FAT HAM by James Ijames, directed by Don Mays, is a funny, poignant play that deftly transposes Hamlet to a family barbecue in the American South to grapple with questions of identity, kinship, responsibility, and honesty. Wilbury Theatre presents this 2022 Pulitzer Prize winner for Drama in a candid, hilarious and thought-provoking tragedy that presents more as a comedy! This modern-day reinvention of the Shakespearean classic will have you roaring along with the cast!
According to Wilbury, Juicy is a queer, Southern college kid, already grappling with some serious questions of identity, when the ghost of his father shows up in their backyard, demanding that Juicy avenge his murder. It’s a familiar story, well-versed in Hamlet’s woes. What’s different is Juicy himself, a sensitive and self-aware young Black man trying to break the cycles of trauma and violence in service of his own liberation. From an uproarious family barbecue emerges a compelling examination of love and loss, pain and joy.
Dana Reid portrays Juicy with calm style and perfect grace. You’ve gotta love his sincerity and dimples! Brace yourself for Jeff Ararat portraying Tio, a rather vulgar individual the audience adores. His audacious behavior is a riot! Also outrageously funny— and super animated— are Maria Albertina as Juicy’s mother, Tedra, Autumn Jefferson as Opal, and Jermaine L. Pearson doing double duty as both Juicy’s father and uncle, Pap and Rev. You can’t take your eyes off these folks as they vehemently work the floor. You’ll also love the unrestrained antics of Michelle L. Walker as Rabby, and Mamadou Toure as Larry.
Set designer Shanel LaShay Smith sets the stage in Tedra’s down-home back yard. Rev cooks up some ribs we can actually smell, giving us the sensory perception of being there with the family to celebrate his wedding reception with Tedra. At times, Juicy and the others talk directly to the audience, including us in the rib-tickling fun! Yet in the world of Shakespeare, things aren’t always as they seem…
“Reminding us that we’re not the sum of our mistakes, Ijames asks us to consider what our lives would be like if we would choose ‘pleasure over harm.’ Fat Ham practices what it preaches by lavishing laughter and delight as it encourages us to take our destinies caressingly in hand,” said Mays in a recent Boston Spirit interview. “There’s a lot of universal feeling in the play, such as discovering who you are, the classic pursuit for young adults, and that’s where Hamlet comes in.”
Mays adds, “We’re a small theater that pushes the boundaries and looks for work that’s going to engage folks in ways we don’t often see here. Fat Ham isn’t your typical theater stuff, but Wilbury audiences are progressive-minded and looking for challenging theatrical experiences.”