Fun Home

About

Alison Bechdel's 2006 graphic novel Fun Home opened up a new world for the genre. In it, Bechdel tells of her own growing up in the family funeral home (“Funeral Home”, jokingly shortened to “Fun Home” by the family), her coming out, the difficult relationship with her bisexual father, who (presumably) committed suicide when she 19 is. Her unsparing yet loving and humorous account of her family became a bestseller and was translated into German by literary critic Dennis Scheck, among others. The musical was developed by Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori for five years before the Broadway production won five Tony Awards (Best Musical, Book, Score, Director and Lead Actor) in 2015. The role of Alison was split between three actresses: the narrator working on her graphic novel, the young college student coming out, and the 10-year-old having a carefree and unusual childhood with her brothers in the "Fun Home" passes without realizing how troubled her parents' marriage is.