On Oct. 25, recent Artist of the Week Grace Fruauff ’26 presented a part of her Honors thesis in playwriting to the Swarthmore community. In previous theatre and film projects at Swarthmore, Fruauff has experimented with involving light-hearted elements, such as popcorn, stuffed animals, ghosts, and dance, in her creative works. Her previous plays, such as “The Wiener House,” “Monkey See, Monkey … A Love Story,” and “Romania,” embraced the richness of theatrical expression to make the familiar unfamiliarly humorous.
Expecting a lighthearted reading, those in attendance were instead exposed to a raw, energetic, and ambulatory performance with shouting, blocking, and even acts of violence. “False Thief” follows a group of fangirls devoted to the world’s biggest boy band sensation, An6els, whose once-angelic image begins to crumble as a major scandal erupts in the media. In a play loaded with cult-like passion, scriptural allusions, ethical dilemmas, and a systematically strict and imposing community, the audience sees how the six passionate fan members grapple with grief, excuse evil, and yearn for a sense of purpose and belonging.
“False Thief” captivates viewers through a fresh and fluid structure. The play uses a monologue-driven narration, where the characters often communicate their inner thoughts directly with the audience. Though these women share the same story, the radical shifts in narrative really amplify Frauff’s unique and multilayered perspectives through the characterization of these distinct characters. Meanwhile, the An6els, usually the center of public attention, are left undepicted, acting solely as a symbol of celebrity idolatry. Highlighting these typically unseen figures who quietly act as the supporting force, Fruauff directs our attention to the internal mechanisms of the fan community.
Listening to these fan members’ inner thoughts creates dramatic tension that not only encapsulates the audience but also entwines them into the play’s emotional and ethical framework. As each character presents her firsthand experience and inner thoughts to the viewer, it becomes apparent that each member has their own distinct reasons for joining the fan club. Moreover, their opinions on the alleged transgressions of An6els, and fellow groupies range widely. With each successive soliloquy, the viewer discerns that this fan club is not a chorus of harmonious truth but rather an incongruent assembly of justifications and power dynamics.
Inspired by Toshiki Okada’s fluid timeline, Fruauff incorporates nonlinear storytelling, a technique in which events of the play are not presented in chronological order. Combined with the women’s monologues, it has reshaped the audience’s views on characterization, forcing them to see not just the individual’s perspective on herself, but also how others in the group view her. Aside from foreshadowing and showcasing the intense ideological friction between members, the fractured narrative vividly demonstrates how the story becomes increasingly distorted. Truth becomes obscured, blurring the lines between perception and reality.
By emphasizing certain viewpoints, Fruauff slowly builds a world where truth is subjective. As monologues overlap, the audience receives a warped timeline that, instead of providing answers, leaves a dramaturgical distortion where loyalty, morality, and idolatry are constantly contested — for those on stage and in the audience.
Alongside the storytelling structure, Fruauff also integrates elements of theology. The title itself references a Christian figure often referred to as “The Impenitent Thief” — of the two criminals crucified beside Jesus, he did not repent of his sins. This biblical allusion automatically communicates to the viewer that there is an amorality at hand, one that will give no apology, setting the stage for the oncoming turmoil.
Additionally, the inclusion of the character “Y/N” as a Christ Figure elevates this theme. Compassionate and just, her dual identity as a character within the play but also a representative for the audience (“Your Name”) mirrors the hypostatic union of Christ as both fully man and fully god. She is ultimately betrayed by her company, a narrative turn that solidifies her symbolic role as a Messianic Martyr but also emphasizes the moral decline of the An6els and the fan club.
Y/N acts as the voice of morality in the fan club, urging the women to resist the temptation to falsely believe that these performers are innocent. Her community’s elevation of this band to heavenly, untouchable status substitutes true spiritual connection for devotional blindness. As the newest member, Y/N’s presence and uncontaminated ideals juxtapose the club’s thoughts with those that are more similar to the indoctrinated audience, demonstrating that their adoration for An6els surpasses admiration and has transcended into idolatry.
These idols dictate not only the women’s time and money, but also their actions. Trapped in the belief that the An6els are divine and faultless examples of perfection, the fan club is unable to reevaluate the seraphic nature of the boys. Instead, they contort reality to justify the band’s behavior, depicting the band’s cruelty as a malicious framing. The toxic relationship the fan club has with An6els bends their beliefs and behavior. Their interest drifts away from revealing the truth and towards preserving the sacred image of their musical deities. “Putting the boys first” supplants any moral obligations that the women would have previously held: when something is made the focal point of your entire life, redirecting your gaze is strenuous. The only way these women can cope with their heroes’ shortcomings is through complete ethical erosion.
While the group as a whole can overcome any cognitive dissonance, Fruauff uses this descent into treachery to drastically transition the light-hearted, comedic tone to one emphasizing a sense of darker humor, concluding the story on a disquieting note. Fruauff uses the idolatry present in the play to claim that idols ultimately corrupt values. Under the clutches of false gods, humanity crumbles, forsaking conscience for coherence and community.
The abandonment of morality signifies a desire for connection, bringing out the complex theme of gender dynamics and community in a relatively dark tone. The audience witnesses how an all-female fan club puts all their faith in a boy band, only for this trust to be completely shattered. Viewers witness how the long-lasting, hectic search for evidence to prove the innocence of the boys ends in disappointment, yet the unquestionable cult sustains, watching how the club formulates and becomes the sole, irreplaceable community for these lonely characters to form connections. The women’s dynamic forces viewers to contemplate what society can be. Fruauff makes the fan club a metaphor for how many societies — a neighborhood, a political party, a nation-state — can function.
Members of the audience left the theater carrying several key ideas in mind. The communities we inhabit can have a profound impact on the trajectory of our values and lives. At times when we feel alone, we seek communities that give us a sense of belonging, and yet if we reduce people to nothing more than shared interests, at the same time, we make ourselves vulnerable to deceit. When shared appreciation becomes blind allegiance, idolatry creeps its way into our beliefs. In our own lives, the quiet construction of idols encapsulates us even without our knowing. Initial appreciation gradually reshapes our habits, lives, and values, and it is in this transformation that we yield our ability to govern our thoughts and behavior. To avoid engaging in this parasitic practice, we must put faith in our better judgments, discerning past seemingly angelic voices and towards the truth.
