​​​​​ The winner of five 2015 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Fun Home is based on Alison Bechdel’s best-selling graphic memoir. When her father dies unexpectedly, lesbian cartoonist Alison dives into the past to tell the story of her unique childhood playing at the family funeral home, her growing understanding of her own sexuality, and the looming, unanswerable questions about her father’s hidden desires. Fun Home introduces us to Alison at three different ages, revealing memories of her uniquely dysfunctional family that connect with her in surprising new ways. This unforgettable and groundbreaking musical explores the haunting pull of memory and the power it has to alternately destroy or shape our identity. 

 

AUDITIONS: 

Thursday, March 13th: 6:30-9:00pm 

Saturday, March 15th: 2:00-5:00pm

Callbacks: Monday, March 17th: 6:30-9:00pm

 

*We strongly encourage prior registration. Please use THIS LINK to select a 30-minute slot. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to complete the full audition form.

 

**If you are unavailable on either audition date, or have any other questions regarding auditions, please email director Whitney Brown at whitstheatre@gmail.com to inquire about other arrangements. If you are involved in another production which conflicts with any of the above dates, please reach out to make alternate arrangements. We would like everyone to audition who wants to.

 

***Everyone who auditions at Portland Players will be contacted with the result of their audition. Those asked to return for callbacks will be contacted by the Director or Producer and provided with additional details.

 

LOCATION: Portland Players 420 Cottage Rd., South Portland, ME 

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CASTING:

*The Portland Players encourages performers of all races, religions, abilities, sexual orientations, genders, socioeconomic backgrounds, and experience levels to audition.

 

*We strongly encourage BIPOC, non-binary, and LGBTQIA+ actors to audition for Fun Home.

 

*We are looking for collaborative, dedicated, and curious actors who are passionate about telling this story. We are dedicated to creating a safe, collaborative atmosphere in which we respect your time and lives inside and outside of the rehearsal space.

 

*There is the possibility of double-casting roles for children.

 

*Fun Home contains adult content including suicide, verbal domestic abuse, predatory grooming of teenagers, and some scenes of scripted intimacy. There will be choreographed intimacy between the characters of Middle Alison and Joan and Bruce and Roy/Mark.  Intimacy Coordinator Janice Gardner will be on the team for this production. If you have questions or concerns about show content, please contact the director at whitstheatre@gmail.com.

 

PERFORMANCE DATES: 

June 13th - 29th, 2025

Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30p

Sundays at 2:30p 

 

AUDITION TEAM: 

Director: Whitney Brown

Music Director Evan Cuddy

Choreographer: Chartreuse Money

Producer: Gigi Paquette

Assistant Director/Dramaturg: Marie Elizabeth

Stage Manager: Alexandra Garbeck

 

REHEARSALS:

Beginning April 3rd, rehearsals will be held Sunday afternoons 2-6pm and Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings from 6:30-9pm. We will have our young actors age 12 and under out by 8:30pm with the exception of tech week and the week prior. You must be available for all tech rehearsals (beginning June 7th) and performances to be cast. Additional time may be added during tech week. 

 

WHAT YOU NEED FOR THE AUDITION:

● Initial auditions will consist of singing. All auditioners will need to prepare one audition cut from FUN HOME found HERE. Acapella singing or recorded music will not be allowed. Sheet music will be available at the audition. You can hear the soundtrack HERE and many songs have accompaniment or karaoke tracks by searching YouTube. www.pianotrax.com is another good resource found HERE.

● Please be familiar with the story and content of this show before auditioning.

● You may bring a current resume and headshot if available. (not required) 

● Be prepared to list all of your conflicts between April 3rd and June 29th, 2025. 

● Please arrive approximately 15 minutes prior to your scheduled audition time. Remember to complete the audition form that will be emailed to you after you sign-up. 

● Callback communications will come from the Director via email. Callbacks will consist of a short dance combination, so please wear or bring comfortable clothing that you can move in and any water/snacks you might require. Dancing in the show is minimal, but there will be some movement/choreography for all characters which can be modified as needed for any actor. If you are invited to callbacks, music cuts and sides from the show will be provided. 

 

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN: 

 

ADULTS

 

ALISON BECHDEL A butch, lesbian cartoonist; wry, pragmatic, super intelligent. Alison is stuck artistically and is re-examining her life and her sometimes difficult relationship with her father. Determined to piece together a truer version of her life, Alison decides to write a graphic memoir, a process that ultimately heals her. Note: Alison remains onstage for the entire performance which requires stamina both mentally and physically. Age: To play 43 years. Vocal: Alto – low E to light belt C#. For auditions please prepare TELEPHONE WIRE.

