Intertwined with the universitywide Homecoming theme of tradition, the Department of Theatre will feature “Fiddler on the Roof” through Sunday, marking 54 years since the department first performed the musical.

Lila Griffith, senior theatre major from Sanger, said the opening and closing nights are the best times to go. Her favorite night is tied between the two.

“Opening night, the energy is absolutely electric,” Griffith said. “Everyone is on fire, and you’re so nervous, and you’re so excited because generally that’s the first time you’re getting an audience.”

The students and directors have been working on “Fiddler on the Roof” since the beginning of the school year, Griffith said, making closing night extra special as well.

“Then closing night is also one of my favorites because it’s so bittersweet,” Griffith said. “We’ve been rehearsing this for two and a half months.”

“Fiddler on the Roof” is an award-winning musical, originally premiering at the Imperial Theater on Broadway in 1964, according to Britannica. The musical was adapted from Sholem Aleichem, a Yiddish author in the 1900s, who wrote about Jewish culture in the Russian Empire.

The theatre department at ACU has run “Fiddler on the Roof” multiple times, the first time being in 1972. The narrative follows a father, Tevye, and his five daughters, who all fall in love with different men.

Dawne Swearingen-Meeks played the oldest daughter, Tzeitel, in 1995, and is now directing this year’s show. Kendall West, senior theatre major from Houston, is playing Tzeitel this year.

West said this is her fourth Homecoming Musical to work on and third to perform in.

She said a lot goes on and happens throughout Homecoming week, with everything from the parade to the football game to the tailgate, but West said people still make time for the art within the musical.

“I feel very honored by the university and the alumni that they hold the Homecoming Musical in such high regard,” West said.

Griffith plays Hodel, the second-oldest daughter. Griffith said her character and the musical tie into the theme of tradition.

“It’s a motif throughout the show. The opening song is called Tradition,” Griffith said. “The whole show for me has really been about, ‘How do you uphold the traditions that you hold so dear when the world is changing around you?’”

Tradition flows through the narrative of the play, but that’s not where the theme stops: The Homecoming Musical is a long-standing tradition itself.

Griffith said what makes the tradition of the Homecoming musicals so special is building community with each other, alongside their characters, building community within the storyline.

“It’s really just been such a rewarding learning experience,” Griffith said, “especially this being my last homecoming musical as an undergraduate.”

With this year being the final Homecoming Musical of Griffith and West’s undergraduate careers, West said the start of show week feels special, especially as “Fiddler on the Roof” features a relatable family theme of love and disagreement

“I am just excited for audiences to bring their own relationships to this show and watch it in the context of their lives,” West said, “thinking about the ways in which they love each other and are loved by them.”