous about the word “Dyke,” all its connotations, stigmas and the stereotyped image in my head, so feeling somewhat guilty, I donated it to the Center. How could I not read a comic book written by a lesbian? Then came the graphic novelFun Home, Bechdel’s
coming out story intertwined with reflections on her family life. It includes a grappling that I think we all do with adult eyes looking back: Who were our parents, really? Beyond what we saw and comprehended as
children, what motivated them? What trapped them, set them free, or shaped them? What good or bad did they pass on to us in the midst of the nurture versus nature debate? Now,Fun Home I read, and reread. I cannot say I reimaginedFun Home as a musical,
which I sometimes do with books, a hazard of being a theatre geek. Thankfully Jeanine Tesori (music) and Lisa Kron (book and lyrics) did and BAM!, the Pulitzer Prize-winning, Obie awarded, Grammy- nominated, five-time Tony Award-winning musical was born. Shaped through playwright festivals and off-Broadway venues, it made its Broadway debut at the Circle in the Square Theatre in 2016. Now, Artistic Director Sam Woodhouse is staging
it for the San Diego Repertory Theatre’s 43rd season. Even without the happy accidental pun, Woodhouse taking upFun Home makes a lot of sense, “It is an extraordinary musical experience. It is the only musi- cal, written by two women, with a female, Lesbian protagonist lead. Tesori and Kron are trendsetters, and hopefully that trend will continue in the theatre world. We are constantly progressing, elevating
at their good fortune, “Two ofFun Home’s leads have a history with the show. Amanda Naughton (mid- 40’s Alison) was a standby for the role in the national tour, Jim Stanek (Alison’s father Bruce) played the father role on Broadway. They have an unusual amount of knowledge about their characters and the show. Everyone, including some terrific young people, Small Alison and her siblings, is strong. On the very first day of rehearsal we read the piece straight out—all the way through—we were in tears, in awe at the power of story.” Woodhouse shared his thoughts onFun Home
as part of a larger season of productions, “Of the six plays in our season, four are written by women. That’s an extraordinary number and they are all critically-acclaimed, award-winning shows about social justice, the sharing of economic and political power and march us toward a higher ground.”
Fun Home at San Diego Rep runs Thursday, September 6 through Sunday, September 30 in downtown’s Lyceum Theatre. For tickets and more information, call 619.544.1000, or go to
sdrep.org.
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RAGE monthly | SEPTEMBER 2018
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