Heidelberg University
School of Music and Theater Productions
February 7, 9, 15, 17
A Note From the Director
Adapted from American cartoonist Alison Bechdel’s award-winning, graphic memoir Fun Home, the musical Fun Home explores the childhood and youth of Alison Bechdel. Beginning in her home studio, we see Adult Alison work on the first draft of her graphic memoir. As she sketches, imagines and draws, vignettes from her past come to life on stage. The narrative structure is not a traditional through-line but instead, a moving series of memories, fantasies, and discoveries. We meet Alison Bechdel at three different stages of her life: Small Alison, a precocious 9 year-old living with her family in the small Pennsylvania town of Beech Creek; Medium Alison, a college freshman stepping into the real world for the first time; and Adult Alison, a 43 year-old cartoonist. We meet The Bechdel Family; Alison’s father Bruce, an English teacher and Victorian house restorationist, her mother Helen, and her two brothers John and Christian.
Over the course of the show, we watch Alison grow up before our eyes in Pennsylvania in the 1970s and 1980s. This was a time when many Americans were craving personal liberation, rebellion against Government, and seeking individualism through religion, pop-culture, gender roles and sexuality. Reflecting from memory to memory, Alison questions herself; who are these people who made me and who am I?
The questions many of us long to understand about ourselves and our own families are asked throughout the show. Perhaps Fun Home reminds us all of where we grew up. Perhaps we discover we are nothing like Alison and Bruce, but at the same time, we are just like them. Perhaps we are reminded of relationships with our own parents, family secrets, and our individual journeys of self discovery.
Being on the Heidelberg Campus and working with the students of the Theatre and Music department throughout this rehearsal experience has been inspiring. Heidelberg offers students the experience to discover themselves, while providing a family of peers, mentors, and supporters. Thank you for opening your arms and letting me be a part of your wonderful, creative, and loving family.
Sit back and make yourself at home. We are glad you are here.
Caitlyn Oenbrink
Director of Fun Home
Fun Home
Meet the Cast
Bella Ballard is a first year student double majoring in Musical Theatre and Communications, minoring in Music while on a Pre-law track. At Heidelberg she has recently appeared in Cabaret (Helga), is a member of the Speech Team, the Business and Technology Events Council, and is the vocalist for Jazz Band. Before Heidelberg, Bella has appeared in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Cinderella), The Addams Family (Wednesday Addams) and Elf (Jovie). She is very excited to be working with such a talented cast and crew. @bellaballard & www.bellaballard.com
Kaylea Bowers is a graduate student in the MBA program at Heidelberg. She was in several mainstage shows at Heidelberg during the completion of her undergraduate degree, her favorite role being Sophie in Mamma Mia! Kaylea is very thankful for the opportunity to perform during her graduate year at Heidelberg and wants to thank everyone for their continuous love and support of the Arts.
Elayna Brock is thrilled to be performing on the Gundlach stage in this production of Fun Home. Elayna is a freshman musical theatre major who loves being on the stage, not only within the theatre program, but also with Heidelberg’s show choir, Hei-Notes. She attended Lutheran High School of Indianapolis Indiana where she performed as The Baker's Wife (Into the Woods) and Lowbutt in (Honk!). She would like to thank her family and friends for always supporting her throughout her life, and always being in the front row of her shows.
Gavin Buurma is a sophomore business administration and musical theatre double major from Willard, Ohio. He has performed in various productions here at Heidelberg including The Music Man, Macbeth, The Penguin Tango, Mamma Mia!, and Cabaret. He has run the sound board for Lysistrata and Oedipus, stage managed/assistant directed Embracing Eve, and is currently running the light board for She Kills Monsters. Gavin is very excited for the opportunity to be apart of the Fun Home cast. He would like to thank his friends and family, especially his mom, for all of their support.
Braydi Clark is a Freshman with a Major in Computer Science and a Minor in Musical Theatre. He has performed in The Thief, a play produced by his hometown church, as well as High School Musical On Stage where he played Troy. Braydi wants to thank his friends and family for constant support in everything he chooses to do!
Caira Goldstein is a Junior at Heidelberg University. She is a Musical Theatre major. She was previously in Lysistrata, Oedipus Rex, Macbeth, The Music Man, Cabaret, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Mamma Mia!, Sister Act, and A Grand Night for Singing. She also performed in the masterclasses of Tom Cippulo and Jeff Blumenkrantz here at Heidelberg. Caira thanks you for supporting our program and hopes you enjoy the show!
Kamryn Mohney is an accounting and musical theater double major at Heidelberg University. Kamryn is a first year student and debuted on the Heidelberg stage as Fraulein Kost in Cabaret. She is apart of Hei-Notes and the Concert Choir here on campus. Kamryn has been involved with theater since the seventh grade and is delighted to continue her journey here at Heidelberg.
Alexander Roerdink started participating in theater five years ago. He has been in The Wizard of Oz Jr., James and the Giant Peach Jr., The Lion King Jr., Once on this Island Jr., Peter Pan Jr. (Michael), The Lion King Jr., The Music Man (Winthrop), Mulan Jr., and To Kill A Mockingbird (Jem). He is in the seventh grade at Hopewell-Loudon. He enjoys acting, playing the French horn, running in cross country, and running track. Alexander would like to thank his parents, his sisters, his aunts, Joanna, and Robin for always supporting and encouraging him.
