There is one week left until the curtain opens on Keene State Theater and Dance’s (TAD) production of “Fun Home.”
“Fun Home” is a musical theater adaptation of Allison Bechdel’s graphic novel “Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic.” It follows the story of Bechdel and the parallel relationship between her and her father as they both come to terms with their own sexualities.
Director and theater department chair Kirstin O’Brien said that the cast and crew have been working hard this semester to ensure all elements of the show run smoothly.
“[We] finish[ed] blocking the show and making sure all the movement on stage made sense,” O’Brien said. “We did a run of the second half of the show for our lighting designers…we had our first full run from top to bottom.”
Additionally, the cast strongly focused more on the musical elements, including a sitzprobe on Feb. 18.
“[We had] what we call the sitzprobe, it is the time for just the actors, the music director, and our orchestra to just sing through the show,” O’Brien said. “No blocking, no movement, to make sure everyone feels good about the music and what they’re hearing.”
In addition to music and blocking, the set and design crew are beginning to put the finishing touches on the set.
“Lights are being hung, sets are being brought in, floors being painted… it’s really kind of insane that it’s here,” O’Brien said.
As tech week approaches, the cast and crew will continue to collaborate and strengthen their communication with each other.
“We bring in our other collaborators who are bringing the design to it… making sure the orchestra sounds good and now we just get to collaborate with all the lighting and sound,” O’Brien said. “The two set pieces, the props, costumes, and just kind of work through the show moment by moment.”
O’Brien added, “Our stage manager Jayson Casetta will be able to write down in his book, what we call his acting script, a certain moment on stage, he’ll know if he has to call a light cue or sound cue. So it’s getting the run of the show into the design element, and then also into our stage manager’s hands so he feels comfortable.” O’Brien believes people should see “Fun Home” because of the powerful story it tells.
“It took a lot of courage for Allison Bechdel to expose herself in this way, she grew up in a life where she was not allowed to express her feelings in a certain way,” O’Brien said. “She is exploring the story of her coming into her own terms of her sexual identity and her father literally was in the same position as her.”
O’Brien added, “The fact they lived such parallel lives and never got to fully tell each other that, this was her goodbye to her dad…. It’s a musical about a family where the characters happen to be going through a discovery that deals with how they love each other, and what gender they identify as… It’s a story about discovery and family and family dynamics. Good and bad. It’s so relatable.”
In addition to the storyline, O’Brien is impressed by the cast and crew with which she has worked.
“I cannot tell you how special this show is, the group of actors that you are about to witness… they’re insane, they’re the most connected group of humans I’ve ever worked with and it’s just been utter joy,” O’Brien said. “Fun Home” performances are in the Redfern Arts Center Wright Theater March 1 to 4 at 7:30 p.m., with a 2:00 p.m. matinee on Saturday, March 4.
Additionally, both Saturday performances will be live-streamed. For more information, visit the box office website.
Nicole Dumont can be contacted at
ndumont@kscequinox.com
“The characters happen to
be going through a discovery
that deals with how they love
each other, and what gender
they identify as… It’s a story
about discovery and family
and family dynamics. Good
and bad. It’s so relatable.”
KIRSTIN O’BRIEN
DIRECTOR
