A 'Fun Home' homecoming

Rhode Island native returns as a star of Tony-winning musical's first national tour

By Christy Nadalin
Posted 11/5/17

Homecomings are sweet, but as anyone with theater dreams can imagine, coming home as a seasoned theater veteran, to one of the biggest stages in the region, would be another thing entirely. One East …

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A 'Fun Home' homecoming

Rhode Island native returns as a star of Tony-winning musical's first national tour

Posted

Homecomings are sweet, but as anyone with theater dreams can imagine, coming home as a seasoned theater veteran, to one of the biggest stages in the region, would be another thing entirely. One East Providence native will have that opportunity this week.

Susan Moniz, a 1980 graduate of East Providence High School, will be starring as Helen Bechdel in Fun Home, set to run November 7 through 12 at the Providence Performing Arts Center. The daughter of Claudette and the the late Joseph Moniz (Claudette is still a resident of East Providence), Moniz' went from East Providence to Rhode Island College, where she soon settled into a theater major. A job a couple of hours outside Chicago, as a singing and dancing waitress, followed, but before long Moniz was able to save up enough money to move to Chicago proper and start auditioning.

"Chicago is a great theater town," said Moniz. "It's so livable, you can have a family, and everything that kind of lifestyle entails, and still be a working actor."
Moniz met her husband, Richard Grubbs, in the theater, and they have two children aged 19 and 17. Moniz stayed close to home for their formative years, taking roles in local venues including Chicago's Marriott and Shakespeare Theaters. Her role on this tour, which began last October, is her first traveling job since before they were born.

"My husband is great," Moniz said. "He works for Live Marketing and is able to work from home much of the time — but the kids have done a lot of stretching and growing this year." After this run, she plans to return home ("and reestablish my place in the household!") but overall it has been a smooth transition.

Fun Home is a musical based on the graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel. The story introduces us to Alison at three different ages as she explores and unravels the many mysteries of her childhood, chief among them that her father was a closeted gay man throughout her childhood in the 1950's and 1960's. It has been described as "a refreshingly honest, wholly original musical about seeing your parents through grown-up eyes."

"Helen is an interesting woman," said Moniz, speaking of her character. "And she is at the center of this family that looks like one thing on the outside, but is something very different on the inside." For Moniz, being a part of the 2015 Tony award-winning musical has been very rewarding for a number of reasons, not the least of which is how positively the audience responds to the story. "A lot of people are already avid fans, they come in knowing the story," she said. "But people who don't know the story come out of it being really moved. It goes to the heart of every family. We all have dysfunctions."

Aside from her positive experience at RIC, Moniz credits another Rhode Island institution — Trinity Rep — for helping inspire her career in theater. "One of my most distinct memories was going to Trinity as a student," she said. "It gave legitimacy and respect to theater outside of New York, something so important, something that every community should have. It told me I could do good work and hone my craft, wherever I chose to be."

For the second week in November at least, Moniz will be back in her original "fun home", and Claudette, her biggest fan, will be there to cheer her on.

The first National Tour of Fun Home, the groundbreaking, Tony Award-winning Best Musical will make its Providence debut at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) November 7 through 12. Tickets are on sale now at the PPAC box bffice, 220 Weybosset St., online at ppacri.org and by phone at 401/421-2787. Ticket prices start at $38. Please note that, due to adult themes, Fun Home is recommended for children aged 13+. For more information on the production, please visit FunHomeMusical.com.

Fun Home, Susan Moniz

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