It’s a central part of Ursinus’ CIE curriculum that the entire first-year class reads the same texts at the same time, all at once grappling with the same questions about themselves and about the world; to think together is to engage in the liberal arts education that defines us as a college. It’s particularly meaningful, then, when every member of the Ursinus College community has the opportunity to return to a story first explored in CIE and see it in a new light. This is precisely the chance that the current run of Fun Home at the Kaleidoscope Theatre provided, and the Ursinus community’s understanding of the CIE text is better for it.
Fun Home — the 2015 musical version, that is — is an adaptation of Alison Bechdel’s 2006 graphic memoir of the same name, which, according to its earliest mentions on Ursinus’ website and in The Grizzly, has been a part of the Common Intellectual Experience since at least 2015.
According to Theatre professor Domenick Scudera, Bechdel’s story carried new weight as students returned to it through the show — or, in the case of first-years, experienced the original text and the musical in tandem: “At this current political moment, a story like Fun Home is really vital to tell. We have people in our country that are trying to erase or minimize the LGBTQ+ community, and that makes it important for us to continue to share the lives and experiences of that community, and to share it widely and proudly.” He emphasizes, though, that “this is the type of show that anyone can come see. You don’t need to have any prior knowledge of the text… the play stands on its own, and, as a piece of theatre, I think it’s an important work.” Aside from being tied to an integral part of CIE, this production of Fun Home is unique in another sense: unlike many of the shows put on at the Kaleidescope, the musical was double-cast. That is, there were two actors cast in each role, and they switched off every night.
This brought another layer of honed depth to each actor’s performance. Annie Zulick, ‘25, and Laisha Torres, ‘26, both played 43-year-old Alison Bechdel as she sits down to write her memoir, and observing each other provided inspiration and ideas to add to the performance. Torres found herself able to “see an interpretation that [she] otherwise wouldn’t have seen [and] wouldn’t have done… not only is it extremely helpful to my own acting, but it’s motivating.” Zulick saw the “give and take” of her performance alongside Torres — “Being able to watch Laisha and then reflect on what I’m doing.” — as vital. Sisters Gianna, ‘26, and Alexa, ‘27, Daiuto, who portrayed Alison Bechdel as a child, even found meaningful connections to their personal lives. Gianna sees herself and her sister in their character: “Our Alisons reflect what we were like as kids, and we were very different kids… there’s a little bit of me in my Small Alison and a little bit
of [Alexa] in [her] Small Alison.”
Of course, Alison Bechdel’s heart-wrenching story is not a simple one to tell. Evan Chartock, ‘25, and Landon Conrad, ‘28, were double-cast as Bruce Bechdel, Alison Bechdel’s abusive father whose own closeted queerness- -and assault of multiple young boys– complicate her identity as a lesbian. Conrad highlights challenges that echo the heavy moral questions brought up by the original text: “I find it hard playing such a nuanced character in the sense that I’ve never done something as real and raw and emotionally powerful as Bruce before. Bruce is not painted as a protagonist or antagonist, but the way the actor portrays him can lead to different interpretations from the audience.” Chartock, on the same point, adds, “We’re not playing Bruce Bechdel. We’re playing Alison’s memory of Bruce, and that adds a whole other layer of complication about [Bruce’s] motivation and intent.”
Scudera also shared his hopes for the show prior to the run; outside of appreciating its social commentary and importance to Ursinus’ academic community, he voiced a hope that “people will come see the show and just have an open mind for what they’re about to see. So, it is going to be different from the book, so you can’t have any expectation that what you read in the book is going to be on stage. It does follow the same story, but it’s told in a very innovative way… don’t make it an academic exercise. We want you to enjoy it.” Chartock feels much the same; while he understands that “theatre isn’t for everyone,” he finds that “this show transcends expectations of what people consider to be a musical… just knowing how relatable it is, taking place about three hours from where Ursinus is. Being on the CIE syllabus… there’s something for everyone to pull from.”
All involved emphasized the benefit of seeing both talented and dedicated casts. Andrew Reyes, ‘28, who portrays Mark and Bobby Jeremy, is one of two actors who played the same role in both casts, and he had the opportunity to observe the relationships that form between his fellow performers and the nuance of their different performances: “It’s interesting to see how they feed off of each other and try to make a general vibe… and, since I’m also kind of a deck crew member, I’m backstage seeing how everyone is doing their own interpretations. It’s really fun to see it all come together.”