Such breaking of the fourth wall helps relieve some of the tension of a sometimes deeply painful story. An excellent storyteller, Fangsrud tells many anecdotes that charm and delight, but her narrative sometimes threatens to become oppressively dark when she moves to such subjects as suicidal depression and familial rejection. By inserting absurd asides about her own acting as if she is reading from a script, Fangsrud smartly lightens the overall mood — and reminds us that we are in the safe space of theater.

I call theater a safe space here, because theatrical magic becomes central to Fangsrud’s narrative of thriving despite painful life challenges. Fangsrud explains how theater rescued her, allowing her to experience the wonder of bringing joy to others by being someone else.

In an especially powerful scene, Fangsrud passionately describes her favorite role — playing Puck in William Shakespeare’s "A Midsummer Night’s Dream." We share Fangsrud’s joy as she recalls wowing audiences with the wild energy of a fairy who brings them both chaos and delight.