Silhouette Stages’ Fun Home at Slayton House in Columbia, Maryland, is as close to a perfect theatrical experience as I could wish to see. The show is intricately constructed, the dialogue snappy and tender, the songs plot-relevant, the acting heartfelt, the relationships genuine, and you should go immediately.
I know nothing about Fun Home except that I’ve never seen it before — I’m a fan of novelty. It’s performed as one act, no intermission: a musical about family trauma. In it, Alison Bechdel, an adult comic book artist, reflects on her relationship with her family, particularly her father, including us as her memories are enacted by her little-girl self, her collegiate self, and assorted other characters who’ve made their marks. Fun Home, book by Lisa Kron, music by Jeanine Tesori, and lyrics by Lisa Kron, is based on Alison Bechdel’s 2006 graphic novel of the same name.
When Fun Home was developed in 2013, the off-Broadway run was extended four times before moving to Broadway, where it won five Tony awards, including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score. More than a decade later, Fun Home is ready for community theater; some community theater is ready for Fun Home.
I flat-out love everything about this script. Its construction, nonconsecutive timeline, characters existing in multiple times and spaces simultaneously — this show is an example of the very best there is in theater. Silhouette Stages’ production absolutely does it justice, with extras.
Slayton House in Columbia is a multi-use community space, constructed with a large flat area directly in front of the stage, and beyond, tiered seats. The raked seating is steep enough that sightlines are wonderful. The temporary floor seating, closer to the action, is flat and rearrangeable. (I never choose that section because I feel like I need a phone book to sit on for adequate viewing. And now I’ve just baffled the kids.)
The program for Fun Home includes definitions and explanations of phrases used in the dialogue — familiar enough if one was a child in the 1970s — which may require some backstory if one is a child now. (For example, Phone Book: A large, thick, alphabetically arranged softcover directory of telephone numbers for businesses or homes from days when telephones were physically attached to buildings that had them.)
Director Stephen Foreman gathers a delightfully talented adult cast and four brilliant youth actors. His blocking is more like choreography, as adult Alison, played with deft, understated humor by Katie Cashin, moves around the stage, introspecting, while action unfolds in her mind’s eye. A sequence of actual choreography is inspired. The relationships between the characters are believable, and every performer is amazing.
Due to one of those quirky happenings of live theater, I get to see both of the performers sharing the role of Small Alison, with the bulk of the performance done by Jules Kanarek, who is natural, expressive, and vocally emotive. Caroline Anderson, who takes over the role near the end of the performance I attend, is self-assured and fast on her feet. Cooper Johnson and Noah Anderson as Alison’s brothers, John and Christian (respectively), are confident performers and terrific dancers. As Helen Bechdel, Ellen Quay is polished, brittle, and tightly wrapped … until she isn’t, and that’s beautiful. Her solo, “Days and Days,” is a powerful peek into her perspective.
As charismatic, complicated Bruce Bechdel, Michael McGovern is remarkable and fascinating to watch. Kaylee McDonald plays Medium Alison, on her own for the first time, with the same combination of whimsy and sass that we’ve learned to love in Small Alison, and a voice that knocks her solo out of the park. Joan, Alison’s love interest, is played with groundedness and earthy appeal by Maria Maclay. Ryan Kieft, in a many-faceted performance, is a string of men who impact Bruce and sometimes the rest of the family.
Music director Dave Foley fosters ear-pleasing vocals and wonderful harmonies. Particular favorites are “Come to the Fun Home,” “Changing My Major,” “Ring of Keys,” and “Flying Away.” The live pit musicians exceed expectations, and Jen Retterer on cello is exquisitely poignant.
All production values are very high in this show. Sound quality is perfect, separate from sound designer Val Smith’s solid soundscape. I’m impressed by the multilevel scenic design, also by director Stephen Foreman, which hides bits of sets in little pockets and decorates the stage in oversized Bechdel comic panels. These are highlighted by lighting designer Collin Griese for additional effectiveness, and one dramatic “special” takes away my breath. Costuming by Debbie Mobley, with hair and makeup by assistant director AnnaBelle Auguste, reveals character and time period flawlessly. Intimacy director Kelly Williams-Carlson ensures that everyone looks natural in moments of passion; seriously, best I’ve seen.
Sensitive content warning from the producers: “Fun Home contains adult language and mature content, including discussions and depictions of death, violence, suicide, sexuality, and sexual content.” I’ll add to this list emotional manipulation, infidelity, alcohol use, and cognitive dysfunction. It is recommended for ages 13 and up. On this page, there’s a link provided for a family guide to the show. I do not recommend clicking it unless you truly need to, as it contains many spoilers.
Kudos to Silhouette Stages as an organization and to the cast and creatives who’ve produced this show. Fun Home is the whole package. It deals with non-pathological issues of family, outsider-ness, transition, reframing, and authentic existence. There is a lot of local theater happening in the month of March. This one might well be the best of the lot.
Running Time: One hour and 45 minutes, with no intermission.
Fun Home plays through March 22, 2026 (Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 2:00 pm), presented by Silhouette Stages performing at Slayton House in the Wilde Lake Village Center, 10400 Cross Fox Lane, Columbia, MD. Purchase tickets ($25, adult; $20, senior, student, military, educator; $15, child) online.For additional information, call 410-216-4499 or email info@silhouettestages.com.
No food is allowed inside the theater, and the show is performed with no intermission, so if you’d like to support Silhouette by purchasing snacks, do that before seating yourself.
Enjoy free parking in the Wilde Lake Village shopping center and the swim center next door.
Next up for Silhouette Stages is Green Day’s American Idiot, directed by Henry Cyr.
Final Factoid: Alison Bechdel, creator of the long-running alt-comic Dykes to Watch Out For (1983–2002), is the originator of the Bechdel-Wallace test. In brief, the test is: Do two women have a conversation with each other about something other than a man? Yes? Pass. No? Fail.