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William Sweeney is a senior music major at Heidelberg University. Since joining the theatre community at the ‘Berg, William has played many roles from a native crap-shooter from Chicago to a jewish man from Germany. This is William’s first principle role at Heidelberg and is very excited to take everything he has learned and bring his character to life. William is also an aspiring costume designer! William has worked on many shows as an assistant designer, wardrobe head, and a stitcher. This is the first show he has ever designed and he is very excited for his debut! William would like to thank his family for their support in everything that he does! He doesn’t know where he would be without them. William hopes you enjoy the show, and would like to wish all of his fellow cast members luck on their performances! Break your legs, not your hearts!
Tech/Creative Team
Destiny Chesser is a theatre production major at Heidelberg University and is from Cleveland Ohio. She is a current sophomore and her past productions with Heidelberg University are Mamma Mia! and Lysistrata. Destiny would like to thank those in her life that support her and wish her to succeed.
Courtney Berkheimer is a senior theater production major. This is her eleventh show at Heidelberg. This show was one of her favorites to work on in her time here. She is so grateful to everything Caitlyn has done with her while working together. She hopes everyone enjoys this show and her projections that she designed for it. Courtney hopes everyone comes back to see She Kills Monsters and 9 to 5, to see all the other theater magic we do here at Heidelberg University.
Kay Collins is a Theatre Production Major at Heidelberg University with a concentration in Stage Management. Most recent experiences include Wardrobe dresser for the world premiere of The Royal Family of Broadway at Barrington Stage Company, and assistant wig designer to Brittany Hartman on Getting The Band Back Together currently on Broadway in New York. Previous Heidelberg shows include video and projection design for The Diary Of Anne Frank, Stage Managing Little Women as well as How I Learned to Drive and Assistant SM for Sister Act. Other past shows include 9 to 5, Hairspray, Seussical Jr, Grease, and Into the Woods featured at Workshop Players in Amherst, Ohio and Oberlin College.
Anna Gerber is a sophomore theatre and English major from Richfield, Ohio. She is very excited to be working on Fun Home as the stage manager. In the past, she has been assistant stage manager for The Music Man, and stage manager for Cabaret, Mamma Mia!, And The Penguin Tango at Heidelberg, and Titanic at the Ritz Theatre. She has also done sound design on Oedipus and Lysistrata. She would like to thank her friends and family for their support!
Allison Gonzales is a first-year sophomore studying environmental science and theatre with a concentration in production. Cabaret was her first show at Heidelberg before becoming a stage manager for Oedipus. She is very excited to be the Props Master for Fun Home. She would like to thank her friends and family for supporting her.
Lauren Gronsky is a Freshman theatre production major and is excited to be sound board operator. In her free time she is a part of the marching band and dance team. Lauren would like to thank her family for always supporting her and coming to all of her shows.
Isaac Hulbert has always been interested in working in every aspect of theatre and every time he does, it becomes more and more enjoyable. He loves every second of it. Isaac is very excited to be assisting with the costume process. He hopes you all enjoy the show!
James Ogle is not only an actor here at Heidelberg. He also does hair and makeup designs for the productions as well. James has been doing hair and make up for four years now. Some of his work while here at Heidelberg includes: The Music Man, Macbeth, The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Nighttime, Mamma Mia!, The Penguin Tango, Cabaret, She Kills Monsters, and Fun Home.
Ben Pollizi is a Freshman Musical Theatre major and is very excited to be a part of another show behind the scenes! He was seen last semester in Cabaret as well as Oedipus and Lysistrata. He looks forward to many future shows, and he hopes you enjoy this one!
Jasmine Ridler is a sophomore Theatre and History double major. She is overjoyed to be the makeup designer for She Kills Monsters and Fun Home. She has recently received praise for her performance in HU’s production of Cabaret as Fraulein Schneider. Jasmine plans to return to the stage as Roz in HU’s spring musical, Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5. She would like to thank Stephen and David for their belief in her and their passion for helping her grow. And she would like to thank her partner Em Swain for their support.
David Cotter previously served as the Managing Artistic Director of Town Hall Theatre, the only theatre in Dayton, Ohio, exclusively presenting work for young audiences. While at Town Hall Theatre, David oversaw the redevelopment of the education programs, developed programming for adults with special needs, and created and implemented a facilities upgrade plan for the theatre which included new lighting, sound and audience seating upgrades. David was the Director of Education at The Redhouse Arts Center in Syracuse, N.Y. where he oversaw a $3.2 million education collaboration program that focused arts integration and collaboration with student in the Syracuse City School District. In addition, he oversaw programming that included the Rock Camp experience, programming for adults with special needs and communications training for graduate and doctoral students in the medical fields. David is a certified music educator in Ohio and New York and spent time in the middle school classroom. David is a frequent presenter at conferences, which include the Southeastern Theatre Conference, American Alliance for Theatre Education, Florida Theatre Conference and Tedx. He is an avid musical theatre performer, director, and music director.
Caitlyn Oenbrink is an American actress and creative now living in London. Recent theatre credits include: When Midnight Strikes (Jennifer), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Miss Dorothy), Carousel (Julie), The Light in the Piazza (Clara), As You Like It (Rosalind), The Cherry Orchard (Anya), Metamorphoses (Aphrodite/Baucis), The Sound of Music (Maria), The Music Man (Marian), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Rona). Off stage, her voice over work can be heard globally including work for various film and television and commercially for Netflix, Pretty Little Things, Sony. She studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute NYC and is a proud graduate of the USC School of Music. She’s excited to be back on Heidelberg campus working with students and directing Fun Home. www.caitlyoenbrink.com