Lisa Kron

Lisa Kron is an American playwright, actor, and theater artist best known for writing the book and lyrics for the Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home, adapted from Alison Bechdel's graphic memoir. Through her work with the Five Lesbian Brothers theater company and her autobiographical solo shows, Kron established herself as a significant voice in LGBTQ+ theater during the 1990s and early 2000s. Her play Well, which premiered on Broadway in 2006, explored themes of illness and mother-daughter relationships while challenging traditional theatrical conventions. Kron received two Tony Awards in 2015 for Fun Home - Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score (shared with composer Jeanine Tesori). Her other notable works include 2.5 Minute Ride, which examines her relationship with her father and his experience as a Holocaust survivor. The playwright's work frequently incorporates meta-theatrical elements and navigates complex family dynamics, identity, and memory. Her writing style combines humor with serious subject matter while often breaking the fourth wall and questioning conventional narrative structures.

Readers appreciate Kron's honesty and humor in exploring complex family dynamics, particularly in "Well" and "2.5 Minute Ride." Theater audiences connect with her autobiographical storytelling style that breaks the fourth wall. Fans highlight her ability to tackle serious themes like illness and Holocaust history while maintaining levity. On Goodreads, several readers note her skill at weaving multiple narrative threads together. Common criticisms focus on the scripts being difficult to follow when read rather than performed. Some readers find her meta-theatrical style self-indulgent or confusing. Ratings: Goodreads - "Well": 3.9/5 (189 ratings) - "2.5 Minute Ride": 4.1/5 (82 ratings) - "Fun Home" (musical adaptation): 4.3/5 (2,471 ratings) Amazon - "Well": 4.2/5 (12 reviews) - "In the Wake": 4.0/5 (6 reviews) Note: Limited online reviews exist since most experience her work through live theater rather than published texts.

2.5 Minute Ride (1999) - A solo performance piece about the playwright's relationship with her father, a Holocaust survivor, interweaving stories of their trip to Auschwitz with visits to an Ohio amusement park.

101 Humiliating Stories (1993) - A solo show examining personal experiences of embarrassment and shame through interconnected autobiographical stories.

Well (2004) - A meta-theatrical play exploring the relationship between Kron and her mother while addressing issues of illness, wellness, and social activism in their Michigan community.

Fun Home (2013) - A musical adaptation of Alison Bechdel's graphic memoir, written in collaboration with Jeanine Tesori, following a woman's discovery of her identity and her relationship with her closeted father.

In the Wake (2010) - A play set during the George W. Bush administration that follows a political journalist examining her personal relationships and political convictions during a time of national crisis.

The Ver**zon Play (2012) - A theatrical work based on Kron's real experiences dealing with a major telecommunications company's customer service system.