 

BRUCE BECHDEL Alison’s father, a closeted gay man. A high-school English teacher, small-town funeral home director, and historic home restoration fanatic, he is charming on the surface, with deep layers of shame and anger right underneath. He is a complex man with a hot temper as a result of years of repression; can be caring and attentive to his children but is also quick to anger. Age: To play 35-43 years. Vocal: Tenor – B to G. There will be some intimacy coordination between Bruce and Roy/Mark. For auditions please prepare EDGES OF THE WORLD.

 

HELEN BECHDEL Alison’s mother. Intelligent, composed, with a quiet coiled intensity. Formerly a promising actress, now an English teacher, she is frustrated and exhausted by her tumultuous, emotionally abusive marriage. She has spent her life trying to be a good mother and wife while turning a blind eye to the irreverent activities of her husband. Age: To play 30-45 years. Range: Mezzo – Ab to strong mixed E. For auditions please prepare DAYS AND DAYS.

 

MEDIUM ALISON Alison Bechdel as a freshman at Oberlin College, discovering her sexuality; an incredibly well-read, hyper-intelligent teenager; her uncertainty about who she is makes her socially awkward at times. Age: To play 19 years. Vocal: Alto – strong mix-belt to C and effortless mix to E. *must be 18+ to audition (no exceptions). There will be staged intimacy between Middle Alison and Joan and possible partial state of undress. For auditions please prepare CHANGING MY MAJOR.

 

JOAN A student at Oberlin. She exudes a confident, sexual energy, with a dry sense of humor. Unlike Alison, Joan is very comfortable in her skin and openly identifies as a lesbian. Age: To play 19-22 years. Vocal: Alto – must handle harmonies. *must be 18+ to audition (no exceptions). There will be staged intimacy between Joan and Middle Alison and possible partial state of undress. For auditions please prepare CHANGING MY MAJOR.

 

ROY/PETE/MARK/BOBBY JEREMY (played by one actor) Roy, a young man Bruce hires to do yard work; Pete, a mourner who visits the funeral home; Mark, a high school junior; Bobby Jeremy, the lead singer of a band in Alison’s imagination. Singer with a strong clean 70s pop sound. Age: To play 18-30 years. Vocal: High tenor to a B. *must be 18+ to audition (no exceptions). There will be some intimacy coordination between Roy/Mark and Bruce. For auditions please prepare RAINCOAT OF LOVE.

 

CHILDREN 

 

SMALL ALISON Alison Bechdel as a child. Precocious and opinionated, yet because of the era she’s growing up in, she doesn’t have the vocabulary to fully define herself. She is on the cusp of finding herself and forming her own views on how a girl her age should behave and dress; confident and intelligent. Must be able to sing harmonies and move well. Age: To play 9-13 years. Vocal: B to B. For auditions please prepare RING OF KEYS.

 

CHRISTIAN BECHDEL Alison’s brother, he tries to be the leader but is overshadowed by Alison’s strong personality. Must be able to sing harmonies and move well. Age: To play 10-14 years. For auditions please prepare COME TO THE FUN HOME.

 

JOHN BECHDEL Alison’s brother. Like most boys his age, he is full of energy with a quirky imagination. Must be able to sing harmonies and move well. Age: To play 6-12 years. For auditions please prepare COME TO THE FUN HOME.

 

*SPECIAL NOTE FOR CHILD ACTORS: 

Anyone under the age of 18 auditioning will need parent/guardian consent at auditions. We encourage you to read the script or become familiar with its content prior to auditions. Fun Home is a funny, moving, and intense musical. It includes a complicated and verbally abusive relationship between a father and his children & a husband and his wife, depicts Alison’s romantic/sexual experiences when she comes out as a lesbian, and examines the troubling experiences of Alison’s father, a closeted gay man, including allusions to his predatory behavior towards teenagers and his suicide. Please contact the director to discuss any questions or concerns prior to auditions. This show’s content will be addressed and handled with as much care as possible. The directors/stage manager and producers will maintain contact with parents/guardians throughout the process and will discuss the content and our approach at any time. We encourage an open dialogue between you, the production team and your child throughout the process. 

 

**If you have questions, have trouble signing up or accessing materials, need any accommodations, or have access needs (ie. Large print or audio/visual materials, physical accommodations, adapted space or sensory needs) don’t hesitate to contact director Whitney Brown at whitstheatre@gmail.com. If you would like a tour or video of the audition spaces ahead of time to determine your needs, please reach out as well.

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