Directors Note


When I married into my husband's family, I was thrown-off. We came from wildly different backgrounds. My mother kept our house in pristine condition, (growing up, we referred to it as "the museum"), whilst my in-laws struggled to keep plates unbroken. What I started to notice was a truth I think many people learn much earlier in life - the house cannot make the home, furthermore, the family. That has to come from the relationships we take the time to love into being.

A curious person by nature, I dug deeper. What things have I, and we as a culture, made into idols of wholehearted families? (White picket fences, 2.5 kids, the yard with the dog house, a clean kitchen), and what are the characteristics we have shamed parents into favoring over relationships with their children? Moreover, what would happen if we were to break down these idols entirely, rocking the foundation of the formula we have deceived ourselves into believing, to produce healthy families?

Hence: what if a house is broken but a home is whole?

These are the themes we dissect in this contemporary classic.

Performer in a shaggy costume carries a boombox on stage during a colorful theatrical production.
A young performer walks across a dark stage lit in blue, wearing a striped shirt and carrying a prop.
Large ensemble cast performs on a colorfully lit stage with blue backdrop and ornate set design.
A dramatic theatrical performer in a red jacket raises a sword on a dark, red-lit stage.
Ensemble of performers dressed in white ghostly costumes pose together under eerie green stage lighting.
A young performer in a striped shirt dramatically spreads arms wide while chained to a wooden set piece.
Empty theater stage with blue lighting illuminates an ornate set featuring frames and a grand staircase.

Building a family takes work.

When I look back on this production, two things stand out. First, the incredible talent of our students—especially a jaw-dropping performance by Alice. Second, how much we grew as an artistic team over the course of the process.

It took real effort to communicate, collaborate, and learn how to support one another creatively, but that challenge ultimately made us stronger. It was an eye-opening experience for me as a director, and I’m so grateful to have gained not only artistic growth, but also a group of people who feel like lifelong family.

A woman in a white ruffled dress and boots poses beside a saddle in a sepia portrait.
Three performers pose together in a sepia-toned theatrical group photo.
A sepia-toned performer in a cowboy hat strums a ukulele on stage.
A sepia portrait of a bride sitting on the floor and a suited groom holding a champagne glass.