Overview:
The regional premiere of James Ijames' "Fat Ham" is playing in Dallas at the Kalita Humphreys Theater until February 8th. The play is a comedic take on Shakespeare's "Hamlet" following Juicy, a young queer Black man who is trying to bring joy to his chaotic family's backyard barbecue. The play features a talented cast and explores themes of violence and Black joy in a Southern family. Tickets can be purchased at dallastheatercenter.org or by calling 214-522-8469.
Good news, Dallas! There is still time to get tickets for the regional premiere of James ljames’ Fat Ham. The 2022 Broadway hit comedy makes its regional premiere in Dallas and is packed full of powerful performances.
The play’s exposition introduces us to Juicy, a young queer Black man trying to create a little joy from the chaos at his family’s backyard barbecue. In this revealing gloss on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Juicy’s mom just married his late dad’s brother before her last husband’s body was cold! Now, his father’s ghost is yelling at his plump gay son to duke it out with his stepdad because the new guy poisoned him when he was in prison.
Remember the dead bodies littering the stage at the end of Hamlet? In Fat Ham, audiences fall in love with how this sweet Mama’s Boy uses his hilarious tricks to push back on the facade of being “macho” to generate a little domestic peace.
Though being a queer Black man in a Southern family isn’t easy, Fat Ham takes us through the journey with love and laughter. All the while, Juicy vows to trade cycles of violence for some of his own Black joy in this rendition. How’s that for a happy ending?
With a cast featuring Tyler Ray Lewis as Juicy, Calvin Gabriel as Rev/Pap, Jori Jackson as Opal, Cherish Love as Rabby and Caleb Mosley as Larry, Fat Ham is stacked with riveting performances you won’t want to miss.
Fat Ham show runs through Feb. 8 at the Kalita Humphreys Theater. This show contains some mature content and adult language. For times, tickets and more information, visit dallastheatercenter.org or call 214-522-8469.