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Fat Ham

Why see Fat Ham?

A New Hamlet

James Ijames' Pulitzer Prize-winning play comes to you! Fat Ham is a wildly imaginative and socially-charged reimagining of Shakespeare's classic, Hamlet. Instead of a Danish castle however, this time our story takes place at a BBQ cookout in Southern America where Juicy, a queer college student, must decide whether to avenge his father's death or carve a new path for his future. 

nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so

Issues of identity and family obligation come to a head during a backyard cookout when Juicy's dad joins the BBQ. Only trouble is, his dad is dead and this is his ghost. It's Hamlet as we know it - but also completely different. Instead of a brooding, tormented, privileged prince, this time our hero is a self-aware, LGBTQ+ Black male. How will he respond when faced with the same choices? Will he be able to break the cycles of violence? And how differently will we experience this iconic narrative, rewritten and reshaped for modern America?

Key Information

Run Time

90 minutes with no intermission

Dates

Jan 11, 2025 - Feb 23, 2025

Upcoming Performances

Cast

Marcel Spears as Juicy

Nikki Crawford as Tedra

Chris Herbie Holland as Tio

Billy Eugene Jones as Rev/Papp

Adrianna Mitchell as Opal

Calvin Leon Smith as Larry

Benja Kay Thomas as Rabby

Creative

Written by James Ijames

Directed by Saheem Ali

Awards

Pulitzer Prize for Drama - 2022

Reviews

Customer reviews

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