Street Theatre Company Closes Season With Groundbreaking ‘Fun Home’

As the executive artistic director for Street Theatre Company, Randy Craft is always on the lookout for musicals that are a bit unconventional, whether in terms of form or content. And Fun Home —  which opens Friday at the Barbershop Theater — certainly checks both boxes.

Based on Alison Bechdel’s hit graphic memoir, Fun Home follows Bechdel at three different ages as she explores her own coming out while grappling with the mysteries of her childhood — and the truth about her closeted gay father. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Fun Home premiered off Broadway in 2013 but moved to Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theatre in 2015, which made it one of the first mainstream musicals to feature a lesbian protagonist. With music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by Lisa Kron, Fun Home eventually won five Tony Awards, and was the first show written entirely by women to win the Tony for Best Musical. Perhaps that’s fitting, as Bechdel herself is credited with coining the Bechdel test — a set of criteria designed to measure women’s representation in fiction.

Beyond such well-earned accolades, what Craft finds most intriguing about Fun Home is its honest approach to storytelling.

“To me, Fun Home is a real truth story,” says Craft, who is serving as music director for the production. “I like that it portrays the LGBTQ+ community in such an honest way. It’s not caricaturing anybody. It’s not a depressing or overly dramatized coming-out story. It’s just an honest, truthful story that shows two people who basically reach the same conclusion about who they are, but make drastically different decisions on where to go from there.”

That’s not to say that the musical’s narrative is uncomplicated. Moving between past and present, Fun Home takes us through fragmented memories and conversations that allow Alison to see her parents “through grown-up eyes.” It’s not your typical musical, but thanks to Tesori and Kron’s exquisite score, Fun Home offers a deeply rewarding journey.

“Orchestrally, it’s so well-written,” Craft says. “There’s so much nuance, and you’re getting a lot of thematic stuff for different characters. There’s a lot of symbolism in the lyrics, with Alison talking about wanting to fly — playing airplane with her father, wanting to fly higher. Then there’s a lyrical shift, with medium Alison talking about falling in love, and her father talking about falling into despair. It sounds weighty, but then Jeanine Tesori is somehow able to throw in the head-bopping humor of the kids singing ‘Come to the Fun Home.’ It’s just a great show. And even if you’re not a member of the LGBTQ+ community, you’re going to find something to connect with. I mean, every family holds its secrets. Things are not always as perfect as they seem, and I think everyone can relate to that in some capacity.”

For longtime Street Theatre collaborator Leslie Marberry, who is directing the production, that sense of relatability is key.

“I have loved Fun Home for such a long time,” says Marberry, who most recently directed Ordinary Days for the company. “The music is gorgeous, the story is beautiful, and it means a lot to me to be able to tell this story with this cast. It’s been really cool to see the group come together with such amazing chemistry — both on- and offstage.”

That cast includes a terrific mix of fresh and familiar faces, including Delaney Amatrudo, Ryan Greenawalt, Katie Bruno, Jana Denning, Ayla Carlock, Maya Antoinette Riley, Grant Weathington, Alex Hillaker and Ryman Stanton.

When asked about directing her real-life partner Amatrudo in the lead role of Alison, Marberry calls it “pure joy.”

“Delaney and I first met when I directed her in Lizzie: The Musical for Street, and we quickly realized that we work really well together. I guess I was a little worried about what people would think about me casting her as Alison, but you just have to trust the audition process. And she has approached it all with such care, such love and respect for Alison’s story. She’s done a wonderful job. They all have.”

Of course, directing a cast of nine in the cozy Barbershop Theater is not without its challenges.

“I think this is the biggest cast we’ve ever had at the Barbershop,” Marberry says. “But I really love using the closeness of the space to our advantage. I wouldn’t want to do this show on a big stage. I want the audience to feel like they’re right there in the house with the characters. It’s definitely challenging, but it’s also really exciting.”

“Fun Home is such a roller coaster of emotions,” she adds. “It’s funny. It’s tender. There are moments of pain and sadness, but it’s also really hopeful. I think any director’s goal is for the audience to walk away thinking and talking, and maybe changed for the better. But as cliché as it might sound, I hope people walk away loving themselves — and each other — just a little bit more.”