In March 2022, David Rousculp, general manager of Harper’s Community Funeral Home (New Haven), produced the play Flanagan’s Wake – in the actual funeral home. He first produced the show two years ago at his firm, but the cast could only perform three of four shows due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Two years later, the cast performed six shows, and Rousculp was able to cut costs because he already had the props and costumes from 2020. Half of the original cast returned to reprise their roles, and Rousculp not only directed the show but also played the mayor. According to Rousculp, “The show is 60% script and the rest is improvisation.”

As it did in 2020, the funeral home donated all profits to Shepherd’s House in Fort Wayne, which serves struggling military veterans. Said Rousculp: “The show was a hit, and we were able to donate $6,000. We had a cash bar in one of the rooms, and it did well, too. I know some funeral directors might find this hard to imagine, but the community is very supportive when it is a fundraiser. We had people come to the show that had never been to our facility. It was a nice way for people to walk around and get an actual tour.”

He added: “Harper’s conducts about 140 funerals a year. It is slow enough to pull this off. I’m the only funeral director here, and I will admit I pushed myself to the limit. Overall, though, it was a success. I also learned so much about improv acting. We plan to do it again in 2024.” harperfuneralhome.com