Fat Ham by James Ijames
About this show
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright James Ijames reinvents Shakespeare’s masterpiece with a delectable comic tragedy in Fat Ham. 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 feels like a familiar story to Juicy, 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. [From Concord Theatricals]
CONTENT WARNING:
Please be advised that this production contains descriptions of murder, intimate partner violence, incarceration, military PTSD, and suicidal ideation. It contains uses of the n-word as a term of affection; homophobic language and attitudes; simulated intoxication; audio of pornographic video; and several acts of onstage violence. Suitable for ages 16 and up.
Intern Company Production
Once Upon a Trial
Following the serious injury of Thad Porker, and the hospitalization of Brad Porker, Poindexter Wolf is interrogated and arrested by none other than Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum. While awaiting his trial, Poindexter befriends and confides in his cellmate, The Evil Queen. The trial, highly publicized by the Peter Pan Press, introduces characters like Princess B, Humpty Dumpty, Honorable Judge Fairy Godmother, and chief witness Chad Porker. Facing two counts of pork endangerment, Poindexter’s fate lies in the hands of the jury (the audience). A twist on classic storybook tales, Once Upon a Trial confronts face-value stereotypes that have condemned Poindexter and many like him.